I want to write a quick note about the dance classes at the Regent Ballroom.
As long as I can remember, David Lin, owner of the Regent ballroom, has
been offering low cost dance classes to UIUC students. For years, his
Friday afternoon classes were a weekly ritual for at least 40-50 of us;
we'd carpool down to the Regent at 5pm, take 2 classes, go out to eat
together, and then return to the Regent for a night of dancing followed by
an after-hours party at someone's house.
While we were all introduced to dancing in DI beginner classes on campus,
it was in David's classes at the Regent that we really learned the cool
moves and how to do them correctly. The DI curriculum committee members
realized this, and when they met this spring to revamp our club's course
offerings, they made it their goal to (taken from our bylaws):
* Provide a well thought out, long term, semi-stable curriculum...
* Utilize all available resources: DI, UIUC, Regent Ballroom, etc.
* Provide a transition between the DI beginner and the DI
intermediate level courses.
* Provide a transition between the DI courses and the Regent
courses...
By pairing a dance taught in beginner class with a dance taught at the
Regent, our current intermediate class offerings were designed to link the
DI and the Regent programs together. While this is a great plan, I must
sadly report that the dance classes at the Regent have not been well
attended this semester. I see several reasons for this:
1. David did very little advertising for his classes, so only the
DI members who were "in-the-know" signed up for them,
2. David started his classes a week before the DI classes started,
so many people who wanted to take them missed the first week
and gave up,
3. There is a rumor going around that "you need to be a good
dancer to take David's classes."
( NOT TRUE!!! You BECOME a good dancer taking David's classes! )
Now, because of the low turnout for David's first-half-of-the-semester
session, David wants to cancel the second-half-of-the-semester session in
which he would have taught:
1B: Waltz, Quickstep, Cha cha starts Fri Oct 18, 5:15-6:15
2A: Tango, Rumba, Viennese Waltz starts Fri, Oct 18, 6:20-7:20
I think it's a shame that more members haven't take advantage of this
wonderful resource this semester. I'd also hate to see us lose a program
which has benefitted so many DI members in the past. Therefore, like so
many DI members before you, I'd like to ask that each of you consider
taking a dance class at the Regent ballroom. Our beginner course is the
only prerequisite required for a 1A, 1B or 1C class at the Regent.
If you'd like to dance away your Friday afternoons, please let David know
by writing him at:
Regent@net66.com
If enough of us write him, I'm sure we can change his mind.
Thanks,
Mark