AIDA update

The Board of Directors met last week. Here are a few newsworthy items that were discussed:

Albany Aida Picnic/Fundraiser Saturday, June 19th, 6-9PM. For more information check our events page.

Learn and Practice:

As you know we began having in person Learn and Practice Sessions once a month. During the pandemic we have continued to hold Learn and Practice sessions on Zoom. Mark your calendars for the fourth Sunday of the month. Thanks to Jason and Katie for a great session last week!

Upcoming Learn and Practice Sessions:

June:: Jang and Adele Don (Zoom)

July: Ashley and Alex Ivaschenko In Person at Crystal Cove

August: Louise and Paul Giuliano In Person at Crystal Cove

September: Boris and Sasha In Person at the Fred Astaire studio in Latham

October: Grey and Elizabeth Masko In Person at Fred Astaire Saratoga

November: Jason Fenton Location TBA

December Dance party-stay tuned for more details.

In addition to the Learn and Practice events, AIDA is holding a Picnic/Fundraiser on June 19th at Tawasentha Park.

We are also trying to plan for medal testing in November, You can find further information on our Events page on this site and our Facebook page: Albany NY AIDA

Exciting News!

We are starting to schedule in person events! On June 19th at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland we will be holding a fundraising picnic. The picnic will take place in the large pavilion, there is a concrete floor for those who would like to dance. If not come and see friends and enjoy some food, companionship and music. There will be a basket raffle to help raise funds for Albany AIDA.The event will begin at 6:00 pm. Bring along some friends and pass the word! SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, June 19th. We hope to see you there.

April Learn and Practice

Jason Fenton will be teaching our April Learn and Practice on Zoom. Sunday, April 25th at 1:00 pm. Jason will be teaching East Coast Swing and one partner Charleston. Tune in for a fund session.

Also, Thank you to Igor Litvinov for our March Learn and Practice. It was a terrific lesson, enjoyed by all,

Learn and Practice

Although our Spring Ballroom Challenge was conducted as an in-person event, our Learn and Practice sessions will continue to be on Zoom until it is safe to meet again in person. Just a reminder our March Learn and Practice will be taught by Igor Litvinov.

Then coming in April we will have Jason Fenton. Jason will be teaching East Coast Swing and one partner Charleston. For complete information go to our events page.

Learn and Practice sessions take place on the fourth Sunday of the month at 1:00 pm. We hope to see you there!

Spring Ballroom Challenge

On March 13, 2021, the Albany Chapter held its first live dance event since the pandemic began! The Spring Ballroom Challenge was held at Dance Fire Studio in Niskayuna, with our special guest Judge and Examiner, Michael Choi. Mr. Choi is a highly qualified professional dancer and one of just about a dozen USISTD-certified Examiners in the country. We were honored to have him come officiate at our event.

 

The youth dancers performed first, and we have a link to their portion of the event: https://www.dancefirestudio.com/gallery

They were a joy to watch. It’s great to see our next generation of dancers training early. There was some real talent on display. Then there were nine USISTD Medal Tests, completed both by youth and adults. Congratulations to Gerry and Priscilla Giglio for passing their test – with honors! – and becoming Adjunct members of the chapter. Finally, the adult dancers rounded out the day. The audience was treated to many of the Smooth, Standard, Rhythm and Latin dances, but also West Coast Swing, Argentine Tango, Salsa! There was something for everyone. Pictures from the Spring Ballroom Challenge can be found [what webpage - gallery?]

 

Sincere thanks to Dance Fire Studio, Michael Choi, and the many volunteers who made this all possible. And congratulations to all of the dancers who put themselves out there and worked hard to prepare for this challenge. It was a job well done.

 

While it was challenging to run this event during a pandemic, masks were required, seats were assigned, and social distancing was constantly encouraged. We look forward to a day – hopefully in the not too distant future – when we can have a bigger event, with more participants, and lots of spectators!

USISTD needs your help!

In an effort to create more learning opportunities for the dance community, the Albany Chapter welcomes donations. Membership dues are minimal and many of the projects we hope to undertake will require additional capital. Go to our Take Action page where you can join or simply make a donation to our organization. Thank you!

Spring Ballroom Challenge

We have some exciting news! Our Spring Ballroom Challenge which will take place on Saturday, March 13th will be live streamed on Youtube. This is our first in person event since the beginning of the pandemic. We are following strict safety protocols so are unable to have spectators. Streaming the even will give you a chance to see it and start thinking about participating in the next event, sometime this fall. Tune in and see what all the fuss is about!

Deadline Approaching!

Attention all dancers, the deadline for applications for the Spring Ballroom Challenge is rapidly approaching! Sign up to participate in a proficiency competition and get valuable feedback from our evaluator Michael Choi. Michael is one of the few USISTD certified examiners. Competition not your style? Improve your dance technique through medal testing. Go to our Events page for registration and fee information. Deadline is February 27th. Don’t miss it!

Spring Ballroom Challenge

It is with a great deal of excitement and anticipation that we are presenting the Spring Ballroom Challenge to be held IN PERSON on Saturday, March 13th. We are acutely aware of the current pandemic situation and are taking all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of all participants. Registration is now open for the Youth and Adult proficiency competition and USISTD medal testing. For complete information see our EVENTS page.

Our evaluator will be Michael Choi, an experienced dance competitor, instructor and one of the select few USISTD Examiners. We are pleased that Michael will be joining us for this special event.