“Free Dance Lessons at Paris Airports

Roughly 17 million air passengers travel through Paris during the summer, presenting the city’s airports with a significant logistical challenge. To keep tempers cool and spirits high this year, the Aeroports de Paris implemented an unconventional plan: free dance lessons for passengers.

Much like the free light therapy the airports offered over the winter holidays—which we covered back in January—summertime passengers can use their wait time at the airport to learn any one of 15 dances offered by the airport’s resident trainers from “L’Ecole des Vacances,” including Afro Jazz, Disco, Hip Hop, Mambo, Modern Jazz, Rock & Roll, Salsa, Samba, Tango, Cha-Cha and more. Music and trainer instructions are broadcast through cordless headsets so as to minimize the disturbance to other passengers, and lessons last 10 to 15 minutes each. At Paris-Orly, they take place on a dance floor in terminal South at boarding gate 17, with roving workshops also available in the boarding area at Paris-Orly West. At Paris-Charles de Gaulle, the dance floor is located in terminal 2E, gate E51, with itinerant workshops in Terminals 3 and 2F. Dance floors were designed by the Aeroports de Paris boutiques. Classes are available each summer weekend between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. through August 17th.

There’s nothing quite like free love to elevate consumers’ moods, particularly when it includes a dash of sympvertising to relieve the stress of travelling and provides some status skills to boot. No doubt the airport boutiques will benefit, but another possible scenario could involve the sponsorship of such an effort by a local dance studio chain. Either way, one to emulate in any travel or hotel context!”

Thanks to springwise.com for this great article!

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But 2 weeks later and 5 days of full time work by 3 air conditioning specialists and we are in action! The men finished the work at 5pm yesterday and all the Monday students and helpers were able to enjoy a nice cool studio. What a difference and what a relief!

Thank you to everyone who attended classes and did so with great spirit. I definitely have the best students in the world – not one complain! So now you can all look forward to coming to classes and staying as cool as one can possibly be dancing salsa 😉

So now I can start raving about how much I love the new studio. The location – wow! I searched for over 1 year for a great space for us and it was rough sailing for a while. You wouldn’t believe how many places turned us down because they believed dance studios are noisy. Funny enough 7 years ago I taught at Empress Walk at “Lifesport Fitness Club” which went bankrupt. So now it is a full circle and it felt great to see our signs come up. Check out our Yonge Street sign which will be up next week!

What else do I love about the studio? The floors are so slippery I can wear non-dance shoes and still be able to do multiple turns. The stereo is crazy powerful. The students aren’t squished and I don’t have to ask for permission to hold classes – what could be better??

Now that the air conditioning is in we can have a big grand opening party and begin our Sunday salsa socials. We’ll announce the dates shortly!!

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Well I am so happy to announce that Bryant Lopez from Tango Soul will be teaching our first ever Argentine Tango class in our new studio at Empress Walk. I first met Bryant when Evan surprised me last Valentine’s Day 2007 with a private Argentine Tango class – it was so much fun. Very different from salsa but just as fun and exciting. I loved Bryants passionate and intense teaching style and hoped that one day he would be able to teach a class for us. So to make things short, beginning Thursday June 12th at 9pm, Bryant will be teaching a 9 week class that will focus on the dance basics including technique, leading, following and footwork.

Just like salsa there are some discrepancies and arguments as to the history of Argentine Tango but we do know the dance originated in Buenos Aires. Here is a short history lesson for those interested from a website I found online called argentinepolo.

“Although there are many legends and stories about the origins and development of tango, I will attempt to give an outline that is broadly accepted, and I have picked up from a variety of sources. Tango is a dance and music that originated in Buenos Aires at the turn of the century, developing in the melting pot of cultures that was Buenos Aires. Immigrants from Europe – Italy, Spain, Britain, Poland, Russia, Germany and every other European country mixed with earlier generation of settlers of all races from other South American countries. They brought their native music and dances with them, and continued to assimilate new innovations from abroad. Traditional polkas, waltzes and mazurkas were mixed with the popular Habanera from Cuba to form a new dance and music, the milonga, which was popular in the 1870s . This was known as the “poor man’s Habanera”. The word tango was used at the time to describe various music and dance, for example the “tango andaluza” from Spain in the 1880s. The black population had their dances, the candombe, a mix of many different african traditions, and the place they danced and the dance itself have also been referred to as tango.”

Can’t wait to get started! Registration is open for this class so register soon by clicking here to secure your spot!

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