We’re shaking up the schedule a bit this April. Blues is becoming progressive on Mondays, Intermediate on Tuesdays will focus on dancing FAST, more Rock n’ Roll added on Thursdays… spring has sprung!

The Monday Night Blues!
With Randy & Kathleen
Mondays @ 8:30pm
$30/3 weeks

This month long series will be great for new dancers who want to get into the Blues or for existing dancers who have never formally taken Blues lessons.
Mondays in April:
April 12, 19, 26 (no class Easter Monday) $30 for 3 weeks.

Fast Dancing for Intermediate Lindy Hoppers
with Arthur Lulu!
Tuesdays @ 8pm
$10 pay as you go

Get to class on Tuesday nights and Arthur will coach you on all of the important skills and vocabulary that you’ll need for faster Lindy Hop. With the growing popularity of bands like the Ragweed, this is essential. Get your skills up to par and impress your partners on the dance floor!

Rock n’ Roll Thursdays!
with Mandi!
Thursdays @ 8pm
[also Mondays at 6:30pm]
$10 pay as you go

In addition to our Monday class (6:30pm) we’re adding a class on Thursday nights. Come see what all the hype is about and get your Rock n’ Roll dancing on!

From Chuck Berry to Elvis to Fats Domino to Bill Haley & The Comets to The Beach Boys, this class lets us step back to a simpler time; diners, drive-in movies, milk shakes, black and white television and loads of nostalgia.

Think American Graffiti, hot summer nights, poodle skirts, sock hops and TV dinners. It’s time to work it on out to some smoking hot dance tunes, so if you can relate to the Fonz in Happy Days and you wish it could have stayed 1955 forever then this is the class for you!

Beginner Swing 4 Nights a week!
Mondays @ 7:30
Tuesdays @ 7pm
Wednesdays @ 8:30
Thursdays @ 6pm

No experience or partner required! Come on out and see what this swing craze is all about. The first class is always free so visit us and be welcome!

LOCATION:
765B Yonge St. right at Yonge & Bloor
Above Starbucks

It suddenly feels as though spring has sprung! Spring is always a good time for cleaning up and making some changes and I’ve been inspired to make a few adjustments to our dance schedule.

We’re making a few changes to the schedule for this April. By popular demand, we’re adding another Rock n’ Roll class on Thursdays and we’ll also be offering another 1.5 Lindy Hop class that same night for all of the wonderful Beginners who are ready to graduate to the next level:

Thursdays in April:
6pm Beginner Swing
7pm Transitions in Swing (Level 1.5)
8pm Beginner Rock n’ Roll

With the warm weather coming, we’ve decided to put Amateur Musical Theatre (which requires a month long commitment) on hiatus until the fall so that people’s warm weather plans won’t be hindered by the monthly musical project.

We’re also making the popular Blues Dance class on Monday nights into a Progressive Series. Registration is now open for 3 weeks in the month of April. Please note that there will be no classes on Easter Monday.

On March 3rd, 2010 Bees’ Knees Dance launched in St. Catharines with a big free open house party. What a wonderful success! More than 50 people participated in dance classes, cookie eating, and general festivities.

As a new comer to the city, I couldn’t be more thrilled to find such enthusiasm in this community. With just a little coaxing, everyone was ready to set aside all seriousness and join us for the silly, spirited Beginner dance steps which are so exuberant and carefree. The Swing lesson even included the infamous ‘pecking’ of the 1930s. If that doesn’t make you laugh then I don’t know what will!

Thank you to Christine, Alex and the other members of the Niagara Lindy Hop Club for joining us yesterday. Also to Dean of the Hamilton Hammer Hoppers swing group, and Jasper, Shannon and Laura of Bees’ Knees Dance in Toronto for making the trip out to celebrate with us. Also to Ben at the Folk Arts Multicultural Centre for giving us our new home.

Can’t wait to do it again next week!

Looking forward to dancing with everyone from here on in.

Mandi

So far, so good!

Having celebrated the 10 year anniversary of Bees’ Knees Dance in Toronto this fall, I feel confident that I can really bring something wonderful to a new city. It’s a bit frightening too, and a very busy time, . Preparations to launch in St. Catharines have been all consuming and very positive. I can’t believe that our big launch party/open house is just 2 weeks away on March 3rd.

Some interesting things have happened in the last couple of weeks. I was lucky enough – and completely blown away – to find that there’s actually a small Swing Dance group in the nearby town of Virgil. What a wonderful surprise! They’re called the Niagara Lindy Hop Club and they’re led by a wonderful gal named Christine who learned to dance when she was at University at Western. She’s done amazing things to get her group started there. What’s remarkable is that the word has spread completely via word of mouth and the group is now 25 people strong. I’ve enjoyed visiting their weekly dance practice the past few weeks.

It’s very encouraging to receive such a great welcome so far. The response via Facebook and Google has been great so far, as well as response to the advertising I’ve been doing around town. I think that what Bees’ Knees Dance offers will really be an enriching opportunity for the community here.

Can’t wait until March 3rd!

If you have friends or family in the Niagara area, you’d better tell them to put their dancing shoes on!

Toronto’s most popular swing dance schools is coming to St. Catharines, and it’s getting rid of every excuse to avoid the dance floor.

Can’t dance? “Sure you can,” says Bees’ Knees Dance owner Mandi Gould. “It’s just a matter of finding the right style for you.”

Can’t make weekly lessons? No problem! The school’s unique drop-in classes let you learn at your own pace, whenever you can make a class.

Not sure you’ll like it? Come and try the first lesson for free. Don’t have a partner? You don’t need one.

Located in downtown St. Catharines, with loads of parking and bus access, Bees’ Knees is offering Swing Dance and Rock’n’Roll lessons that will get everyone grooving and moving in no time.

“The key is to have fun,” Mandi says.

“Forget stiff and rigid dance lessons. Explore different styles until you find the one that’s right for you.”

By switching partners throughout the lesson, students gain both a broader ability for social dance, and make new friends.

Plus, as Mandi’s hundreds of students in Toronto can attest, it’s a great way to get some enjoyable, light exercise.

The dance school’s swing classes have been gaining – and keeping – Toronto fans for years. This second school will open in St. Catharines in March, 2010.

“The first class is always free, so people can come and try everything, without any obligations,” Mandi says.

After the first lesson, classes are just $10. The drop-in classes mean there’s no up-front fee, no hassle if you miss a week, and no pressure.

“It’s all about having fun, and learning to love to dance,” Mandi says.

While reality television programs and dance-focused films are littered with young, lithe bodies bounding around, that doesn’t mean it’s too late for non-dancing adults to get their groove on. There’s something for everyone. In addition to Swing and Rock n’ Roll, Amateur Musical Theatre, Dance Fitness and Beginner Movement classes will also be added to the schedule in the coming months.

Plus, there are plenty of side benefits, Mandi says. Dancing adds spice to fitness schedules, broadens social circles, and helps build confidence.

WHAT: Bees’ Knees Dance
WHERE: Folk Arts Multicultural Centre, 85 Church St., St. Catharines
WHEN: Launches March 3rd: Wednesday nights, 7pm Beginner Rock n’ Roll, 8pm Beginner Swing

FOR MORE DETAILS:
Contact Mandi Gould at info@beeskneesdance.com or 905-704-0209, or visit www.beeskneesdance.com.