HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-09-23, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010. PAGE 23. Entertainment Leisure&Dance studio offers Blyth residents chance to learn
Four years ago the Cooks
wouldn’t have been found on a
dance floor.
They were the kind of couple,
according to their pamphlet, that “sat
on the sidelines watching everyone
else having fun on the dance floor.”
“I hated dancing,” Les Cook said.
“I didn’t like being in the same room
as dancing, but I knew [my wife]
Jackie wanted to, so it was
something that frustrated me to not
be able to do.”
Les’s avoidance of dancing was
eventually cast to the side as he
realized that, through reality
television shows, he could do what
was being done.
Once he experienced dance, it
wasn’t long before he started
instructing others in it.
“The first time I went to
Casablanca [Dance Studio in
Goderich], I thought they would
send me home,” he said. “They
didn’t.”
Jackie said that she and her
husband were not great dancers to
begin with, but that they practised a
lot.
“We weren’t natural dancers, but
we were persistent,” she said.
After learning themselves, Les
joined the staff at Casablanca, and
started teaching classical dancing
styles.
The couple started renovating their
Blyth home, turning part of it into a
dance studio, and, soon after its
completion, Casablanca decided to
close its doors, opening a new
opportunity to the Cooks: teaching
out of their home.
The couple decided to open Blyth
East Side Dance out of their home
dance studio, and offer instruction in
classical dances.
“We teach ballroom and Latin,”
Jackie said. “They are two basic
groups, and each has separate
dances. We have lessons for waltz,
foxtrot, tango, bolero, salsa and
swing.”
The Cooks recently decided to add
hip hop dancing to their list of
services, employing the knowledge
of another former Casablanca
instructor; Thomas Lassasonbath-
Erb.
Lassasonbath-Erb said that he has
been offering one-on-one hip hop
lessons for people who want to learn
privately and is prepared to take on
more students at the new dance
studio.
Jackie said that they picked Blyth
as a place to open their dance studio
because of the convergence of
culturally important works in the
area.
“With the Festival [Theatre] and
the [Festival Gallery], it seemed like
a really art-centred community,” she
said.
The Cooks seek to train people to
enjoy dancing, according to Jackie,
and that fits in well with the dance
opportunities around.
“Our goal isn’t to create grand
ball-room dancing,” she said.
The pair then stated that their
mission statement spells out what
they hope to achieve.
“We want to inspire ourselves and
others, we want to encourage people
to go out and share joy, and we want
to teach others to see their true
selves,” they said. “All through the
art of dance.”
“We want to make people
comfortable enough to participate in
dances,” Les said. “So they can
participate at fundraisers and dances.
We know that trying to create
competitive dance in a small-town
isn’t a good fit.”
Les knows a thing or two about
dancing for fundraisers, as he was
part of Huron County Victim’s
Service’s “Dancing with the Stars”
fundraiser last year, and is set to
dance with Lisa Boyd in this year’s
reprisal of the event.
Ballroom dancing classes are held
on Mondays at 7:30 p.m., Latin
dancing is held on Tuesdays at 7
p.m., and Basic Ballroom and Basic
Latin is held on Thursdays at 7 p.m
and Fitness classes are held at 6:15
on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Les stated that classes aren’t just
for adults either.
“It’s great for kids to learn how to
dance, and how to interact with each
other on the dance floor,” he said.
It’s great for them to learn how to
move with the music,”
Lassasonbath-Erb added.
The trio agreed that dancing is not
a science and can be enjoyed by all
ages.
“We all love to dance, it’s our
passion,” Lassasonbath-Erb said.
“Once you give it a chance, it
becomes a natural extension of who
you are.”
For more information about Blyth
East Side Dance, visit the
studio at 273 Hamilton Street in
Blyth or the website at
www.eastsidedance.com, e-mail
jackiecook@ezlink.ca or call 519-
523-4590.
Forthcoming Marriage
Dolores Kerr
and
Barb Cockwell and Robert Ralston
are pleased to announce
the upcoming wedding of
their children
Robert and Jessica
on
September 25, 2010
at the
St. John’s Anglican Church,
Brussels.
Forthcoming Marriage
Ann Riley and Andy Calder,
Carman and Betty Riley
and
Fred and Marilyn Summers
are pleased to announce
the forthcoming marriage
of their children
LeeAnn Riley
and
Trevor Summers
on
Saturday, October 2, 2010
at Blyth Greenway Trail
Open reception to follow
at the Blyth Community Centre
September 26th
Love Kristi, Jeff, Emily, Kolin and Erin
Happy 40th
Anniversary
Ken and Marilyn Jones
HHHH aaaa pppp pppp yyyy 5555 0000 tttt hhhh
BBBB iiii rrrr tttt hhhh dddd aaaa yyyy
September 27th
Julie Stratton
From Mom, Steve,
Laurie & Debbie
& family
Happy 30th
Birthday
Uncle Mike
September 25th
Love Ethan, Owen,
Jackson, Mary Lou
and the whole Albers gang.
Buck & Doe
for
Saturday, October 2
9 pm to 1 am
Seaforth Arena
Lunch provided
Music by DJ
Phone 519-887-6760
or 519-357-4463
for tickets
Ben Finlayson
and
Charlene Thompson
PPPP oooo rrrr kkkk
CCCC hhhh oooo pppp
SSSS uuuu pppp pppp eeee rrrr
by Londesboro United Church
at
Londesboro Community Hall
Saturday,
September 25
5-7 pm
Adults $12, Children 5-12 $6,
5 and under Free
Take-outs available.
Tickets: 519-482-7585,
519-523-9021, 519-527-0349
Walton Hall Board
Roast Beef Dinner
Sunday, September 26th
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Adults $12.00 Child $6.00
Preschool free
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Cutting a rug
Les and Jackie Cook showed their love of dance by opening
Blyth East Side Dance, a dance studio, and held their grand
opening on September 11. (Jim Brown photo)