Dance studio will bring Vegas to visitors
Bright lights, big music, flashy costumes, elegant food and gaming tables - all the elements of a Las Vegas-style show - will come together at the Ballroom Dance Center in Evans on Friday and Saturday.
The center'sViva Las Vegas Showcase is the grand finale of a year's worth of dance classes. The Center's approximately 200 students take monthlong classes in waltz, rumba, tango, fox trot, shag, swing, hustle and other dances.
Students at the center do not need a track record of dancing experience to take lessons; there are classes for beginners and advanced dancers. The annual August showcase is a chance for more experienced students to perform what they have learned in choreographed dances.
By the time the big night arrives Friday, the center will have gaming tables set up (for entertainment only - no gambling is allowed), as well as a dessert buffet. The center also will display a newly installed, professional lighting system to add atmosphere to the occasion.
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The lighting, professional costumes and choreography by established dancers Eddie Ares and David Hamilton will be featured, with other dancers in the showcase.
Emilie Bryan (from left), Valery Ganiev, Stephen Rozier and Bradie Bodlien will perform at the Viva las Vegas Showcase on Friday and Saturday.
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About 35 dancers will perform 21 different numbers, performing to standards from the 1930s through today, including music by Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Dean Martin, the Bee Gees, and Shania Twain.
"Every generation will recognize something," said Bradie Bodlien, a dance instructor at the center.
A representative of every generation also is present in the dance crew. While the youngest performer is only 10, the oldest is in her 70s. They have been practicing their routines since June.
Tickets to the Viva Las Vegas Showcase cost $25. The BDC's doors open at 7:30 p.m., with the show starting at 8 p.m. After about an hour of performances, the floor will open for members of the audience to join in until the event ends at 11:30 p.m.
The center is on Evans-to-Lock Road near the railroad tracks. Call 854-8888 for more information, or visit the Web site at www.ballroomdancecenter.com.