Dance Masters Grand Opening

On June 27, 2008 the doors of Dance Masters new Southport facility opened with a thunderstorm and the rhythm of swing music. It's been a long time coming - Mark and Melissa have deserved a space that is more suited to their craft and now they have just that. The place is lovely: a main dance floor with several smaller and private studios for lessons and even a kitchenette for the staff. But, as with any venue, the sum total of the place is more than a physical space.

There's got to be a kind of energy - maybe it's some kind of ley line thing that permeates the structure and infuses it with the right party mojo. The energy manifests itself differently at every venue. Sometimes it’s raucous and exuberant to the point that a venue becomes like Fountain Square, inaccessible to some because of its wild popularity. Other times the energy manifest itself in an almost stately manner, turning a venue into an Indiana Roof where some feel too awed to get on the floor. The problem for a dance studio is that to be effective, both those extremes need to be avoided so that the students will be able to make the most out of their instruction.

My first blush impression is that Dance Masters new studio will do just fine on the energy account. There were glitches last night - a sound system that wanted to cut out at random intervals and a floor that hasn't been broken in - but the feeling was there. And, when you throw in two owners with the talent and dance-wisdom of Mark and Melissa, it's hard to imagine the new studio turning into anything but a success.

Congratulations Mark and Melissa - may your new studio bring you new opportunities and open new frontiers in dancing.