Midwest Mixer Weekend at ESDS

The Midwest Mixer that took place at the Energetic Soul Dance Studio this weekend (Oct. 4 & 5, 2008) might very well be over, but I’m sure that the lasting memories will remain with those who participated.

Due to prior engagements, I didn’t go to nearly as many workshops as I wanted.  However, the one that I did attend (‘Casino Style Turns’) was well worth my time.  From warm greetings by Rico and Leticia, to phenomenal instructions/demonstrations by duane and Maribel, this workshop has met all of my expectations.  I left the studio with a much deeper understanding of casino style dancing.

Everything being taught was already familiar to me.  Nevertheless, I still found it to be extremely beneficial.  Learning from one of the top casino style instructors in the Midwest is always a treat.  duane Wrenn has a unique ability of explaining every step/turn/twist with so much depth that I always catch myself thinking “aha, that’s where it’s coming from”, or “this makes a lot more sense now”, and so on.  This workshop had me saying those phrases over and over.  duane began from the very basic and broke it down bit by bit, which made it easy for everyone to grasp it and to start enjoying the casino style of dancing on their own.  He also spiced up the workshop with a touch of history about the dance and the culture, and I found it rather educational.

ESDS was a gracious host, for the weekend, to guests from Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Kentucky.  Everyone felt right at home because there was a true sense of family-like atmosphere in the air.

To sum it all up, the workshop of my choice was filled with great deal of knowledge, sizeable amount of fun, and of course, ton of dancing.

I had a blast!  Hope you did too – those of you that attended.  And for the rest, if you couldn’t make it this weekend, I’m sure there will be a similar one coming up sometime soon.  Stay tuned…