FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What styles of dance do you teach?
We teach a wide range of ballroom and Latin dance styles n my home studio in the West Side /Edgewood area of Charleston. They include East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Foxtrot, Waltz, Nightclub Two-Step, Rumba, Cha-Cha, Salsa, Mambo, Samba, Bolero, Merengue, Bachata, Hustle, Polka, and Ballad Slow Dance.
When do you teach dance lessons?
We schedule most lessons on weekday evenings, Monday through Thursday, at 6:00, 7:00 and 8:00. Sometimes, we schedule lessons on weekend afternoons when that works best for everyone involved.
How long are the lessons?
Each lesson lasts 50 minutes. We usually reserve the last five minutes for our clients to
take videos of us going through the key points of the lesson, so they won't forget what we just taught, and they can practice their steps correctly.
What happens if I need to cancel my dance lessons?
We can only book three lessons each evening because both of us have daytime jobs, so our schedule fills up early each month. If you know you must cancel a lesson or reschedule it, please let us know as soon as possible, so we can fill the slot with someone else. If you cancel the day of the lesson, we cannot fill the slot on such short notice. We would appreciate payment for the lesson, as though you took it.
If we want to learn to dance for our wedding reception, what do we need to know?
We begin before you come for your first lesson by listening to the song you select for your first dance as a married couple to figure out what style or styles of dance would be best for it. (If you haven't selected a song yet, we have a list of suggestions compiled from songs other couples have used.) At the beginning of your first lesson, we demonstrate the types of steps that would work well with the song, and then, we begin to teach you those steps. People sometimes ask us how many lessons they might need. That depends on their aptitude for learning the steps, how much they practice between lessons, how much time we have together before the wedding, and how much they want to learn. Some couples want to learn more than just the style of dance for their first song, so they can dance to other styles of music at their reception, as well as for the rest of their lives.
If possible, we recommend clients wear the same shoes they intend to wear at their wedding reception, so they can get accustomed to dancing in them.
We have had much success in teaching couple to dance well for their wedding receptions. By early 2024, we had taught more than 50 couples to dance for their wedding receptions, and the number keeps going up. In addition to teaching brides and grooms, we also teach father-daughter and mother-son dances.
WV Weddings magazine has listed us as one of the best wedding dance providers in the state.
How much do your services cost?
Please see my rates and payment page for full pricing.
Do you travel to other locations for your sessions?
Not usually, but we occasionally make exceptions. When we do, we charge for travel expenses at a rate of $1.00 per minute of drive time. For a group, the charge for a 50-minute lesson would be $10.00 per person with a minimum of $50.00. Outside the immediate Charleston area, other charges might apply. The client would be responsible for providing the space for the lesson.
Do I need to bring any special equipment for a dance lesson?
For dance lessons, leather-soled (or suede-bottomed) shoes are best but not absolutely necessary. They allow the feet to turn more easily on the floor than rubber-soled shoes that are meant for gripping the surface. Otherwise, any comfortable clothing is fine.
Where can I buy dance shoes?
BackStage Bodywear (205 West Washington St, Charleston, WV 25302) will give you 10% off if you mention you are taking classes from Charleston WV Dance. BackStage website: https://www.backstagebodywearwv.com/shop.
Is it easy to find your home studio?
Yes, I am located on Google maps, and I have off-street parking available. I will put out a sign directing you to the studio door at the end of my driveway, 910 Mathews Avenue, Charleston, WV 25302.
Can I rent your studio to practice my dancing?
Yes. The price to rent the studio is $10/hour plus 7% sales tax for a total of $10.70 per hour. There are lots of mirrors, and the studio is well lit. The floor is hardwood, so leather-bottom and suede-bottom shoes are best. A restroom also is available.
What is your business goal?
My business goal is to help people play by moving their bodies and therefore reducing the widespread levels of anxiety, depression, addiction, and hopelessness.
Socially, I help create a playful circle for people. This circle is a place for people to get away from the intruding world, where time is suspended for a while, and where the pleasures of friendship and companionship are developed.
The type of movement I teach in dance and fitness has a renewing effect on people. This lighthearted feeling can be taken with them as they join back into their lives.
The ultimate goal of my business is to promote poise. What is poise? It is balance and strength. It is being able to spontaneously respond with grace and ease. There’s a certain freedom that accompanies poise. When people learn skills that encourage agility, they become more self-confident. This vitality stimulates their imagination and creativity, helping them find new ways to use poise in all other areas of their lives.
Learning and practicing poise are what my business has done for me and what I offer to my patrons as they attune to my life.
My intention, through ongoing engagement with my patrons, is to provide content to enrich their lives as we travel this journey together.
What is your YouTube channel about?
My YouTube channel is about how lovely light living guides my life, how I am maintaining it as I grow older, and how I want to encourage your JOY by building connections and trust with each other. Please "Subscribe" to my channel so we can keep in touch with each other.
Are you certified?
I have been teaching stress management through movement and exercise classes since 2007 here in the Charleston area. I am nationally certified through the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) for Group Fitness, which adds another layer of safety to the other certifications I have. My primary and advanced Personal Training certifications are through Fitour. I trained and certified for the Spencer Pilates Mat and Ball program and Sports Yoga techniques through National Endurance & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA). Certifications require ongoing Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and additional testing to maintain, which has given me so much more training over the years of my teaching experience. I have designed my own style of Yoga/Pilates that moves in a way that is attractive to both men and women. I often incorporate movements into my mat classes similar to the five Tibetan rites as described in the book, “Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth,” by Peter Keller. I also am licensed to teach the Silver Sneakers® program through Tivity Health, serving many Medicare Advantage insurance companies. I am always current on my CPR-AED, which is a lifesaving program for cardiac and respiratory problems, in case they should arise while I am teaching class.
I started taking private dance lessons in 2014 and opened my business, Charleston WV Dance, in 2016. My partner, Jim Wallace, has been dancing since 1995. We both have a love for the Charleston dance community and provide dance lessons as well as serve as a hub for getting local dance information published and advertised. We attract many people who have wanted to dance socially for a long time and finally have the time to take lessons, as well as couples who want to learn to dance together for wedding receptions. We teach all of our clients how to feel safe, comfortable, and entertained on the dance floor.