DANCE PARTIES
Practice parties at Indianapolis Dance Lessons are open to the public, so anyone is welcome!
You don’t even have to have a partner to attend. Singles and couples are both welcome.
Before the parties, we usually teach a 30-minute group class. It is free if you attend the party!
Attending parties is the perfect way for the students to not just rehearse patterns learned in dance lessons, but also to socialize with other students taking lessons at Starlite. We play a wide variety of dance music to practice. Light snacks and refreshments are provided.
Practice parties normally take place on Friday nights, but since some weekends Starlite students and staff attend various dance competitions around the country, please check our Calendar for dates and times.
SHOWCASES
Showcase is the perfect way for students to display what they have learned in lessons. It is like a recital. Together with the instructor, they will decide what dance they would like to perform and what music will be used.
Our highly qualified dance instructors will choreograph a special routine to be performed at the showcase. Showcase routines can be very different from students’ regular social or competitive programs. Unlike the competitions or social parties, students will be performing solo together with an amateur partner or instructor. Using a wide range of different costumes and props, plus a routine created to specific music – that is what makes showcases unique!
Indianapolis Dance Lessons hosts student showcases twice a year – one in the Spring and one in the Fall.
Students can invite all their friends and family to be spectators and also to enjoy general dancing and great food.
All Starlite, showcases feature full dinner and open bar as well as plenty of social dancing.
Normally it is a four-hour event on Saturday night and around 30 specially choreographed numbers will be performed by students and staff.
Starlite showcases are the highlights of the year and have always been sold-out events with around 100 people in attendance.
COMPETITIONS
As ballroom dancing becomes more and more popular, there are many choices for students who want to compete. In fact, EVERY weekend of the year, there are dance competitions taking place somewhere in the country. You can compete in sunny Florida this weekend and attend the New York Dance Competition next weekend.
Every dance competition offers different levels: from complete beginners who only had taken a few lessons to very advanced championship-level competitors who have been dancing for years. There are also professional couples competing against each other in all styles. This is a great way for the students to see what the highest level of the dance style they are currently learning will look like.
Competitions offer four main categories – American Style Smooth, American Style Rhythm, International Style Standard, and International Style Latin. All four categories are broken down to many different levels from Newcomer to Open Gold. In addition, every level is divided into several different age groups – so students will always compete against others matching their age and ability.
Students can enter a dance competition as an amateur couple with his/her dance partner or what is even more popular – as a Pro-Am couple dancing with an instructor.
There are always different vendors at dance competitions where students can buy new dance costumes or shoes or pretty much everything dance-related. Also, one can order DVDs of their own dancing for the memories.
All of the above will be displayed at the Indianapolis Open DanceSport Competition every spring in downtown Indianapolis, organized by Rauno and Kristiina Ilo.