Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is excited to announce the third season of its free Summer Dance Series, offering weekly social dance events at Landmark Plaza in downtown Saint Paul. Beginning June 14, the Ordway Summer Dance Series highlights a different social dance style every Thursday, with demonstrations and basic lessons by professional dance instructors from our community and the opportunity to put those lessons into practice during open dancing the rest of the evening. Local bands will provide live music each week, adding energy to Saint Paul summer evenings.
“Summer Dance is a wonderful way that the Ordway carries out our mission: to make the arts accessible and engaging for everyone,” explains Patricia A. Mitchell, Ordway’s president and CEO. “Whatever your level of dance ability and dance familiarity – including if you have none of either – you’re sure to have an enjoyable evening at Summer Dance!”
The Ordway’ s Summer Dance Series will begin each week with a social gathering at 5:30 p.m. where food, ice cream and beverages are available for purchase from The Saint Paul Hotel, Pazzaluna, food trucks and Leprechaun’s Dreamcycle. Free dance demonstrations by well-known local dance professionals from organizations including Arthur Murray Dance Studio and Cinema Ballroom will begin at 6:00 p.m. and live music by a different local band every week will follow at 7:15 p.m.
In case of rain, Summer Dance will be held inside at the Ordway on June 21, June 28, July 12, July 19, July 26 and August 2; and at Landmark Center on June 14 and August 9.
The Ordway is partnering with Landmark Center, Pazzaluna, The Saint Paul Hotel, the City of Saint Paul’s Cultural STAR Program and Wells Fargo for the Ordway Summer Dance Series.
The Ordway’s 2012 Summer Dance Series Lineup
June 14 – Reggae/Afro-beat
West African Dance Instruction: Fatawu Sayibu
Band: New Primitives
June 21 – 50’s & 60’s Rock n Roll
50’s & 60’s Rock n Roll Dance Instruction: Arthur Murray
Band: The Whitesidewalls®
June 28 – Cuban Son
Cuban Dance Instruction: Rene Thompson
Band: Malamanya
July 5 – No event due to July 4 holiday
July 12 – Funk
Funk Dance Instruction: Leah Nelson
Band: Dr. Mambo’s Combo
July 19 – Ballroom
Ballroom Dance Instruction: Cinema Ballroom
Band: Jerry O’Hagan and his Orchestra
July 26 – Salsa
Salsa Dance Instruction: Manuel & Carmen Rubio
Band: Salsa del Soul
August 2 –Tango/Waltz
Tango/Waltz Dance Instruction: Cinema Ballroom
Band: Café Accordion Orchestra
August 9 – Swing
Swing Dance Instruction: Arthur Murray
Band: Riverside Swing Band
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