Christine Chang RHYTHMIC CURE: Bruce Goren watches his daughter Nikki with instructor John Cassese during a private lesson at the Dance Doctor studio. Owner Cassese is in danger of losing his lease downtown. Santa Monicans think they can dance like the ‘Stars’
CITYWIDE — If a 216-pound former NFL great can do a little cha-cha, then maybe anyone can.
The popularity of hit television reality shows such as ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”and the Fox Network’s “So You Think You Can Dance” has had Santa Monicans reaching for their jazz shoes in increasing numbers and sashaying out the door to their nearest dance studios.
From the waltz to ballet to hip-hop, the city is home to more than a dozen dance studios, each specializing in a different style of rhythmic body movement. Many of the dance studios acknowledge they have benefited from the strong public response to the television shows, especially from “Dancing with the Stars,” which saw three-time Super Bowl champion Emmitt Smith crowned winner along with his partner Cheryl Burke in November.
“There definitely has been a difference since the show began airing,” said Kelly Rogiers, business manager of Dance Instruction on Kansas Avenue.
“Dancing with the Stars,” in particular, helped spark interest in the art of ballroom dancing, said Rogiers, explaining that Dance Instruction has seen a rise in numbers in all three of its disciplines of social ballroom dancing — Polynesian dance and ballet.
“We’re quite sure it has made a difference in more than one form of dance,”Rogiers said.
Thanks to the likes of Mario Lopez, the former A.C. Slater on “Saved by the Bell,” and Jerry Springer, the mayor turned talk show host, the younger generation now has an appreciation for ballroom dancing, once perceived to be the style of choice for the older sect in their 50s and 60s. John Cassese, the self-proclaimed “Dance Doctor,” who operates a dance studio by the same name on Fourth Street, has seen the demographics of his students taking ballroom dance classes expand since the show premiered.
Before “Dancing with the Stars” began airing in 2005, young couples could be seen taking ballroom dance classes in preparation for a wedding, said Cassese. Other than nuptials, the dance style was more of a favorite among the baby boomers and beyond.
Cassese, a renowned dance guru who has appeared on numerous television shows, is currently imparting his ballroom dance skills to a 13-year-old girl and her father in preparation for her Bat Mitzvah in two weeks.
A fan of “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” Nikki Goren, of Encino, thought it would be fun to learn the tango with her father, Bruce Goren, and show off their newly mastered dance skills at the Bat Mitzvah.
The father and daughter have taken about 10 classes so far, including their most recent lesson at The Dance Doctor on Thursday.
“On any objective scale, I’m not a good dancer,” Bruce Goren joked during a break.
During the lesson, Bruce and Nikki Goren glided across the floor, learning tango moves and trying to correct small mistakes. Throughout the routine, Nikki Goren would be swung over her father’s shoulder or dramatically dipped back.
“Quick—quick—step—glide!” Cassese instructed the Gorens. “Cross and cross and slide!”
The father and daughter decided on Cassese after reading his extensive resume.
“The dance lessons were similar to what I imagined it to be [after watching the show on television],” said Nikki Goren.
TurnOut Performing Arts Center has been impacted by the show in a different way. While the studio in West Los Angeles itself is not overwhelmed with new students signing up for ballroom dancing classes, teachers have seen a noticeable change in their off-site classes.
Those teachers wrapped up nine weeks of ballroom dancing sessions at Saint Monica Catholic High School last month. TurnOut Performing Arts Center Owner Janice Ray said she expected to see about a dozen students on the first day of class. She was surprised to find 34 students added their names to the list. “There is a lot more interest with the younger kids than ever before,” said Ray. “I think we all watch it and want to do it.”
Not all studios have seen a surge in business. Dance Home on Santa Monica Boulevard doesn’t offer lessons in the dance styles seen on either the ABC or FOX shows. Its area of specialization is contact Improv dancing, where two dancers are “interacting with each other and using each other’s body as leverage,” said Dance Home owner Randall Cooley.
“It couldn’t be more different,” Cooley said of the differences between ballroom dancing and contact Improv dancing.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 6, 2007. Read the original PDF.