Ballroom dancing, dinner planned> Event to be followed by series of classes

BREWER — Rumba, samba, tango, cha-cha and hustle. Sound like dances too intricate and intimidating to learn?

Well, the Pine Tree Chapter of the U.S. Amateur Ballroom Dance Association and Eastern Maine Medical Center’s Wellness Service aim to allay those fears and make you feel better. The two are co-sponsoring the Harvest Ball Dinner Dance starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer. All ages and abilities are welcome and no partner is needed at this smoke-free event.

The Harvest Ball Dinner Dance — being held in honor of National Ballroom Dance Week Sept. 17-26 — follows a series of ballroom dance classes for area college students and school employees. The final session for area school staff is 3:45-5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, at the Rex Marlin Dance Studio, 611 Hammond St. in Bangor.

Middle school and high school students who find they enjoy ballroom dance will have an opportunity to follow up the week of Oct. 5 at a special five-week swing and Latin dance class being offered by the Rex Marlin Dance Studio.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to help our youth discover the pleasure and romance, as well as the physical and mental benefits of ballroom dancing,” Karen McCall, Secretary of the USABDA’s Pine Tree Chapter, says. “For those more serious about the sport of dance, it’s not too early to be thinking about the Olympic Games of the future.”

Last April, the U.S. Olympic Committee granted affiliate member status to the USABDA as the National Governing Body of dance as a sport. The official goal is for “DanceSport” to be included in the Year 2008 Olympic program, but activities also are under way to achieve that by the Year 2004 Olympic games in Athens.

At the Harvest Ball Dinner Dance, USABDA and EMMC organizers say the evening meal will feature a vegetarian dish, baked-stuffed haddock and sliced-to-order roast beef. The cash bar and dinner buffet will begin at 6 p.m. at Jeff’s Catering. The cost is $20 per person.

“Enjoy the foxtrot, waltz, tango, rumba, samba, cha-cha, hustle, nightclub two-step, lindy hop, east-coast and west-coast swing on the spacious wooden dance floor,” McCall says.

Send checks payable to USABDA to Karen McCall, RR2 Box 5095, Carmel, 04419. Checks must be received by Thursday, Sept. 23. For information, call 990-2777 or 848-7765 or e-mail: Havetodanc@aol.com.