NEWS

Dancers learn the skills at Fred Astaire Dance Studio

Jeff Barron
Reporter

LANCASTER – Pickerington resident Barb Wilson said ballroom dancing filled a void after her husband died.

“It was something to do,” she said. “And I’ve always loved to dance and I love music. I’m also competitive, so I started competing almost five weeks after I started with the first competition that was available. And I’ve been competing ever since.”

Wilson takes lessons at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio at 1406 Ety Road, owned by Tim Crommes. She started taking lessons in 2010.

Wilson said dancing is good for her health and that those taking dance lessons can have some idea of what to do when at a function with dancing. Crommes said the idea of the business is to teach people how to be great social dancers.

“It’s partner dancing, like you would see on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” he said.

Crommes started the local franchise in 1999 in Pickerington, then moved to Canal Winchester before ending up here.

He said those who may be a little intimidated to learn dancing need only to give it a try and make that first visit to the studio.

“If they just have that basic general interest, it doesn’t need to be a great amount of interest, but if they just come in and try it out, dancing is a lot of fun,” Crommes said. “It’s a great form of exercise and you don’t really realize you’re exercising because you’re moving to music.”

He said some clients have said they wished they would have started dancing earlier in life.

“So you can’t be too old and you can’t be too young to start ballroom dancing and getting all the benefits that go with it,” Crommes said.

Crommes started dancing at 5 and is a former member of the Dayton Ballet. He started ballroom dancing in 1994.

“It’s a wonderful expression of life,” he said of dancing. “Especially now because we live in a world that has become so technology based, that human interaction is becoming something that is less and less. So to have that interaction with other people on the dance floor, it’s a great thing. It takes us a little bit back in time that way.

“I think what we’re going to see in the world as technology progresses, a lot of people will have no communication at all with other people. They also won’t have just basic skills of human touch. With ballroom dancing you’re actually holding your partner. So that is a true benefit to this in a world we’re currently living in.”

For the future, Crommes said he hopes his business continues to grow and that he’d like to open an additional location.

Fred Astaire Dance Studio is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 9 p.m.

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron