YOUR WAY TO A HEALTHIER YOU.
♪ ERIN: MARIA AND RAY KNOW THEIR WAY AROUND A DANCE FLOOR.
THEY ARE THE OWNERS OF MIRAMAX PAPERMOON DANCE CENTER.
>> I LOVE THE DRAMA AND BEAUTY.
I LOVE TO EXPRESS MYSELF TO THE MUSIC.
♪ ERIN: THE COUPLE COMPETED IN BALLROOM FOR YEARS.
>> ROCK, STEP, AND FINISH WITH A TURN.
>> PUT YOUR ARMS OUT AS YOU COME BACK THROUGH, AND BRING IT UP.
ERIN: NOW THEY ARE TEACHING OTHERS.
>> BACK, SIDE, CLOSE, FORWARD, FORWARD, FORWARD, SIDE.
>> RAISING OUR HAND UP FOR A BACKSIDE CLOSE.
FROM HERE, MY LEFT FOOT AND MY RIGHT FOOT IS GOING TO STEP FORWARD ON THE LINE.
ERIN: THEY ARE ALSO PAIRING OF STUDENTS ON THE DANCE FLOOR AS THEY COMPETE.
♪ [APPLAUSE] ERIN: WE HAVE A 10-YEAR-OLD, AN 81-YEAR-OLD, AND EVERYBODY BETWEEN.
THOSE TWO OFTEN DANCED TOGETHER.
IT IS A WIDE RANGE OF AGES AND IT’S NICE TO SEE EVERYBODY MIXED TOGETHER.
ERIN: IT IS A FAMILY AFFAIR, THEIR DAUGHTERS AND PARENTS ARE STUDENTS, AS WELL.
>> IT IS VERY COOL, ESPECIALLY SINCE I DID NOT ALLOW HER TO TAKE DANCE LESSONS AS A CHILD.
SHE HAD SOME A DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES GOING ON, AS DID OUR SON, THERE WERE NO TIME SLOTS LEFT IN THE WEEK, AND WHEN SHE ASKED FOR DANCE LESSONS, I SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT.
BUT IT GOES TO SHOW THAT IF THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BALLROOM DANCING?
>> IT IS A LOT OF FUN, IT IS INTERESTING AND FUN TO DO.
>> BEING ON THE DANCE FLOOR AND HAVING THE EXHILARATING RUSH OF THE THRILL OF MOVING ON STAGE.
>> YOU ARE ALWAYS TOLD, DO WHAT YOU LOVE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL FOLLOW.
AND SHE IS DOING IT.
>> LEFT FOOT FORWARD, RIGHT FOOT FORWARD.
>> I HOPE I DON’T STEP ON YOUR FEET.
ERIN: IN THIS GROUP LESSON, STUDENTS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
>> WE HAVE A NICKNAME, WE CALL OURSELVES MOONIES.
ERIN: JEFF, A FINANCIAL ADVISOR, HAS COME A LONG WAY FROM HIS FIRST LESSON 10 YEARS AGO.
>> I LOVE HOW IT FELT, EXCEPT THE INSTRUCTOR SAID TO ME, DANCING WITH YOU IS LIKE TRYING TO LAND A 747.
I KNEW I NEEDED WORK.
>> SANTA CLAUS LAST YEAR.
[LAUGHTER] >> SANTA CLAUS GAVE US A PRESENT, DANCE LESSONS AT PAPERMOON.
ERIN: THE GIFT CERTIFICATE RAN OUT, BUT THE COUPLE CAP COMING, AND NOW DICK IS GETTING READY FOR HIS FIRST COMPETITION.
>> THE TALK ABOUT THE FAMILY, AND THAT’S WHAT THIS IS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
>> IT IS A LOT TO REMEMBER AND DO, AND IT KEEPS YOUR MIND WORKING.
AND WE HAVE MET NEW PEOPLE, THAT IS GREAT.
♪ ERIN: THESE STUDENTS CAN LEARN A VARIETY OF DANCES.
>> WALKS, TANGO, QUICKSTEP, MAMBO, SONGBOOK, SWING, ARGENTINE TANGO.
♪ >> I ACTUALLY FEED OFF THE COMPETITION.
I DIG IN AND LIKE THE CHALLENGE.
ERIN: MARTY TRAINS AND COMPETES WITH RAY AND IS ALSO ON TO PAPERMOON DANCING TEENS -- DANCING TEAMS, INCLUDING ONE WITH HER GRANDDAUGHTER.
>> MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS ON THAT TEAM, AND IT IS COOL TO PICK HER UP, GO TO DANCE, DANCE TOGETHER FOR AN HOUR, AND THEN GET BACK IN THE CAR AND TALK.
ERIN: COMPETITIONS, PARIS HAVE LESS THAN A MINUTE TO WOW JUDGES.
IN ONE, THEY WERE JUDGED BY SOMEONE FROM DANCING WITH THE STARS.
THEY HAVE LEARNED IT IS NOT JUST A ROUTINE BUT THE WHOLE LOOK THAT IS IMPORTANT.
>> FROM THE COLOR OF YOUR HAIR TO THINGS LIKE EYEBROWS, YOU COULD BE IN A $5,000 DRESS THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY HATE.
YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED.
THEY HATED MY EYEBROWS.
WHICH, TO EACH HIS OWN.
♪ ERIN: THOSE WHO COMPETE HAVE TO NAIL DANCE STEPS AND DRESSED TO THE NINES.
>> GENERALLY I BUY A USED DRESS FOR ABOUT $3000, BUT A NEW DRESS IS BETWEEN $8,000 AND $10,000, USUALLY BASED ON THE NUMBER OF SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS ON THE DRESS, THEY ARE PUT ON BY HAND.
IT IS VERY TIME-CONSUMING IN ADDITION TO THE QUALITY OF THE CRYSTAL, AND YOU ARE PAYING FOR A DESIGNER LABEL TOP DRESS DESIGNER.
♪ >> WALK, WALK, SIDE.
ERIN: MARIA LENT ME THIS DRESS FOR MY DANCE LESSON.
[LAUGHTER] ♪ ERIN: PAPERMOON ALSO HAS FORMATION TEAMS.
THIS WAS THEIR ZOMBIE CHA-CHA.
>> I HAVE A FLAIR FOR THE DRAMATIC, SO IT’S GREAT TO TELL STORIES OR SHOW SPECTACLES THROUGH FORMATION DANCES.
>> ♪ THIS ONE IS FOR MICHELLE PFEIFFER ♪ ERIN: FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO TRY IT, THEY SAY, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
>> ONCE PEOPLE GET HERE, THEY ARE SURPRISED BY HOW FRIENDLY IT IS AN EASY IT IS TO GET STARTED.
>> TO TAKE SOMEBODY WHO NEVER THOUGHT THEY COULD EVEN REMOTELY DO IT AND NOW THEY ARE DANCING AND HAVING A REALLY GOOD TIME, THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING THINGS ABOUT IT.
♪ >> TURN.
>> WOO!
♪