As the summer of 2010 slips away, don’t miss a chance to hit one last dance tent! Then turn your sights to more dancing for the fall and winter, at our new home: the Sportsmens Tavern.

ELMWOOD AVENUE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
Sunday, August 29
10:30am
Esther Brill and RJ Ruble join us from Rochester for a FREE group lesson at the dance tent, followed by live music from LeeRon Zydeco. (The dance tent will be located on Elmwood Avenue just north of Ferry–between M&T Bank and the Unitarian Church.)

BUFFALO CAJUN ZYDECO DANCE SERIES
We’re proud to have a new home at Sportsmens Tavern (326 Amherst Street, Buffalo). The dance floor is a bit small right now, but it will be expanding dramatically with the venue’s renovations in the next few months. Let’s grow right along with them! Dances are the second Sunday of the month with a group dance lesson from Esther Brill at 2pm, followed by live music and dancing from 3-5pm. An $8 ticket gets you the lesson and live show–so it’s cheaper than a movie and WAY more fun!

September 12—LeeRon Zydeco & The Hot Tamales

October 10—LeeRon Zydeco & The Hot Tamales

November 14—The Skiffle Minstrels

December 12—Blue Sky Mission Club

January 9—The Skiffle Minstrels

February 13—LeeRon Zydeco & The Hot Tamales

Thanks to all the dancers (more than 75 of you, if my count is correct) who came out the dance on February 2, 2010. You all looked great out there shakin’ it on the dance floor! The next dance will be Tuesday, March 2 at the Lafayette Taproom. Dance lesson 7:30–8:30 followed immediately by great music from Lee Ron Zydeco. See you there!

Dates: February 2, March 2 (Tuesdays)

Time: 7:30–11:00pm (one-hour dance lesson followed by performance)

Place: Lafayette Taproom, 391 Washington Street, Buffalo, NY

$5 admission includes lesson, performance, and FREE GUMBO!

Shake off the winter chill with a Cajun/Zydeco dance series featuring music by Leeron Zydeco and the Hot Tamales. Rochester social dance teachers Esther Brill and RJ Ruble will be kicking off each event with a one-hour group dance class.

Never danced a step in your life? A little nervous about shakin’ it in public? Not to worry. Esther and RJ make it impossible to feel awkward–in fact, if you mess up, it will probably be because you’re doubled over laughing at one of her jokes. Kate Neaverth, a Buffalo mom and previous non-dancer, took her first Cajun/Zydeco crash course with Esther in the fall and was amazed at how much fun it was. Says Kate. “I watched her dance and she made it look so simple and fun that all my reservations about dancing in front of people flew out the window.”

Don’t have a partner? Again–no problem. Many people at dances come without a partner. They look forward to dancing with as many people as they can during the course of the evening–and to meeting and dancing with the newcomers. Dancers are generally a very friendly group of people; just make eye contact, smile, and say, “Would you like to dance?” Then introduce yourselves during the course of the dance (and if you’re a newbie dancer, feel free to say so).

If all else fails, you can simply spend the evening warming up at the bar with a hot dish of gumbo (free with $5 admission) while watching Leeron and the boys, some of the best musicians in the area, spice things up with their unique blend of Louisiana sounds. But wallflowers be warned: those notoriously friendly dancers will eventually get you out on the floor–and once they do, you may find it hard to stop your feet from moving!