Cha Cha Cha! It's just a step to the left...

By Rad Probst
Staff Writer

Were you a wallflower at high school dances? Does your two-step involve three feet? Can't tell the difference between the rumba and samba?
Fear not if you are inept in the lingo or technicalities of dance, because there are plenty of clubs, classes and venues both here on campus and in the Los Angeles area to help bring you up-to-date.
Every Sunday and Thursday night, Emmi Sauk, a sophomore in architecture, heads out with a bounce in her step--and with good reason. She's on her way to meet with the her ballroom dance team.
On these two nights, professional instructors, including some of the top dance instructors in the country, are brought in to teach the team new dances. On Mondays, the team meets to practice what it was taught.
The team is comprised of 25 to 40 people, depending on the night and the dance it will be learning. There is also the option of competing, and the ballroom dance team's $50 dues cover the entrance fees for contests.
Thursday night is Latin dance night for the team. So far, the dancers have learned the rumba, samba, cha-cha and jive. Sundays they do smooth dancing, like the waltz and tango, with the fox trot not far in the future.
Along with the ballroom dance team, there is a ballroom dance club, with the main difference being that the club is non-competitive and only does two dances the entire year, whereas the team goes to competitions and learns multitudes of dances.
There is also a social dance club, headed by Matt Reider, a junior majoring in psychology. On Tuesday nights, the informal group meets and learns different dances with the help of professional instructors. The club has done the salsa and the West Coast swing. Currently in the works are the Argentine tango (reminiscent of "Scent of a Woman") and the Lindy (picture "Swing Kids" at USC).
But perhaps a club or team isn't your thing. Want to take a class and get university credit for learning to dance?
Well, those who do are in luck. The School of Theatre offers a wide array of instructional dance classes, ranging from modern dance to ballet and jazz.
There's also an international-style ballroom dance class, and if you're a bit adventurous, there's the "dance as an art form" class that "explores the origins and evolution of classic and contemporary dance forms," according to the university catalog.
There's also a class in the School of Music that is titled "Movement Training for Musicians," taught by Louise Reichlin, a lecturer for the school.
"The class stresses body awareness and control through a combination of dance and mind/body techniques, including Feldenkrais and Developmental Movement," Reichlin said. "Anyone taking the class will also discover their alignment and energy flow. You'll be able to move with more ease and self-confidence."
Reichlin said practical areas covered by the class range from rehearsals and audition techniques to the final bow after the performance. The class also includes relaxation techniques and physical movement/ music coordination.
For those more adventurous individuals who want to get away from campus and still learn how to mambo or fox trot, there are numerous--almost countless--venues where you can learn how.
Eva Mikos, the manager of the Arthur Murray Studio in Glendale, said the college-aged population at the venue is very sparse.
"Those in their early 20s come running in needing to learn the waltz or fox trot for their wedding dance," Mikos said.
Other participants in the ballroom and country lessons offered by the studio include "middle-aged people who have an upcoming company dinner and panic has set in, or the senior citizens who look to us as a type of country club or safe haven."
Mikos also said the studio would love to cater to anyone looking for country or ballroom lessons.
"The country program is just a little over two years old and we have a set syllabus now and our ballroom program covers all the Latin and old-time dances."
You can reach the Arthur Murray Studio at (818) 242-5672 and the lessons are offered one Saturday a month for each dance.
Looking for salsa lessons? Try Club Mambo in Los Angeles, which offers lessons twice a week for $8. The phone number is (310) 837-3775.
Try the Swingtime Dance Studio in Bellflower for a plethora of dances: country, swing, hustle and ballroom. The studio can be reached at (310) 867-2928.
And for a wide array of lessons, try the Anita Rogers School of Dance in Westminster--(714) 373-0273.
There are plenty more venues at which to learn to dance in the Los Angeles area; try the yellow pages or the Internet. You'll be surprised at the hundreds of places that offer instruction.
And for those who still need a little coaxing before they step out of their rooms to dance in public, dig out your "Hokey Pokey" album and just follow the instructions on the song.