Newsletter of theNewsletter of theNewsletter of theNewsletter of the

ChapterChapterChapterChapter

Volume XVII,Volume XVII,Volume XVII,Volume XVII, Number 3Number 3Number 3Number 3

President’s MessagePresident’s MessagePresident’s MessagePresident’s Message

2222

It’s not too soon to start checking your calendar for two great upcoming events. First up is the Dance Spree in Orlando in early May. (See information sheet). Jean Krupa always does a great job in organizing a fun social dance event that has a little something for everyone; social dances with mixers, team match competitions, exhibitions, group lessons, and more, all packed into a two day package. Peg and I will be there taking care of the music for the event, and we hope you’ll be joining us for the fun.

The SouthernStar MidSummer Classic All Amateur Dancesport Competition is on the horizon (July 25th). This one day competition runs all day long and features competitors of all levels from all over the country. Recently we developed a business card for the chapter with information on one side about the competition and monthly dances on the other. Scott and Sarah Coates went to USADance Nationals and handed out a pile of these cards. Now Scott is worried that we will have an overflow of dancers for the competition! Let’s hope so! We hope you can join us that day. The prices are still very affordable for spectators, and we will continue to offer a meal and an evening dance for rock bottom pricing. Plan on joining us on the 25th of July. Please see the information sheet in this newsletter.

The above mentioned business card will be available at our next chapter dance in May. If you would like to carry some of these cards with you, let us know. I know from personal experience, when you mention Ballroom Dancing the reaction from the general public is usually very positive (thanks to “Dancing With The

Stars”). Now you will have a card to hand out as you encourage friends and acquaintances to give it a try.

I want to thank everyone involved with our last chapter Dance in April. We donated the proceeds from both the Rhapsody (Thank you, Richard and Laurie) and the chapter to “The Spring of Tampa Bay”. They received about $600.00. The entertainment was excellent with Frank Sliwa’s students performing along side three of the participants from “Celebrity Dancing in Tampa Bay”. We wanted to bring you a sample of the yearly fund raiser so you will want to see it next year at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

I also want to thank Frank Sliwa for working with us as this was originally his night. Frank is always flexible in these matters, and it is appreciated by all of us.

That’s all for now. Peg and I will see you on the dance floor real soon!

Mike

June10th SouthernStar USA Dance Contact Peg 813-685-1656

@ The Rhapsody Ballroom 7:30 – 10:30pm Monthly Dance (2nd Wed)

June 11th Pasco County USA Dance Contact Julia Galpin

@ The New Port Richey Elks Lodge 7:00 – 10:00pm Monthly Dance (2nd Thurs)

June 28th Ice Cream Social – Stardust Contact Peg 813-685-1656 @ Plant City Stardust Ballroom

6pm – 9pm Ballroom Dancing & ICE CREAM!!!

June 29th Treasure Coast USA Dance Contact Nancy 727-576-1206

@Gulfport Casino in Gulfport 7pm – 10pm Monthly Dance

July 25th MidSummer Classic Dancesport Competition

@ The Rhapsody Ballroom

All Amateur Dance Competition

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM followed by dinner and social dance featuring honors dances by the days winners

Upcoming EventsUpcoming EventsUpcoming EventsUpcoming Events

May 3rdLakeland USA Dance Contact Terri Lynn 863-255-8344

@ Plant City Stardust Ballroom 3pm-6pm Monthly Dance (1stSunday )

May 13th SouthernStar USA Dance Contact Peg 813-685-1656

@ The Rhapsody Ballroom 7:30 – 10:30pm Monthly Dance (2nd Wed)

May 14th Pasco County USA Dance Contact Julia Galpin

@ The New Port Richey Elks Lodge 7:00 – 10:00pm Monthly Dance (2nd Thurs)

May 18th Treasure Coast USA Dance Contact Nancy 727-576-120

@Gulfport Casino in Gulfport 7pm – 10pm Monthly Dance (normally last Monday)

May 31st Ice Cream Social –Stardust Contact Peg 813-685-1656 @ Plant City Stardust Ballroom

6pm – 9pm Ballroom Dancing & ICE CREAM!

June 7th Lakeland USA Dance Contact Terri Lynn 863-255-8344

@ Plant City Stardust Ballroom 3pm-6pm Monthly Dance (1st Sunday)

3333

***************************************************************************************** On the cover: Gordon Christiansen and his daughter, Vanessa were part of a fabulous show at the March chapter

dance. For more about the March dance see page 4.

Dance every Wednesday 7:30 pm @ The Rhapsody Ballroom

Contact Richard @ 813-985-6570

Swing and Latin Dance every Friday 8:00 pm @ The Rhapsody Ballroom

March Dance March Dance March Dance March Dance by

Nikki Dvorak

4444

Front row from left Tara Flynn, Destiny Hayward, Katelyn Kelly, Brandon Mathews, Emma Guenther, Joseph Flynn, and

Olivia Winstead. Center row from left: Loan Trung, Vanessa Christiansen,

and Gordon Christiansen. Back row from left: Steven Chen, Yulia Kopylova, Joe

Tarara, Donna Wilson, Sergey Kopylov, and Daria Kopylova.

Spring has come already to Florida, and it was a beautiful night for dancing. We had all the usual perks going on at the chapter dance. Mike Johnston was spinning the dance tunes from the extensive collection on his computer, and there was a huge table full of refreshments ready to feed the hungry horde.

Our entertainment was a well put together show featuring Yulia and Sergey Kopylov’s students. And, oh, yes, they danced as well!

First up were the teenagers, who have been working

v e r y h a r d individually and as a group. They seem to know they are d o i n g s o m e t h i n g special here and look like they’re all pals off the dance floor as well as on. They

p e r f o r m a n c e experience at such a young age.

T h e r h y t h m i c percussion in the Samba speaks to the dancer in all of us, and Loan Trung and Sergey showed us just how to express that beat. With the well defined hits of her “tic”

action, Loan sent the fringe of her costume flying; their dance unfolded with a dashing display of dexterity.

Gordon Christensen is no stranger to the dance floor. He’s a social dancer, a former competitor, and show dancer. He’s very active in the chapter’s outreach program, and his

enthusiasm for dancing is infectious. He had been looking around for a dance partner when it struck him that he had a ready-made partner right in his very own family. His daughter, Vanessa, is a senior at Plant High School and has only been dancing a few months. Her stage presence certainly gives lie to that fact. Their rumba was everything is should be;it had soft and sinuous hip action one moment and quick, precise turns the next. Dance talent clearly runs in their family.

The mysterious beginning music of the next piece set the right tone as Donna Wi lson and Sergey articulated an intricate Rumba/Tango medley. The slow, silky beginning contrasted nicely with the quick, staccato Tango foo t work and l ong

(Continued on page 5)

performed a contemporary ChaCha that featured precise unison work as well as smaller group or pair step out solos. It’s good to know that this generation of ballroom dancers is getting good

Vanessa and Gordon

Loan and Sergey

Donna and Sergey The youn’uns

April Dance April Dance April Dance April Dance by

Nikki Dvorak

5555

oversway lines, and they performed as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

(Continued from page 4)

Joe Tarara, always the show man, danced with Yulia in a delightfully spirited Quick Step that had the audience tapping their toes along to the beat. His top line and impeccable footwork were outstanding as they hopped and kicked up their heels from one end of the floor to the other.

Rounding out the program with a big finish were Sergey and his daughter, Daria , performing a commanding Paso Doble.

Daria was magnetic as she and her father put the audience under their mag ica l spe l l . They maintained their composure and stealth throughout and danced with fire and

controlled ease, culminating in an adrenaline charged “killing of the bull” finish.

After the excitement of the show, the door prize numbers were selected and posted, and everyone got back to the business of their own dancing. A great time was had by all once again.

A star-studded group shared the stage in an eclectic performance. From left: Asta, Frank, Rita, Richard,

Stephanie, Allison, Laurie, and George.

Our April dance was not the most highly attended dance we’ve ever had, but there was a lot of boisterous fun on the dance floor when we arrived. Mike was in position spinning the tunes and Peg was taking lots of candid shots for future blackmail purposes, no doubt!

Some of our regulars were away: Lou and Edy were on a cruise, Lurlene was in China, and Marlene was AWOL from door prize duty. Thanks to Jackie and Bobbi for taking care of the refreshments, and Glenn and Stan for their work on clean up duty.

Frank Sliwa has a lot of students who are always

working on show numbers. We were lucky enough to snag two of them for the show tonight. The show opened w i t h F r a n k showcasing the talents of the lovely Rita LaValee in a T a n g o / V i e n n e s e W a l t z / F o x t r o t

medley. Frank’s inventive choreography was punctuated by sleek segues from one style to another and gave us a look at how subtle, playful, and dramatic ballroom dancing can be. Rita was picture perfect and properly in character for the

(Continued on page 6)

Thank you all for the lovely flowers from the chapter and the many happy thoughts you sent my way after my recent foot and knee surgeries. It all helped to keep me from wallowing in misery while not being able to dance. I’ll be back on the floor as soon as all these broken pieces are mended and I can put a dance shoe back on!

Nikki Dvorak

Yulia and Joe

Daria and Sergey

Rita and Frank

6666

drama of the Tango, the swoosh of the Viennese Waltz, and the smoothness of the Foxtrot.

Sarah Coates was the co-chair of the recent annual Celebrity Dancing show, based on television’s “Dancing With the Stars”, and introduced the next few couples to perform. They were all a part of the show earlier this month that paired local celebrities with professional dancers from the Bay area.

George Tinsley is a local restaurateur and former basketball player with an impressive bio and he comes across in this number as quite the smooth operator. He was paired with Laurie Collett in a razzle dazzle show number to the music, “On

(Continued from page 5)

Broadway”.

The dance was all understated jazz eloquence in Bob Fosse style with s o m e s l i c k i n t e r n a t i o n a l F o x t r o t w o r k thrown in to boot. It w a s a n a p p r o p r i a t e l y charming number for this nicely

matched couple.

Sergey Kopylov had the pleasure of dancing with Allison Beard Luzier, who i s a loca l commercial banker and a c c o m p l i s h e d equestrienne. Allison paced onto the floor in a multi-tiered, ruffled cos tume for the beginning of a Tango that quickly evolved via

a dramatic costume reveal into a high-octane, precision Samba with a substantial entertainment quotient. I heard several, ”Wow”s from the audience.

Richard Collett and Stephanie Agliano were up next. Everyone here knows Richard as the owner of

the ballroom and p r o f e s s i o n a l partner of Laurie Collett. Stephanie is a Tampa native and is currently the D i r e c t o r o f C o m m u n i t y Relations for Tampa Electric Company. In her program notes bio from “Celebrity Dancing”, she said she used to make her sisters watch her perform and ac t ou t

r o u t i n e s t o different songs. She and Richard w e r e w e l l m a t c h e d entertainers in their hats, spats, and patched hobo costumes as they pranced and danced to “Be A Clown”. They brought energy and imagination to the show, and their antics were,

quite simply, irresistible on the floor.

Frank returned to the dance floor for a perfectly fitting finale. With his gentlemanly demeanor he showed off the lovely Asta in a dance she dedicated to the memory of her late husband. This Waltz/Tango/Foxtrot medley created a nimble portrait that was sass, sensuality, and panache in all the right moments, and closed out the show on a graceful and fluid note. A group bow followed the performance, and when the audience finally let the performers leave the floor, it was back to general dancing to round out what was left of the evening.

Laurie and

George

Allison and Sergey

Stephanie and Richard

Asta and Frank

7777

Off to Baltimore!

By Sarah Coates

Oh what a weekend! On Thursday April 2nd, my husband Scott and I left Tampa for Baltimore to attend the USA Dance National DanceSport Championships for amateur dance couples. We left on Thursday as we had to compete at noon on Friday. We also danced on Sunday so we came home Monday.

We stayed at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel right across the street from a harbor with lots of shops, wonderful restaurants, and boats…including a submarine which Scott toured, and a historical sailing ship from the War of 1812 - the USS Constellation. On three of the nights at three different restaurants, we were able to just walk across the street with some of our dance friends for a wonderful meal.

The hotel itself was perfect, especially for this type of event as it was convenient to not only shops and restaurants, but also within the hotel, there was a narrow three-level mall complete with food court. The ballroom and the hotel’s wonderful restaurant were both located on the 5th floor of the hotel close to the elevator. So convenience was really the key to making this event work so beautifully. There were also many wonderful vendors as well.

The ballroom floor was large 72 x 44, and there were bleachers on the sides with tables on the fourth side where the judges and a few others “hung out.”

There were 22 well-known judges from all over the country and a few from Europe.

Throughout the weekend there were all kinds of free seminars and workshops offered. Scott and I attended one given by former #2 in the world Latin dancer Paul Killick and former North American 10-Dance Champion and British Latin finalist (and

Tampa resident) Victoria Regan. Their topic was, “Learn what you can add to your performance to bring it to the next level.” Scott and I are always trying to learn to do that!!

Carrie Ann Inaba of “Dancing with the Stars” was there as an Honorary Adjudicator. Her purpose for the weekend, besides bringing a level of excitement to the audience due to folks being such fans of her and her show, was to present a series of “Wow” or Performance Awards given to the couple dancing who most got her attention…or who touched her. They did not have to win their heat. These trophies were given only in the heats that were going to the World Competition in Europe.

The highlight of the weekend for us was watching this one 11 year old boy who was dancing Latin and Standard. He will represent the US at the Worlds in Junior II 10-Dance. Seeing him was worth the trip! Remember this name…Austin Joson from N.J. He was one of the few dancers who was fabulous and not of Russian descent, which was not usually the case in the younger crowd. An interesting note, Scott and I were in the elevator several times with kids and their parents, and we found more often than not, we were the only ones not speaking Russian.

(Continued on page 8)

Above: Young Austin Joson and his partner, Liza Lakovitsky.

We’ve been watching this couple dance at Nationals for the past couple of years and they are definitely ones to

keep an eye on in the future.

8888

Marie Osterland shares with Sarah Coates (on the right)and another competitor a paper doll demonstrating the

proper frame for the gentleman dancer.

Scott and I often talk about the fact that we wish we could have started this ballroom journey as children. But, for now, we just love watching them and all their energy and hip action. They make us exhausted, but we keep smiling as we watch them dance…especially the rumba, the dance of love, or in the case of the 6-year-olds, the dance of “friendship.”

This year Martha Hughes and Shaun Atkinson and Scott and I were the only couples competing from our area. We are both American Smooth championship style dancers.

No one knows for sure where this National event will be next year, but we recommend your attending sometime even if you do not compete. We have been twice just to watch. It is some of the best dancing you will ever see, and we love being a part of it…dancing or watching.

We look forward to returning next year.

(Continued from page 7)

We’re on the lookout for some volunteers! We need people to help out food delivery for the chapter dances, and with the decorating committee, and clean up after the dances. If you’re interested please see Mike Johnston or any of the chapter officers.

Also if you’re interested in writing for the newsletter we need reviews of the chapter dances and dance related articles. If you are a budding photographer or have some good shots of our fellow chapter members you’d like to share please see Nikki Dvorak or email her at gottadance@verizon.net.

Please join us in welcoming the following ballroom dancers as new members of the SouthernStar chapter:

Pam Isbell

Sandy Isbell

Corinne Schramm

MayMayMayMay 5-1 Donna Jolicoeur

5-2 Susan Osiason

5-6 Debra Kinser

5-10 Patty Romano

5-11 Martha Hughes

5-12 Ellen Meyers

5-14 Stella Lee

5-14 Jean Wood

5-17 Catherine Max

5-19 Yvonne Johnson

5-21 Emilie Lundy

5-23 Olivia Winstead

5-29 Gerald Max

Membership NewsMembership NewsMembership NewsMembership News

Birthday DancersBirthday DancersBirthday DancersBirthday Dancers

New Member New Member New Member New Memberssss

JuneJuneJuneJune

6-3 Carl Blevins

6-5 Sandy Isbell

6-9 Deborah Kobritz

6-10 Nancy Ruckman

6-15 Mei Ing Lai

6-17 Marleon Smith

6-20 Zouhair Adil

6-24 Rita LaVallee

6-28 Gayle Butler

9999

Dance QuotesDance QuotesDance QuotesDance Quotes

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music. ~William Stafford

Dance is a song of the body. Either of joy or pain. ~Martha Graham

Dance is an art that imprints on the soul. It is with you every moment, it expresses itself in everything you do. ~Shirley Maclaine

there are times when the simple dignity of movement can fulfill the function of a volume of words.

~ Doris Humphrey

Blue Springs (Debary)

Deanie Stewart

(386) 736-6863

Central Florida (Orlando)

John Davis

(407) 644-6286 twelvedancer@aol.com

Greater Daytona (Ormond Beach)

Polly Foster (386) 427-4591 pollyfoster1@yahoo.com

Heart of Florida (Lakeland)

Terri Lynn Barrow

(863) 255-8344 terrilynn@intlsun.webmail.

com

Indian River Dancers (Vero Bch)

Cheryl Isola (772) 778-7702

North Star (Jacksonville)

Michael Singleton michaelrsingleton@yahoo.

com

Ocala Regional

Jane Burr

(352) 873-4020 janeburr@earthlink.net

Pasco/Hernando County

Julia Galpin Contella

Martin-St Lucie

Kevin Payne (772)468-0424

kmpcpa@aol.com

Royal Palm (Boca Raton)

Les MacDonald 561-740-9589 dancinmacs@adelphia.

net

SouthernStar (Tampa)

Mike Johnston

(813) 685-1656 compribbon@ij.net

Southwest Florida (Ft. Myers)

Carol Davis (239) 565-7947 talababy2@juno.com

Space Coast (Melbourne)

Bob Kane

(321) 752-8762 mellobob2@aol.com

Spirit of Citrus (Beverly Hills)

Ann Averitt

(352) 344-3768 aaveritt@tampabay.rr.com

Star Cast (Miami)

Rosemarie Klee

(305) 387-1342 rmklee@bellsouth.net

Tallahassee

Treasure Coast (St. Pete/Clwtr)

Nancy Welch

(727) 576-1206 nancy01FL@aol.com

White Sands (Sarasota) Annie Sundeen (941) 925-4899 anniedanc@yahoo.com

FL Coordinator Region VI V.P.

Richard Obney (727) 542-3650 Rvp-reg6@usadance.org

USADanceUSADanceUSADanceUSADance Florida Chapter DirectoryFlorida Chapter DirectoryFlorida Chapter DirectoryFlorida Chapter Directory

Visit Our WebsiteVisit Our WebsiteVisit Our WebsiteVisit Our Website The chapter has a website with information regarding the chapter and an online version of our newsletter. You can also view pictures taken at recent events.

Jerry Dvorak works hard to keep the website current. The address is:

www.southernstarusabda.org

Officers &Officers &Officers &Officers & Committee MembersCommittee MembersCommittee MembersCommittee Members

President………………………..Mike Johnston Vice President........................ Carl Blevins Second Vice President .......... Scott Coates Secretary................................ Bonna

Tannenbaum Treasurer ............................... Beth Nolan Members-At-Large................. Edie DeOliveira ......................................... Elaine Derby

……………………………… JerryDvorak ……………………………. KathyMcCollister Competition Chairperson..... Michael Nolan Entertainment Chairperson .. Joyce Croce Membership Chairperson..... Peggy Johnston Newsletter Editor .................. Nikki Dvorak Outreach Chairperson .......... Carol Peterson Publicity Chairperson……..... Deborah Kobritz Refreshment Chairpersons... Ben Ray

......................................... Lurlene Gough Telephone Chairperson Sarah Coates

10101010

Places to Dance!Places to Dance!Places to Dance!Places to Dance!

*DENOTES GUEST PARTY - The studio is not open to the general public; however, guests are welcome. Please call the studio in advance and check on their respective policy regarding guests.

We welcome your input. The StarDancer is a newsletter for members of the SouthernStar Chapter.

SouthernStar USADance does not promote or favor any particular studio. This list is strictly for the use of amateur dancers seeking a place to dance.

If we have not included your favorite place to dance, please contact Mike or Peg Johnston at (813) 685-1656 and we will add to the above list.

USADance national phone number is (800) 447-9047. A recorder is on after hours. If you have a question regarding USADance, they will be glad to help you.

11111111

FeatureFeatureFeatureFeature LocationLocationLocationLocation Date/TimeDate/TimeDate/TimeDate/Time AdmissionAdmissionAdmissionAdmission MiscMiscMiscMisc

SouthernStarSouthernStarSouthernStarSouthernStar USABDAUSABDAUSABDAUSABDA

(813) 685(813) 685(813) 685(813) 685----1656165616561656

Rhapsody Ballroom 12101 N 56th Street

Tampa, FL

Wed, May13 Wed, June 10

7:30 - 10:30 p.m.

$6 Members $8 Non-Members

Ballroom Group Lesson Shows & More

LakelandLakelandLakelandLakeland USABDAUSABDAUSABDAUSABDA

(863) 687(863) 687(863) 687(863) 687----8923892389238923

Stardust Plant City, FL

Sun, May 3 Sun, June 7

3:00 - 6:00 p.m.

$6 Members $8 Non-Members

USABDA Ballroom

Treasure CoastTreasure CoastTreasure CoastTreasure Coast USABDAUSABDAUSABDAUSABDA

(727) 576(727) 576(727) 576(727) 576----1206120612061206

Gulfport Casino Gulfport

Mon, May 25 Mon, June 29

7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

$5 Members $7 Non-Members

USABDA Ballroom

SarasotaSarasotaSarasotaSarasota USABDAUSABDAUSABDAUSABDA

(941) (941) (941) (941) 927927927927----4967496749674967

Ballroom of Sarasota 5660 Swift Road

Sarasota, FL

Every Tuesday 7:00 - 10:00

$8 Members $10 Guests $5 students,

chaperones, and observers

USABDA Ballroom

Come Dancing Come Dancing Come Dancing Come Dancing BallroomBallroomBallroomBallroom

(813) 839(813) 839(813) 839(813) 839----2725272527252725

3802B S Dale Mabry Britton Plaza Tampa, FL

1st & 3rd Saturday 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Please Call for Group Class Info

$6 Ballroom & Latin

EasiDance EasiDance EasiDance EasiDance BallroomBallroomBallroomBallroom

(813) 908(813) 908(813) 908(813) 908----3340334033403340

5111 Erlich Road Tampa, FL

Thursday Evenings 8:00 - 9:30

Please Call For Info

$6 - $8 Ballroom

Rhapsody BallroomRhapsody BallroomRhapsody BallroomRhapsody Ballroom (813) 985(813) 985(813) 985(813) 985----6570657065706570

12101 N. 56th St. Tampa, FL

Wednesday Evenings 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. Friday Evenings

Latin/Swing 8:00 - ??

$6 Ballroom

Please Call for Group Lessons

StardustStardustStardustStardust Dance CenterDance CenterDance CenterDance Center (813) 759(813) 759(813) 759(813) 759----8313831383138313

1405 S. Collins St. Plant City, FL

Donna’s Dances 2nd Saturdays

7:00 - 10:30 p.m. (813) 671-3009

$10 Ballroom

Please Call For Information

Rhapsody Ballroom 12101 North 56th Street,

Tampa 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Sponsored By

SouthernStar Chapter of USADance

Fletcher Avenue

Fowler Avenue

Rhapsody

Ballroom

Busch Boulevard

Hillsborough Avenue

(Hwy 92)

I-4To Tampa

To Orlando

Shoney's

Inn

Exit 54

I-7

5

For More Information:

Richard or Laurie Collett (813) 985-6570

Carol or Pete Peterson (813) 689-5381

Peg or Mike Johnston (813) 685-1656

General Dancing Mixers

Refreshments

2009 Yearly Planner

May 13, 2009……………...Monthly Dance

June 10, 2009……………..Monthly Dance

July 8, 2009………………..Monthly Dance

August 12, 2009………….Monthly Dance

September 9,2009………..Monthly Dance

October 14,2009………….Monthly Dance

November 11,2009……….Monthly Dance

December 9,2009………...Monthly Dance

Classified AdsClassified AdsClassified AdsClassified Ads Do you have any dance-related items

that you would like to sell? Send or call in your classified ad and $5 to:

PO Box 4, Valrico, FL 33595 or call: (813) 685-1656

We Need Your EWe Need Your EWe Need Your EWe Need Your E----Mail Address!Mail Address!Mail Address!Mail Address!

We have made the leap into the electronic age. We are making a quality version of the newsletter available online to reduce mailing expenses to the chapter.

Currently the newsletter is costing about $3.00 per issue to produce and mail. This could be substantially reduced if sent electronically. Who knows? With the savings we could hold more free dances, have more money for scholarships, better refreshments etc. Interested in being part of this experiment? Send us your email address to sostar@tampabay.rr.com or

gottadance@verizon.net

The StarDancer Newsletter is published bimonthly by the SouthernStar Chapter of USADance and has a current circulation of 350 copies with over 600 readers throughout the Tampa Bay area.

We will gladly accept advertising for your business, service, and/or dance event at the following rates per issue:

Full Page..................................... $29 Half Page .................................... $15 Business Card (1 Issue) ............. $ 7 Business Card (2 Issues) ........... $10

Please call or email for advertising deadlines or more information.

Please submit all advertisement in electronic format (preferably) and send to:

Nikki Dvorak, Editor 4006 Branch Ave, Tampa, FL 33603

813-237-5265

gottadance@verizon.net

Who’s In Charge Here?Who’s In Charge Here?Who’s In Charge Here?Who’s In Charge Here?

Have you had a chance to thank our officers, committee members, and Members-At-Large for their efforts to make our chapter activities more enjoyable?

Please take a moment and let them know you appreciate what they do, because these are the people who, many times, are the energy behind the scenes.

They take care of all the little things that make the monthly dances happen, from getting you the information about dance events, to greeting you at the door, arranging for food, setting up and sometimes even performing the monthly entertainment, gathering and playing the music, and at the end of the evening, cleaning up and locking up. They take the time to fill out the forms, pay the bills, and see to all the details necessary to keep us all dancing. They set up and perform outreach activities; work on our web site; answer your e-mail letters and telephone calls. And sometimes, they even get to dance a little!

The USA Dance Region VI (ch#6026) presents the

13131313thththth AnnualAnnualAnnualAnnual

Florida Dance Spree WeekendFlorida Dance Spree WeekendFlorida Dance Spree WeekendFlorida Dance Spree Weekend May 8th, 9th & 10th, 2009

Enjoy a fun-filled weekend of Ballroom Dance workshops, FUN competitions and Two Dinner

Dances.

The Renaissance Worldgate is centrally located in Kissimmee, just one mile west of Disney

World on 192.

PLUS� 6,500 sq. ft. of premium dance floor

Must be a USA Dance member to attend. Both singles & couples are

Welcome!

Hope to see you there! Jean Krupa, USABDA FL Coordinator ~3765 Fiano Dr., Port Orange FL 32129

May 31, 2009 and June 28, 2009

$ 6

CARIBBEAN 10 NIGHTS MSC POESIA FROM $749*

December 10, 2009

Fort Lauderdale, Florida / Georgetown, Grand Cayman / Cartagena, Colombia Cristobal, Panama / Porto Limon, Costa Rica / Playa del Carmen, Mexico CARIBBEAN 7 NIGHTS MSC POESIA FROM $569* February 27, 2010 Fort Lauderdale / Key West, Florida / Playa del Carmen, Mexico / Georgetown, Grand Cayman / Montego Bay, Jamaica / Nassau, Bahamas

FOR RESERVATIONS OR INFORMATION

Contact Glen at All Cruise Destinations, LLC

PHONE-239-353-6737

888-344-CRUISE

glen@allcruisedestinations.com

*Rates are USD, per person, double occupancy, cruise-only valid for new retail bookings on select sailings and

stateroom types for residents of U.S. and Canada. Offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion

and may be withdrawn without notice. Offer is capacity controlled, subject to availability and restrictions apply.

Government taxes and fees for all guests are additional.

July 25, 2009July 25, 2009July 25, 2009July 25, 2009

SouthernStar ChapterSouthernStar ChapterSouthernStar ChapterSouthernStar Chapter PO Box 4PO Box 4PO Box 4PO Box 4 Valrico, Florida 33595Valrico, Florida 33595Valrico, Florida 33595Valrico, Florida 33595 email email email email sostar@tampabay.rr.com

Web site Web site Web site Web site www.southernstarusabda.org

Performing in front of an audience takes a lot of, um, poise…….Right…. So maybe that will take a little more

work. Seriously, our chapter is fortunate to have so many “hams” willing to perform for us.

This group of fine dancers (trust me!) was part of the fabulous show at our March Dance. Lots more great photos

and articles inside…………..