Dance Fever

I cannot keep up with the amount of dance shows that are currently gracing our broadcast airwaves. I know about “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance” but is there really a show called “Dance Your Ass Off?” And if so, can I get my Uncle Tony a spot? The thing is, Americans, we love to dance. The Minute Men did the Minuet, Native Americans have their tribal dances for different occasions and “Turkey in the Straw” was popular during the Civil War days when soldiers would ease the tensions of battle with a fiddle and a dance. Yes, they danced. Don’t ask, don’t tell. The Roaring 20’s had flappers doing the Charleston, Fred and Ginger were elegant in the 30’s, the 40’s brought us the Jitterbug, the 50’s taught us the stroll and the 60’s gave us everything from the Twist to the Monkey to the Bouncing Bong (OK, not real). And our love affair with dancing really caught on thanks to two movies. The first was “Saturday Night Fever” with John Travolta. The second was “Dirty Dancing” with the late, great Patrick Swayze. Those films not only glamorized the art of the dance but made us want to dance, not just sit on the sideline. And so we dance…at weddings and events, at nightclubs and seaside bars. But we have discovered that some of us are better than others when it comes to possessing a sense of rhythm. Fortunately for those of us for which the Lambada does not come naturally, there are several places to go in New Jersey where we can learn all the right moves without fear of ridicule. As couples, we are taking lessons in ballroom dancing and salsa, the tango and the meringue. Dance studios are booked weeks and even months in advance. Prices are reasonable and the staff members are generally not only helpful and patient, but really talented as well. It’s a win-win. If you catch the bug and the feeling overtakes you to the point where you’re yelling to the mailman, “Gotta Dance,” here are a few of the many places you can go to get your groove on.