USA Dance L.A. Dances with Coaches to the “Stars”
David Spetner, USA Dance L.A. President (left) with Anna Trebunskaya and Jonathan Roberts of Dancing with the Stars
Our January 31 party was kicked off with a lively foxtrot lesson by Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya. Jonathan told us at the start of the lesson that their offering tonight would be a sample of the way they teach the “stars” they work with on “Dancing with the Stars.” The formula for flash he presented consisted of some fairly simple steps (the most complicated being a “grapevine”) enhanced by a lot of style in arm and body movements. Most of the crowd were experienced dancers who—even in the face of some confusion about rotating partners—were able to follow along and enjoy the coaching from these two consummate professionals. At the end of the lesson, Jonathan picked one couple to demonstrate for the whole group their impressive form in the sequence he’d just taught us. Amazing what these two fine teachers accomplished in a half-hour class!
Jonathan Roberts of Dancing with the Stars teaching at our Jan. 31 2010 dance
For the rest of the evening, we all enjoyed dancing to James Woo’s excellent music—a skillfully chosen mix of standard ballroom dances spiced up with a sampling of salsa, bolero, hustle, Argentine tango, samba and quickstep. As always, the waltz and foxtrot mixers brought the most people out on the floor, and for once the men’s line was almost as long as the women’s. The tasty snacks on the buffet table were devoured quickly by the larger-than-usual crowd of over 300 hungry dancers. All in all, it was a wonderful way to spend a cold winter’s evening.
—Judith Searle
