Tony Dovolani -- Back By Popular Demand Jan. 17!

Tony's back and our students can't wait! He's holding both private and group classes on Saturday, Jan. 17 right here at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Willoughby, OH. The group classes are open to the public and you can sign up by calling us at 440-516-7837.

Tony is a world champion ballroom dancer and one of the amazing pros on Dancing With The Stars. He's danced with Susan Lucci, Jane Seymour and Stacy Keibler to name a few.

You can attend his group classes even if you're just a beginner. He'll be holding a 45-minute class on "smooth" dancing -- waltz, tango, foxtrot -- at 12:30 p.m. and a Latin class at 1:15 p.m. The cost is just $40 per class or $70 if you take both.

Bring your camera so you can snap a picture! You'll have a blast learning from one of TVs famous dancers!

The Holiday Showcase Was A Stunning Success!

Students wowed their friends and family with terrific performances at our fourth annual Holiday Showcase held at Pine Ridge Country Club. We started with a fabulous dinner, then moved onto dancing and the show.

Congratulations to all our student performers, many of whom were in the spotlight for the very first time. Judith Gruber was a hit with her flirty foxtrot; Dannielle LaFaye danced a sizzling hot rumba; Matt Fleming was fantastic with lifts, dips and drops in his tango; Pat Valenza shined in her swing -- you can tell she's always having a blast.

Then Francina Doyle cracked us up when she "drove" onstage for a West Coast Swing to Santa Drives a Hot Rod. Carlos Sucharetza and Marlene Waller performed a gorgeous bolero filled with emotion; Tim and Kristine Snell were awesome in their mambo; Tim and Sherry Niederkorn (Tim in full Santa gear) looked fantastic in their swing and Karen Wiese was wonderfully graceful in a lovely waltz.

In the final numbers of the evening, Al Kovacik and Loretta Fraser were so entertaining with their Lindy Hop and Michelle Blanchard brought the house down with a sexy cha cha (check out the red striped stockings). David and Sandi Fink were so much fun to watch in their Argentine Tango; Melissa Barone was amazing with her mambo and Igor Kantorovich and Elena Furman showed plenty of style in their samba. The evening ended with pro performances by Andrea, Matt, Katie, Raymond, Lisa and special guest Rob. It was a great way to start the holidays! See all the pictures by clicking on our photo gallery.

Trophy Ball was a blast!

Our students shined at Trophy Ball! They danced for the audience, received certificates and plaques and spent as much time laughing as they did dancing. Congratulations to all our graduates!

Tamara's Benefit Raised $2,000!

Thanks to everyone who participated in Tamara Norris' benefit dinner at the Patrician Party Center. It was a wonderful evening of dinner, dancing and performances by the Fred Astaire instructors. The silent auction raised $2,000 to help Tamara in her fight with cancer. Thanks again!

Thanksgiving Potluck Nov. 21

We'll cook the turkey...you provide the sides. This is one of our favorite events! We have a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner, then we dance it all off. The sign up sheet is at the front desk. Be sure to get your name on it soon.

Guest Party Nov. 7

It's another chance to show us off to your friends and family. We're opening our doors for a free party and group class and everyone's invited! Come enjoy a free swing lesson, dancing, refreshments, student performances and a pro show. The fun starts at 7:15 p.m.

Team Match Rocks!

Check out the pictures on our website...our students did an amazing job at Team Match, Oct. 5 at La Malfa. With all the dancing, cheering, eating and making new friends from other studios, we all had a blast.

Mambo Intensive with George Hendricks Sept. 13

Don't miss your chance to learn from one of the best! George Hendricks -- US champion, longtime coach and respected adjudicator -- will give tips and techniques so you can mambo like never before. The mambo intensive runs from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 13. Cost is $60 per person. Sign up today!

Guest Party Sept. 12!

Friends, family, co-workers -- or anyone who's reading this blog -- come to the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Willoughby for another spectacular guest party. It all starts with a FREE group class at 7:15 p.m. followed by the party from 8-9:30 p.m. Enjoy tons of dancing, student exhibitions and fabulous performances by our pros! These parties are always a hit, so come enjoy the fun!

Team Match Sunday, Oct. 5

We want that trophy back! Join us for another battle between the Northern Ohio and Southern Ohio schools. This time it's on our turf -- at LaMalfa in Mentor! Team Match is a great way to improve your dancing -- fast! You'll enjoy a fabulous day of competition, lunch, dinner, and a terrific pro show. Early bird deadline is August 9. See your instructor for details.

Coaching With Jesse DeSoto Aug. 12-13

One of our most popular coaches is back! Jesse is choreographing our Holiday Showcase (Dec. 7) along with regular coaching. Sign up now...time slots are filling up fast!

Guest Party July 18

Invite your friends and family, co-workers and anyone else you can think of for a fantastic evening of dancing and performances. It's our July Guest Party on the 18th. We'll start with a SALSA GROUP CLASS at 7:15 p.m. that's open to everyone. Then at 8 p.m. we'll start the party with student performances and a pro show. See you there!

The North Wins Team Match!

The Willoughby team fought hard. Carlos and Marlene nearly set the floor on fire with their bolero, Domenick scored honors in just about every dance and Tyler won Top Youth in the region. Plus we were the rowdiest, most spirited school.

All our students were great! Tim and Sherrie, Christy, Carlos and Marlene, Molly, Vadim, Igor and Elena, James and Susanna, Francina, Melissa, Tyler, Dannielle, Dawn, Annette, Matt and Toyomi, Charlie, Sandy, Domenick, Stephanie, and Tim and Kristine -- we're so proud of you! We didn't keep the trophy, but we'll get it back at the next competition in October!

Check out all the pictures in our photo gallery on the website, www.dancecleveland.com

Summer Youth Dance Camps

Get your kids out of the house and on the dance floor! They'll have a blast learning the basics of social dancing -- including swing, salsa and a whole lot more. Dance camps are 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday, with 8-12 year olds attending July 21-24 and teens attending July 28-31. The cost is $80 per person. Call today to register!

Our Incredible Weekend With Tony Dovolani

He gave us three rules for great dancing...he spilled secrets from Dancing With The Stars...he took pictures, signed autographs and challenged every one of us to reach further and work harder. Now we know why Tony Dovolani is a world champion ballroom dancer. Best of all, he told us we're awesome and he wants to come back! (I'll keep you posted.)

He also showed an incredibly generous side when he donated two VIP tickets to next season's Dancing With The Stars so we could raise funds for our co-worker who's been stricken with cancer. We were thrilled to have him here, and we can't wait to dance with him again!

Summer Salsa Series

Cool salsa for hot summer nights! Join us for six sessions with Raymond Cedeño, Cleveland's Viva La Salsa champion. Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 22-August 7. $99 per person. Minimum six people.

Tony Dovolani Coming To Willoughby

You can dance like a star with Tony Dovolani from Dancing With The Stars! Tony will be holding group classes this Friday and Saturday, June 20 and 21 right here at our studio. All levels are welcome!