X
Whether it is the two-step or a 22-step routine, dancers from around Las Vegas are sharing the best places to learn to dance.
Whether it is the two-step or a 22-step routine, residents from around Las Vegas are sharing the best places to learn to dance.
Dawn Edgers just wanted to go dancing but had no one to go with. Edgers said the best thing to do was create a group.
“It grew so big so fast,” Edgers said. “(Las Vegas) is a country town. It kind of got lost for a few years. But now it’s going again.”
Edgers mentioned places such as Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, 9151 Las Vegas Blvd. South, or Revolver Saloon and Dance Hall inside Santa Fe Station, 4949 N. Rancho Drive, as good places for line dancing.
Revolver offers free line dancing classes from 8:15 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and Stoney’s offers lessons at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Stoney’s is teaching dances such as Black Velvet, Swamp Thing and Chicken Bone this week.
Edgers has taught line dancing at bars such as Stoney’s and Dillon’s, which is now closed.
A few years ago, Edgers discovered California swing.
“This was the swing people didn’t know about,” Edgers said. “This was California swing.”
Edgers said there is a difference between the traditional Lindy swing and California swing.
“You can do California swing to almost any music,” Edgers said. “You don’t have to do it to the old-style music like the jive.”
Edgers said most places focus on Lindy swing.
“It is old-style music,” Edgers said.
Edgers said there are places to go swing dancing, such as the Aruba Hotel & Spa, 1215 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The Aruba has free swing dancing from 7 to 10 p.m. every Friday except the first Friday of the month. Free lessons are offered from 6 to 7 p.m. in the lounge.
Tango dance instructor Ruta Maria said the Argentine tango is starting to take off in Las Vegas.
“We got a lot of good publicity from dance shows on television,” Maria said. “But it was actually everything that happened with the economy that made people become interested in tango, believe it or not. People were looking for something new that would help them de-stress life. Through word of mouth, people heard about the tango.”
Maria’s instructor, Marcos Questas, brought the Argentine tango from Buenos Aires to Las Vegas 10 years ago. The group started with about 30 people.
“Now we have almost 200 active dancers,” Maria said.
The group has dance lessons through the week and hosts a tango event at 9 p.m. every second Saturday of the month. People can check the website lasvegastango.com for more information and locations.
For $12 in advance, or $15 at the door, the evening includes a cultural experience filled with Argentine food, music and, of course, the tango.
As the artistic director of Step Up Academy of the Arts, Christina DeLessio helps people with dance lessons and knows some great spots to go dancing.
“All the instructors said the same thing,” DeLessio said. “If you are into swing or line dancing, go to Stoney’s. The two styles are similar.”
DeLessio said that for fun, her instructors like to go to salsa dance at places such as the Gold Coast Casino, 4000 W. Flamingo Road, which features the band Noches Caliente with Latin Breeze at 10 p.m. Saturdays for $10.
DeLessio recommends going to dance at other lounges such as La Scena Lounge at The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, which opens at 7:30 p.m. daily.
Step Up Academy of the Arts, 2558 Wigwam Parkway, offers salsa lessons. For more information, call 577-1832.
Edgers is available for lessons at her home studio. For more information, visit dancinwithdawn.com.
Contact Henderson and Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.