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The SSQQ March 2005
Newsletter
Written and edited monthly by Rick Archer |
Headlines |
Previous 2004 Newsletters
Previous 2005 Newsletters |
Bottom of Page |
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INTRO |
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WHAT'S NEW AT SSQQ THIS MONTH:
ABOUT GEORGE GREGA, THE EVILS OF EMAIL AND MORE! |
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ONE |
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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE UPCOMING MARCH
DANCE CLASSES |
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TWO
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VIOLET STEPLIGHTLY
DETAILS THE
MISERY OF DATING A MAN WHO LOOKS LIKE JOHNNY DEPP BUT DOESN'T
DANCE!! |
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THREE |
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THE THREE SSQQ AMIGOS WIN A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!
COACH ANITA WILLIAMS WRITES THE STORY OF THEIR VICTORY! |
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FOUR |
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THE
ALASKA CRUISE IN JULY IS NEARLY SOLD OUT. YOU HAVE TILL
MARCH 17 TO JOIN US. |
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FIVE |
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THE ALASKA CRUISE WINS
THE DISTINCTION OF RECEIVING FEBRUARY'S MOST ANGRY COMPLAINT!!
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SIX |
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FOLLOW-UP TO LAST MONTH'S STORY
ON THE UNITED SALSEROS |
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SEVEN |
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A NEW STORY IN "ADVENTURES OF A
DANCE TEACHER": THE TEMPER TANTRUM. THE NIGHT RICK
COMPLETELY LOST IT |
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EIGHT |
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SO WHAT DID PEOPLE THINK OF THE
EZRA CHARLES SWING PARTY ON FEB 19TH!!
YOU SHOULD SEE THE PICTURES!! |
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NINE |
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SSQQ
HIRES JANITORIAL SERVICE |
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TEN |
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LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR: HAPPY DANCE STUDENTS VERSUS UNHAPPY DANCE STUDENTS |
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ELEVEN |
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A DISTURBING INCIDENT INVOLVING A
CHALLENGE TO THE SSQQ "NO WATCHING" RULE. RICK IS COMPLETELY
ASHAMED. |
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TWELVE |
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THIRTEEN |
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THOUGHT-PROVOKING QUESTIONS -
Contributed by Judith Williams |
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FOURTEEN |
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STAFF TRANSITIONS: |
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FIFTEEN |
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SSQQ BREAKS UP TWO MARRIAGES! THE SSQQ WEB
IS SLUTTY! IN
MARCH THIS STORY
GETS FURTHER ATTENTION |
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SPECIAL FEATURES |
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FEATURE ONE |
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STORY
IN THE NEWS:
THE
INFAMOUS BEAVER DAM |
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FEATURE TWO |
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STORY IN
THE NEWS:
gang
rape convictions in pakistan thrown out. |
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FEATURE THREE |
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STORY IN THE NEWS:
JUDGE MASTURBATES IN
COURTROOM |
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FEATURE FOUR |
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STORY IN
THE NEWS: SENDING
OLD MEN TO WAR (contributed by noted troublemaker Chris
Holmes) |
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FEATURE FIVE |
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STORY IN THE NEWS: THE
AMAZING SOUTHWEST AIRLINES LAWSUIT
(Rick Archer) |
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FEATURE
SIX |
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STORY IN THE NEWS: lawsuits
that make you want to throw away the legal system |
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START OF THE HEADLINE STORIES SECTION |
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WHAT'S NEW |
RETURN TO HEADLINES |
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WHAT'S
NEW AT SSQQ THIS MONTH |
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WHAT'S NEW AT SSQQ IN MARCH 2005!!
2005 March Newsletter What's New
The Newsletter is a week late this month. So what's new about
that? Nothing. Writers should never be expected to be completely
punctual. The creative process cannot be rushed unless you don't
mind a boring Newsletter.
The big news of February was our highly successful EZRA CHARLES
SWING DANCE on February 19. Estimates of the crowd put
attendance at 150.
The Swing Dancers were unanimous in their joy. They got a chance
to practice their Lindy, their Balboa, their Swing Charleston,
you name it, on a big floor to lots of great Swing music. They
were in Swing Paradise. You should see the pictures!
http://ssqq.com/information/ezra2005.htm
Even lots of West Coasters turned out in hopes of some good Whip
music, but they didn't get a strong enough dose so we calmed
them down for the moment with Whip music in Room 4 plus a
promise to find a great band for THEIR party.
The Ezra Party would not have been a success without our friend
GEORGE GREGA. He owns a very successful business of that stages
"Events". If you have a big bash planned - Wedding, Dance Party,
Concert - he can provide the Stage, Lighting, Sound, and
Videography for practically any sort of party. His company known
as GJG Productions has become a phenomenal success. Last year
George saw Ezra play at one of the weddings he was producing and
immediately wanted to bring him over to SSQQ. It turns out that
Swing is George's favorite dance. In other words, George wanted
me to throw the party so he could dance at it. In the process
George got to show off all his wonderful toys and enjoy them
personally!
George not only deserved a good time, he needed to have some
fun! While it is true that George is having phenomenal business
success, parallel to that over the past year he has encountered
a string of bad luck that is starting to approach biblical
disaster proportions. All he needs is to get swallowed by a
whale and Jonah can move into second place.
A year ago, George awoke in the middle of the night to find his
entire row of condominiums were seriously on fire! It seems a
young man had gotten drunk, parked his car in the garage and
then passed out. Somehow this foolish act turned into a major
fire. George's home was a total ruin as were those of his
neighbors. The accident itself was pretty fishy, but all George
knows for certain is that he had to move out of his house for a
year plus he lost so many valuable items.
Not too long after that George took his equipment down to Corpus
Christi for a TG Shepherd concert that he was producing. In the
middle of the night, thieves gutted one of trucks and stole
about ten thousand dollars worth of camera and music equipment.
Unbelievable.
About a month ago, George was finally able to move back into his
rebuilt home. I imagine the joy of finally having his house back
was incalculable. Two weeks later - just when he had finished
completely moving back in - he came down to the first floor one
morning only to find his entire bottom floor two inches deep in
water! Every piece of furniture and the entire floor were
ruined. Rain? No. It turned out that debris from the fire a year
earlier had gotten stuck in the city's sewage system when the
fire fighters were putting out the blaze. Now it was totally
clogged it up. No one knew about the problem because no one had
lived there for a year. If George didn't have bad luck, he
wouldn't have any luck at all.
I think George needs to get back into Whip class so he and his
friend Gary Richardson can have the night of their lives dancing
to a live band at our Sleazy Bar Whip Party in late April. It
turns out the Whip Dancers at the Ezra Party whined so loud that
I broke down and promised them a band of their own. Oh please
Rickypoo, please!! They were unanimous in their choice of who to
invite.
Which gives me the opportunity to announce that Luther and the
Healers will be playing their powerful Rhythm and Blues music at
the Sleazy Bar Whip Party on Saturday, April 23. Luther and the
Healers are the "house band" at the Big Easy. They are extremely
well known and very popular. It should be a great party!
There will be photographs, so be sure to comprehend the dress
code - Wear Red and Black or watch your Back, Dress Sleazy or
your night won't be Eazy.
The SSQQ ALASKA CRUISE scheduled for July 16 - July 23 has
reached a very critical moment. Prices for this trip have
skyrocketed due to the extreme popularity of Alaska trips during
the summer. Let me add the Cruise Industry says this is shaping
up as the biggest year in history for cruise trips to Alaska.
Each Saturday I play basketball with Alan Fox, the owner of one
of the largest travel agencies in Houston. Not long ago Alan
told me he has never seen demand for Alaska trips like he is
seeing this year. Here is a brief blurb from his Newsletter:
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-----Original Message-----
From: VacationsToGo.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 3:40 PM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: Vacations To Go Cruise Newsletter
"This year is starting strong for all the major cruise regions,
with both bookings and prices ahead of last year's pace. Last
year at this time, people were booking cruises an average of 72
days before departure; this year, they're booking an average of
94 days before departure.
That's quite a swing, an advance-booking curve that hasn't been
seen in this industry since before 9-11, and it indicates that
travelers are more confident this year about planning
international vacations. It also means ships will likely fill up
a bit earlier than they have in recent years.
The hottest ticket in 2005 may well be the Alaska cruisetour,
which typically consists of a 7-day Alaska cruise combined with
a 3- to 14-day land tour of Alaska's interior. About half of all
Alaska cruisers opt to add a land tour before or after their
cruise.
I've heard that the pace of sales of Alaska cruisetours this
year exceeds the best year in history, which is a strong
indication that they will sell out earlier than usual."
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In a nutshell, even though it is only March our Alaska ship is
on the verge of selling out!!
I am not going to fib and say this trip is cheap. In fact, this
is an expensive trip. What we will say is that right now the
SSQQ price for this trip is $200 to $500 a person below market
price. This discount is available because we booked the trip
back in November! However the discount disappears in Two Weeks.
Come March 18 the price skyrockets.
REPEAT: SSQQ has its space reserved and price locked in for TWO
MORE WEEKS. After that, the space is GONE.
This is not a Bluff. On March 18 we have to release our unsold
space. From that point on we cannot guarantee space much less
the current price!!
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU WANT TO GO, WE ADVISE YOU TO DECIDE TO
JOIN US IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS OR FORGET ABOUT IT.
The moment we release our remaining cabins, Royal Caribbean has
people on a wait-list ready to snap up the unused space in an
instant.
WE NEED A $250 DEPOSIT FROM YOU ON OR BEFORE MARCH 17.
The good news is after March 17, you still have another month
and a half before you have to make your final decision.
Please note that you can still back out of the trip and get a
COMPLETE REFUND UP TILL MAY 7TH.
So there is no reason not to lock in a cabin at a tremendous
bargain by acting now. Not only will the prices jump, the ship
will sell out of all cabins soon after.
Act now!
Email Marla Archer at marla@ssqq.com or call her at 713 862
4428.
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Newcomers to the SSQQ Newsletter do not realize that what you
receive by email is shall we say merely the tip of the iceberg.
What you are reading now is merely an overview. To read all the
stories I am about to mention, you will need to go to the SSQQ
Web Site at www.ssqq.com and click in to whatever catches your
fancy.
SSQQ LOGIC PUZZLES WINNERS FOR FEBRUARY:
2005 February: Casey Casanova!
1. Susan Arevalo (Seventeen Months in a Row!)
2. Steve Upchurch (Fifth Victory!)
3. Anita Leung (First Time Winner!)
4. Ritesh Laud (Eleven Months in a Row! - one more makes a
year!)
5. Stephanie Barrow (Two Months in a Row!)
6. Ann Faget (Eighteen Months in a Row!)
Special congratulations are due Ann Faget for assuming the
Throne this month. For a year and a half, she has shared the
leadership with my friends Connie and Jeff Woodman. But in
February they missed the deadline, so now Ann stands on top of
the mountain as the undisputed SSQQ Logic Puzzle Champion!!
This month Ann is clearly the star of this month's SSQQ
Newsletter! Not only has she become the league leader in the
coveted Logic Puzzle Race (with a magnificent total of 5 whole
people on her tail!), Ann contributed the Vocabulary Word of the
Month (hors de combat) and the Worst Pun of the Month. Wow!
That's like getting Three Newsletter Oscars in one month, which
is probably a record for this little Newspaper.
You would think Ann would be celebrating her ascent to SSQQ
Celebrity, but this is not the case. In fact, Ann is afraid to
show her face at the studio because she is MARKED for
punishment. Yes, folks, I put out a HIT Contract on Ann because
her puns have made me suffer too much. You can read about the
story in greater detail by checking our "Worst Pun of the Month"
category. After you see how bad her pun is ("Disaster at Sea"),
you will quickly agree with her designation as "Noted
Troublemaker" along with a fellow partner in crime Chris Holmes.
Yes, indeed, Ann had better watch her step!
Milt Oglesby is to be commended for his informative Joke Picture
of the Month offering. Milt helps us understand exactly what
most employers are looking for in their job candidates.
Nanci Loren is the SSQQ Employee of the Month. Her Little Dutch
Boy impersonation saved the Ezra Charles Party from doom.
Mara Rivas messed up bad! Yes, the SSQQ Woman of the Year for
2004 scheduled a side trip for the intrepid members of the
upcoming Alaska Cruise, but the Great Gabino saved the day!! And
you ask, what is on earth is Rick talking about?? Well, none of
this really happened. It is all nonsense. I am just trying to
get some of you interested in this month's Logic Puzzle which
concerns visits to various Aleutian Islands. Want to join the
SSQQ Logic Puzzle Club and be a star like Anna Banana? Here is
your chance!
2005 March Logic Puzzle: Aleutian Island Hopping
http://ssqq.com/archive/logicpuzzle25.htm
We have nine brand new jokes this month contributed by Gary
Richardson, Leroy Ginzel, Anita Williams, Lynn Griffiths, Judy
Walsh, Mae Neihouse, and Phyllis Porter. My favorite was the
"Hollywood Squares" joke by Mae Neihouse containing clever
adlibs from the excellent guest stars on this classic TV show.
Funny stuff!
SSQQ Slow Dance and Romance struck gold this month. Two couples
got married. Curious to know who they are? Then go visit the web
site!!
My friend Carol Gafford sent in this month's Venus and Mars
selection. Quite frankly, I wish men could write women-bashing
material as well as the women do. When it comes to poison
penmanship, the girls got it over the boys big-time. Carol's
clever takes on the joys and boys of Marriage are hysterical
reading.
Last month I was angry at the United Salseros for leaving flyers
on our cars without permission, then having the nerve to email
me to thank me for giving them permission! Now that was a clever
idea. After complaining about their behavior, I received yet
another email telling me they have every legal right in the
world to plaster our student's cars with flyers anytime they
want. Maybe so, but it is still unethical.
In this month's Newsletter I print the latest letter from the
Salseros. In this letter they chastise SSQQ for keeping our
student's captive!!
Salsero Quote: "I just think that it is sad that you would
handicap your students... You really do not want your students
to venture outside the playground."
Well, now you know. Last month SSQQ had a Slutty Newsletter and
this month SSQQ handicaps its students and prevents them from
dancing outside our doors. Sometimes you have to wonder how we
manage to stay in business!
About that Slutty Newsletter article, a friend of one of the
involved parties wrote me a serious letter expressing concern
that maybe I should not have published that article in the first
place. To be honest I had some misgivings about putting that
story in last month's Newsletter. My reply to the serious letter
will explain my reasons for doing so.
If you didn't get a chance to read Anita William's excellent
story on the victory of her two students Victor Marquez and Joel
McClesky last month at the UCDWC World Championships, I included
this story again in this month's Newsletter. You really should
read it. Not only is the story wonderfully entertaining, you
will discover that SSQQ Instructor Randy Winfrey is also a World
Champion!! And by the way, Trent Haynes, you are right, I forgot
to mention that your beautiful wife (and SSQQ Whip Instructor)
Michelle Wann Haynes is also a Houston City Whip Champion. We
have so many Champions here I can't even keep track of them all!
A very interesting section of every Newsletter is our "Special
Features". In this section I put stories from the news or
letters that I think are important, funny, or interesting.
This month in Special Features we have an interesting story
about how the government complained to a man about dams built on
his property by beavers. It leads to some precious plays on
words: "You better take care of that dam problem!!" Another
story is deeply troubling. It features the ongoing problems of a
young Pakistani woman who was - fill in the blank - by five men
in retribution for an indiscretion done by her brother. In other
words, the wrong person suffered for the crime of another. It is
a terrible story. And then comes the ludicrous story of an
Oklahoma judge who is being charged with a crime too bizarre to
believe (and it sounds like he is guilty!). The fourth story
about why old men should be sent to war is a humorous piece
contributed by Noted Troublemaker Chris Holmes. The fifth story
is a reprint of story from the March 2002 SSQQ Newsletter about
a ridiculous lawsuit filed against Southwest Airlines. Our sixth
and final story is a letter from a man commenting on my Website
article dealing with Responsibility and Absurd Lawsuits. I don't
like our legal system very much. As I get more and more
"first-hand" experience with the law profession, I find myself
discovering why lawyers and the legal system are losing the
public's respect for the law.
I did some writing of my own this month. In my 46th chapter of
"Adventures of a Dance Teacher", I revisited the single most
humiliating moment of my entire career as a businessman in the
curious story "Temper Tantrum". Definitely not my finest hour...
This story about how I lost my temper back in 2000 is an example
of a complicated situation that I simply didn't handle very
well. I don't think most people realize just how difficult
running this studio can be at times. The number of people I deal
with can be staggering at times. Each and every one of these
people occasionally have a small request to make of me.
Here is one of my recent favorites:
-----Original Message-----
From: O - Beaumont
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 10:39 AM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: What to Wear
"Hi my name is David and I have registered for the salsa lessons
on Thursday nights. Not that it matters to me so much but my
girlfriend wants to know what we should wear. I have no clue....
Please help..."
This harmless, simple request means little until you multiply it
times the 4,000 emails a month that I receive and the 1,000 I
reply to.
We lost an incredibly valuable administrator at the start of
2005 named Susan Schroeder. A computer genius and a graphics
designer by trade, Susan single-handedly did all the
Registration work here at SSQQ for two years, ran her "Quick
Stop" Store and even began a one-woman campaign to make the
studio look nicer. She was an unquestioned success at everything
she laid her hands on. Then one day in early January without
warning, Susan quit. I begged her to come back, but she wouldn't
see me, talk to me, or even consider returning.
As a result of Susan's sudden departure, I had to pick up the
pieces and help with the Registration work that Susan did so
capably for so long. I quickly began to get some clues what part
of the problem was - computers will KILL YOU if you let them.
Susan's husband David said there were many times when Susan
spent six hours a day strictly handling email and all the
details associated with this job. I now believe him.
I think the Computer age along with email and the Internet have
made this job so complex that I work harder now than I did back
in the 90s. It has gotten to the point where I think I spend at
least 3 hours a day simply reading and responding to email. I
wonder if other people have noticed how much trouble email can
be if you let it.
Violet is back this month. Yes, our mysterious "in-house writer"
with the nom de plume "Violet Steplightly" shares a fascinating
story about her date for the Ezra Charles Party.
Her story starts off like this:
"Don't get involved with a man who refuses to dance," she said
as she shook her finger at me. "He'll never understand the SSQQ
mentality!!"
Several people have inquired who Violet Steplightly is.
Unfortunately they didn't offer enough money so the secret is
safe with me. I will give you a hint though. Violet is a girl.
That should narrow it down some. And boy can she write!! Or
should I say, "And girl, can she write!!" Her story is so
interesting even a clunky guy like me thinks it is fun to read!
Enjoy your SSQQ Newsletter!
Rick Archer
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THE MARCH
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/schedule.htm |
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MARCH DANCE CLASSES BEGIN THE WEEK
OF SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/schedule.htm
Gloria Sanchez will offer a course in
Intermediate Lindy Hop
on Sundays in February at 4:30.
The last time Gloria taught Lindy Hop, the class was so popular it
continued for nearly half a year! Come discover the magic of
America’s 1st Swing dance, the Lindy!
The Lindy Hop was America's first Swing dance. It is a wonderful
cross between Jitterbug, Charleston, and Shag. Popular in the 20s
through World War II, the Lindy disappeared for 40 years, but has
enjoyed a renewed interest stimulated by the emergence of 90's Swing
music! People ask what is the difference between Swing and Lindy.
Generally speaking, Lindy consists of 8-count patterns and Swing of
6-count patterns, although both dances can have patterns using both
counts. The Lindy's 8-count allows for greater styling and
interpretive movement but, socially, the Lindy is danced to slightly
slower music while Swing works better to faster music.
Advanced Hustle
(formerly known as “Latin Hustle” will be taught on Sundays at 4:30
by Scott Ladell. Used to Disco music, Hustle footwork & timing is
very similar to West Coast Swing & its patterns are very similar to
East Coast Swing.
Belly
Dancing will be offered again on Sunday at 7 pm in March
Rachel Koenig, also known as “the Zephyr” will be teaching a
four-week Belly Dance class on Sunday evening's.
Put a little shimmy in your life! Let Rachel introduce you to the
seductive art form of beginning belly dance! This course will cover
snake arms, hip circles, hip shimmies, shoulder shimmies, and basic
combinations to use on the dance floor in conjunction with swing and
whip moves.
Loose, comfortable clothing is preferred. Try sweats and a crop-top
t-shirt, leggings and a running halter top with a t-shirt cover, or
just shorts and a t-shirt will do. A scarf, shawl or sarong is
recommended to wrap around your waste as a hip sash to add emphasis
to your movements.
Please take note that last month's course created a huge “buzz” at
the studio. Rachel's Saturday class in January had FIFTY WOMEN in
it. Every woman we talk to says she plans to groove her moves and
swerve her curves to the erotic, sensual music. Rumor has it this
class increases their allure and makes them irresistible to men! One
thing we can tell you - the men were so curious we practically had
to post a security guard outside the door in January!
Intermediate American Tango will be offered on Mondays in
March
Tango is a timeless symbol for the dark side of romance. The music
is haunting and mysterious.
With songs like "Jalousie" (Jealousy) and "Ecstasie" (Ecstasy),
Tango takes it place in legend as the dance of pride, anger, and
most of all, passion.
Stylish and very dramatic, Tango combines sleek, hip-locked, gliding
steps with abrupt stops into fans, flicks, flares, dips, and lunges.
The eerie music, sultry motion, and the haunting sense of dark moods
barely under control make Tango a truly fascinating dance!
People ask about the difference between American Tango and Argentine
Tango.
Most insiders consider American Tango vastly easier for the
occasional dancer to learn and to use. For starters, American Tango
is more structured than its Argentine counterpart. Using Basketball
for example, American Tango relies more on "set, predetermined
plays" while Argentine Tango is more improvisational, make-it-up on
the spot. In other words, if Tango becomes your lifestyle and you
dance it on a nightly basis, the more challenging Argentine style
might be preferable. But if you intend to dance the Tango just every
so often, then American Tango is the place to start.
Some Like
it Hot will be taught by Tracy King on Mondays in March.
This is the perfect chance to learn the basics of four famous Latin
dances: Cha-Cha, Rumba, Mambo and Samba. Before Ricky Martin brought
Salsa to the forefront, Cha-Cha was the most popular Latin dance of
all. Today Cha-Cha is still one of the sexiest and easiest dances to
learn. Rumba is a hot, sensual, slow Latin dance that works very
well to sexy slow Jazz music. Mambo is the predecessor of Salsa.
Brought to fame in Dirty Dancing and Havana Nights, Mambo is a
pretty sexy dance in its own right. Samba is the famous dance of
Carnivale in Rio de Janiero, fast and scintillating!
Dancing In
the Moonlight will be taught by Charlene Tees in March.
Foxtrot, Waltz, and Rumba are three dances that share extremely
similar footwork based on the boxstep. By grouping the three dances
together, the learning time can be cut dramatically. Sinatra music
is synonymous with Foxtrot such as "Witchcraft", "The Way You Look
Tonight", and "New York, New York". Waltz is Cinderella's legendary
dance of romance. It is danced to classics such as "You Look So Good
In Love", "Could I Have This Dance?", "Greensleeves", and "Auld Lang
Syne". Less is known about the mysterious Rumba, the Latin
equivalent to Waltz. This graceful, sensual dance is perfect for
Latin jazz, slow salsas, and popluar music such as "Under the
Boardwalk", "Yesterday", and "It's Now or Never". This course is
perfect in preparation for weddings, jazz combos on a dinner date,
and New Year's Eve. It is also a perfect class to take for a cruise
trip. The three dances work perfectly to the Atrium bands playing
ballroom classics.
Scott Ladell continues his three-month course with
Advanced
Night Club on Wednesdays. Night Club has become an important
Country-Western competition dance. Night Club is very graceful and
quite popular to western slow tunes.
Danced to slow, romantic songs, Night Club is an unusual dance
perhaps best described as an "active" form of Slow Dancing.
Combining a special blend of Latin footwork and Foxtrot patterns,
Night club is a pretty dance to see and fun to use. Nor is it
difficult to learn.
Although it is always nice to be in love and have the chance to
dance standing still with your amour, but Night Club allows people
without romantic partners to participate as well. You would be
surprised at the number of songs that would normally be considered
"Slow Music" that suddenly become exciting to dance to once you
master this unique dance.
This is a pretty cool dance. You will like it!
The Beginning Whip/West
Coast Swing Superclass returns in March on Mondays and
Thursdays. SSQQ is the only place in town that allows you to take
the course on 2 different nights for the price of one. Flashy
footwork, sexy hip motion, intricate patterns, and eye-catching
turns make Whip/WCS a popular option for advanced dancers. This is
an especially good time to take this class because the legendary
Sleazy Bar Whip Party with Luther and the Healers playing the hot
blues is just around the corner in April. Start now and you will be
ready to misbehave along with everyone else!
MARTIAN WHIP is taught by Rick
Archer on Thursdays. Houston City and Texas State WCS champions
Bryan Spivey and Lisa Palmer teach the Friday night sequel known as
the MARTIAN XTRA class. There is no
overlap between the two nights which means you pay one price and get
the second class for free.
On Fridays in March Scott will be teaching
Ghost Town
Level 11. This Ghost Town is particularly interesting because
the patterns are taught to Polka-rhythm. Are you up for a
challenge??
Advanced
Western Cha Cha comes to Fridays with Rick and Cher. This
sexy, ultra cool dance is danced to Polka-rhythm Western music like
“Neon Moon” and “Tequila Town”. The January Beginner class had 20
people, so come join the fun!
BACHATA returns with Linda Cook on
Saturdays.
Bachata is danced to slow-rhythm Salsa music. It is a Latin dance
that originated in the Dominican Republic. It is based on an ancient
African dance rhythm known as 'Ibo' brought over by slaves stolen
from the Nigerian Kwa tribe in the early 1800s. The dance is very
similar to bossa nova and is considered just as naughty.
Long considered disreputable music of the lower classes, bachata was
not played on commercial radio until recently, even though it had a
huge grassroots following. In many ways the history of bachata is
similar to that of American blues. Originally a rural, guitar-based
form, bachata was the music of the poor and uneducated. The lyrics
often contained raw double-entendres and bawdy sexual innuendoes.
And now that you know that Bachata is sometimes known as the Salsa
version of "Dancing Down and Dirty", come learn how to dance it!
ZYDECO will be taught on Saturdays
with Willie Bushnell and Ronnie Alexander.
Zydeco is a Creole Swing Dance that is extremely popular in the
Houston area.
Zydeco dance music originated in the state of Louisiana in the
United States. Similar to Cajun music, Zydeco is more heavily
influenced by blues and music from the West Indies. Fast and bouncy,
Zydeco uses instruments such as the accordion, saxophone, and
washboard. It was popularized by American singer and accordion
player Clifton Chenier, often called the "King of Zydeco music."
It is difficult to describe what the dancing looks like, but we will
try anyway. Zydeco combines elements of Swing dancing and Freestyle.
This means you have the turns from Swing mixed in with lots of get
down and boogie moves. Zydeco is fun, it's sexy, and it is pretty
easy to learn! This is a great Saturday night class that will have
you laughing all night long!
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PRACTICE NIGHT IN 2005 SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WILL BE FREE.
VIOLET STEPLIGHTLY DECIDES TO COMMENT! |
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Hey dancers!
As I said the last time I wrote, I met a boy. He's a nice guy, but
he does not dance . . . ever. My good friend, Goody Two Shoes, tried
to warn me.
"Don't get involved with a man who refuses to dance," she said as
she shook her finger at me. "He'll never understand the SSQQ
mentality."
Between you and me, I thought she was being a little closed-minded
and judgmental about my new boyfriend. And I really hate to admit
this, but I initially thought she was being a little smug just
because Mr. Shilly-Shally finally came to his senses and asked her
out. **They are doing well. In fact, you've probably seen them
dancing and remarked on how cute they look together (yak)** Well, it
turns out that in my case Goody Two Shoes was absolutely right.
In case I've been too subtle with this point before, I'll be
perfectly blunt now. I love dancing. It's become my raison d'etre,
the very essence of my sparkling joie de vivre, I just plain dig it.
The greatest thing about being single, and at SSQQ, is that I never
have to explain myself for wanting to dance, and I'm constantly
surrounded by people who feel the same way I do. One Saturday in
late December, some of my friends and I decided we simply couldn't
wait for the start of January classes to get our dance fix, so we
strutted our stuff into a local dance club. The air was smoky, and
we had to dodge drunken flailing on the dance floor, but the music
was good, so we managed to have a fun evening. After a few turns on
the dance floor with my favorite partner, I went to the bar for some
ice water. Okay, it was a rum and coke, so sue me. I sat down at the
bar, and the man next to me turned and said, "You looked really
great out there." I noticed when he said that he was checking out
the hem on my miniskirt, so I should've known he wasn't talking
about my dancing. But I was tipsy, (I mean experiencing a
dance-induced endorphin rush!!) so I giggled and began playing the
flirting game.
His name is Will (as in Will you be mine), and he's SO cute - a
slightly younger, blonde version of Johnny Depp. We talked for a
while, and my friends tactfully maintained their distance. That was
nice of them, but it also meant I didn't get to dance the rest of
the night. I kept hoping that Will would ask me to dance with him,
but he never did. I thought perhaps he was intimidated by the SSQQ
men in my group. If I may say so, these men are extremely talented
dancers (they stay for Practice), so I can understand why he might
have felt that way. The evening passed, the DJ announced last call,
the club emptied, and Will asked for my phone number. Normally I
wouldn't give my phone number to a strange man in a bar, but I'm a
huge "21 Jump Street" fan, so I threw reason out the window.
I enjoyed my dates with Will. We saw great movies, ate great food,
and had great conversations. But something was missing . . . me.
Will was great company, but I was not dancing. I was skipping
classes and my beloved Practice Nights for our dates, and the whole
thing was leaving me feeling empty, faded, downright bummed. The
mere suggestion that I turn down a date in order to go to dance
class sent Will into a jealous fit. He was convinced that men ONLY
go to dance classes to pick up easy women, and our relationship
would be in jeopardy if I exposed myself to such an atmosphere. He
refused to believe that my dance partners were just friends.
Ever the peace keeper, I sacrificed my personal happiness to the
Gods of Love. However, I finally offered a compromise. I invited
Will to join me for the Red and White Valentine's Swing Dance. I was
excited about getting to see Ezra Charles and the Works, and I
thought Will could at least appreciate hearing a live band. It was a
little tougher to sell Will on the idea than I had originally hoped,
but I had not lost my eyelash batting techniques, and I eventually
won. Will made his SSQQ debut on Saturday, February 19, and I even
got him enrolled in a crash course. Don't think I didn't notice (and
enjoy) the jealous looks you ladies gave me when I entered the room
on Will's arm. Alas, such petty joy fades so quickly. Instant Karma
got me, it knocked me off my feet.
I still don't understand Will's aversion to dancing, the man has
rhythm, but he had the most pained grimace on his face during the
entire class. His expression didn't change all night except when
he'd glare at me for dancing with another man during the class
rotation. He made it quite clear during break that he didn't care
for switching partners, and he made an extremely crude reference to
switching partners in life, but I won't repeat that here.
I never thought a dance class could be emotionally painful, but Will
proved me wrong. I hoped he would lighten up during the party, but I
was mistaken once again. The lively music of Ezra Charles and the
Works didn't even brighten Will's mood one bit, and he pouted like a
child. I felt sorry for anyone who tried to engage him in
conversation only to receive clipped, snotty responses. Will
wouldn't even say hello when I introduced him to some of my closest
friends. I tried to be cheery, but I was utterly humiliated by his
performance. I understand that not everyone in the world likes
dancing. My fellow dancer enthusiasts call them freaks behind their
backs, but to each his/her own I say. What really disappointed me
was that Will didn't even attempt to make the best of a fantastic
situation. I was exposing him to great music and great people. And
the worst part was that I kept trying to please him. You'll
recognize me from now on because I plan to get "Sucker" branded on
my forehead.
It did not take long before I was fed up. Will and I had a little
talk when we left SSQQ that night (which I might add was at 10:00).
I told Will that dancing is a big part of my identity, and I
emphasized that I refuse to change who I am to make someone else
happy. Will said I'd be lonely for the rest of my life with that
kind of attitude. That was when I sent him on his way. He had not
even pulled out of my driveway before I hopped in my car. I drove
straight back to the party.
For the record, I've never been lonely, and I'm especially not
lonely now. When I walked back into the studio, Will-free, my
friends lovingly welcomed me back, and they made sure I never left
the dance floor for the rest of the night. Goody Two Shoes even
loaned me Mr. Shilly-Shally a few times. You know, we really have
some great people at SSQQ. How could I possibly be lonely when
hundreds of fascinating and friendly people flock from all over the
city to one dance studio month after month?
I haven't missed a class, or a Practice, since my Battle of the
Will, and I don't intend to let anyone come between me and my love
of dancing ever again. I don't need to worry about meeting "that
special someone" because I have all the companionship I need from my
SSQQ family. And we all shine on . . .
Thanks for reading! Stop by next month when we find out if Casey
Casanova is more than just a Logic Puzzle character. Does SSQQ
really have an amorous amigo who woos clueless classmates? Practice
saying that three times fast until the next newsletter comes out. :)
Yours in dance,
Violet Steplightly |
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THE THREE SSQQ AMIGOS WIN A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!
COACH ANITA WILLIAMS TELLS THE STORY OF HOW VICTOR MARQUEZ, JOEL
MCCLESKY,
AND RANDY WINFREY ALL BECOME UCDWC WORLD CHAMPIONS! |
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JOEL McCLESKEY, VICTOR MARQUEZ, RANDY WINFREY ARE
2005 UCWDC WORLD DANCE CHAMPIONS!
Story written by Anita Williams
Hi Rick,
I'm back from one of the most exciting World's Dance Championships
imaginable with great news. Both Joel and Victor and Randy are UCWDC
World's champions!
(FYI: UCWDC is short for United Country-Western
Dance Council) |
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As you know Joel and Victor have been practicing since the first of
last year in anticipation of going to Worlds. We have attended
various competitions throughout the year in order to qualify.
Overall we did very well. We won or placed in the top three at many
of the events, but in addition to the victories we had a great time
at these events competing and meeting new friends.
This was Joel's first year on the circuit. Many of the other pros
were raving about him. Joel was indeed the golden boy!
He was so incredible at every competition. Since Victor had been on
the circuit last year, it was old hat for him! He had to move to a
harder division and he still did remarkably well. Victor has
received many compliments from the other pros on the circuit. I keep
hearing some of the guys refer to Victor as "The Man" since he is
such a natural performer!
By the time Worlds got here, we were going out of our minds with the
anticipation!
Unfortunately things quickly got crazy… First, our flight was
cancelled; Joel called me en route to the airport to tell me. As
luck would have it when we got to the gate Southwest put us on an
earlier flight that was late in departing. I called Joel and Ruth
and they came scurrying over to the counter to get on the same
flight. I'm thinking, SWEET, this turned out to be OK, until we got
to Nashville…and our luggage was still back in Houston! I would have
panicked, but I'd been down this road before so I knew that when you
compete, you NEVER check your costume or your boots. At least I had
those with me!
When we got to the hotel I gave my hanging bag with the priceless
costume/boot ensemble to the bell captain to take to our room once
we got checked in. We get checked in with no problem. I called Joel,
who was not feeling too well by the way, to see if he wants to go
down to the ballroom and do a quick run through on our routines. He
says OK so I decide to go get my hanging bag, well guess what, they
can't find it. Panic sets in. WHERE IS MY BAG! They look and look as
I stand there with the claim ticket in hand. I know Joel is waiting
for me, so I call him to let him know that I need my bag so that I
can retrieve my boots. Well it turns out that Joel had the hanging
bag all along. WHEW!
OK, we go practice when, uh oh, we discover Joel is SICK! Not just a
little cold, no, Joel has a fever and a glassy eyed stare. Even
worse I lost my composure when I realized Joel was so white I could
see through him! Joel made Casper the Friendly Ghost look like a
surfer at Malibu. We go through runs and Joel disappears to collapse
until the next day. Victor gets in and we run through his routines
and now I'm thinking of two things, "Joel's sick and where is my
luggage?!"
As many of you know I have had a problem with the joint in my ankle
for quite some time. Prior to leaving for Worlds I visited with my
doctor about having corrective surgery and we set a date. I have
been limping now for months. I can't run, I can barely walk, and I
dance in pain. I want this surgery so bad I can taste it! I am sick
of Rick calling me "The Cripple". Now I'm mentally prepared for the
surgery and the recovery time when guess what, my Doctor calls
(right after the lost luggage and Joel sick incident) to tell me
that he is canceling my surgery to go treat Tsunami Victims. All
right, he is being noble and the poor flood victims are suffering a
lot more than I am, but I've been in pain for six months waiting for
this moment and now I'm getting even crazier. Lost Luggage, Joel
sick, surgery postponed, I can barely walk much less dance, OK, I'm
panicking!
I retreat to my room with tears in my eyes to continue the quest for
the lost luggage when finally at 8:30 (after a series of phone calls
to an automated voice mail system) it arrives.
AAAHHH, now I can sleep and tomorrow, competition day, will be
great!! WRONG… I toss and turn all night. Nightmares of everything
that can go wrong on the dance floor have me scared to death. I wake
up coughing. Oh no, am I sick? Joel, I'm gonna kill you! Please
don't let me be sick! I find a cough pill and somehow drift back to
sleep again.
It seems like the moment I fall asleep the alarm goes off and the
phone rings. I roll out of bed and prepare for the next six hours or
so of competition, first with Joel in the Crystal Newcomer division,
then after that with Victor in the Crystal Novice division. (Crystal
is 30 - 40 years old) Yes things are SOO much better than the day
before. I am busy drying my hair 15 minutes before I need to be in
the ballroom when suddenly the room goes dark. There is NO POWER!!!
I could go into a lot of detail here, but let me just say as I stood
in the dark with droplets of water from my hair forming a puddle on
the floor, I began to wonder what I had done to get the gods so
pissed off at me!! Why Me, Zeus?
Then I think about the Tsunami people fighting for their lives and
figure if they can survive, so can I. My bad attitude improves ever
so slightly.
OK, I made it to the ballroom, Joel was wondering where in the world
I was. I took one look at him and I knew it was going to be a rough
day for us. Joel was so feverish!! Then he took one look at my hair
and thought, "She looks worse than I do!"
Competition requires concentration and good health! We had neither!
It probably requires good hair too. We don't have a chance. We
managed to make it through his rounds. Believe it or not, Joel -
bless his heart - did remarkably well, sick or not!! After we
finished, I noticed Joel's fiancée Ruth was sick too. My paranoia
kicks in again. Oh no, what if I am next? Now I had something else
to worry about. Joel left after his competition and I did not see
him again until the next day. He and Ruth spent the better part of
Worlds hiding in their room trying to recuperate from their illness.
It's just as well they disappeared. Dancers are a notoriously
superstitious lot to begin with and probably would have treated Joel
like an escapee from the Leper Colony.
Victor and I competed after that in the Crystal Novice division. Mr.
Victory was on fire! I knew it was his day! I want to mention it was
about this time I noticed that SSQQ instructor Randy Winfrey was
dancing with his pro over in the Diamond Novice division (Diamond is
40 - 50 years old). Randy was on his game too! In fact I have never
seen Randy dance better. I was hoping Randy would win, but then I
started to worry he might compete against us later in another
division. Oh great. Another thing to worry about! I was a nervous
wreck.
We had to do it all again the next day, competing in what's called
the "open" category. "Open" is just what it says, anyone can
compete, regardless of age within their Division. So I had Joel in
Open Newcomer and Victor in Open Novice. I tossed and turned the
whole night worrying about Joel. He had worked so hard all year and
to be this sick was heartbreaking.
The next day Joel felt a little better. Overall he danced much
better than the preceding day and Victor had a good day too. Sure
enough, it turned out that Randy had decided to join Victor in the
open division competition. As I watched him dance, I could tell he
was looking really good! This was going to be close!
Later on we gathered in the ballroom at 11:30 that night to get the
results of the previous day's competition…this is so
nerve-racking!!! The way they announce the results is to call the
names in reverse. You just keep hoping that they don't call your
guy's name, which literally means that he's the last man standing.
Well, all three of our men were the last men standing! Can you
believe that! Yes, Joel and Victor and Randy each won his particular
division. First place! I was elated, especially for Joel knowing
what he had to overcome.
Fast-Forward to the next night. It was time to hear the results for
the Open category. Both of my guys really wanted this one!! Joel
ended up coming in second; I was ecstatic! Then it came Victor and
Randy's turn. They kept calling names, no Victor, no Randy, no
Victor, no Randy…It finally came down to just the two of them
standing. Can you imagine, do you know how big America is? Then add
guys from Europe and Mars and the other continents and the last two
guys standing in the Universe are from SSQQ!! What are the odds of
that happening?
All these people training the entire year to compete against each
other and now two guys from the same dance studio in Houston are all
that is left? What a remarkable conclusion! This is how they do it
in the movies, but here the true story unfolds the same way! I am so
nervous; I suddenly realize all my nails are gone. Who cares?
In the end they called Randy's name first. This meant Randy had
placed second and Victor had won. We were all happy for each other.
We hugged and shook hands and congratulated each other on our
victories. There was a large crowd in the audience from Houston and
they were all applauding for us. Once we got on the podium I
whispered to Randy, "Wait till Rick Archer gets word of this!"
Victor, Randy, and Joel were amazing, but their success was not the
only Local story up at Worlds. I also want to mention that we have
quite a few ladies who are currently at SSQQ or who started here
that did very well in their divisions also.
Christine Sandal came in third, Cher Longoria came in seventh (First
Place in Twostep!!) and Priscilla Hamic came in ninth. And I just
remembered that Gary Thorpe came in fourth in his category, but he's
not a girl, is he? Okay, so what, we'll mention him too. Then
Christine danced with her honey Victor and they finished fifth in
the couples division. What an amazing group of dancers we have
around this studio!
I have told these guys again and again what a privilege and a
pleasure it has been took work with Victor and Joel. I have loved
every minute of this experience with them. What a joy it has been to
be their coach. I am so very proud of them. They both worked so hard
and they deserve their titles completely, totally, and undeniably.
Victor and Joel are AWESOME DANCERS!
(Editor's Note: Anita Williams
is too humble to state the obvious. It is an amazing fact that
Anita has coached Victor to two consecutive World Championships
and now Joel to his first. Nor are Anita's accomplishments limited
strictly to the "Coaching Realm". Back in 2003 Anita was a vital
member of the SSQQ Heartbeat Dance Team that won the World Team
Championship. At the same competition Anita won an individual
Championship in the West Coast Swing division.
Add it up. Anita Williams is a Five Time UCWDC World
Champion!
That is pretty impressive folks, especially when you see that she
is practically crippled with her ankle problem. Fortunately she
dances much better than she walks, but to perform as well as she
does on that ankle and to have the strength to block out the pain
is downright incredible. This is a very talented woman.
Another thing you may not realize is that when Victor and Joel are
out there achieving all their glory, Anita is out there too! These
competitions are Pro-Am. Joel and Victor are the amateurs; Anita
is the Professional. No matter how much she hurts, for these men
to win, Anita has to put on a show as well. Anita is quite a
dancer in her own right!
For example, Houston Comet Coach Van Chancellor may have seen his
US Women's Basketball Team win the Olympic Gold Medal last summer
in Athens, but he wasn't out there on the court shooting the ball.
By contrast, Coach Anita was out there on the floor dancing her
heart out with both men. Joel and Victor could not have won
without Anita matching them step for step and looking wonderful in
the process. The point is: not only can Anita coach, the girl can
also dance a lick or two.
Switching topics, did you know that Joel and Ruth are getting
married on Saturday, January 29th.
I would say they are having a
busy January!
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And Randy is getting married to the lovely Melissa Gauthier on
Saturday, April 30th.
Look what all this dancing does to these
men!
It makes them so romantic….
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And what about Coach Williams? Anita says her ankle surgery has
been rescheduled for February 4th. After she heals, Anita says she
will be fast enough to chase men again sometime around April. If
you're a guy, my attitude is "why wait?" After all, the girl can
dance, but heck, right now she's a sitting duck!
Switching off of Romance and getting back to Dance, I would like
to mention Scott Ladell has begun training ladies to compete in
the Western Pro-Ams just like Anita has been coaching the men.
Scott is a pretty gifted dancer in his own right and his classes
are extremely popular due to his teaching excellence. If you would
like to compete or at least talk it over, contact Scott at
scottladell@houston.rr.com
Bryan Spivey, the current Texas State Swing Champion, is accepting
students to dance Pro-Am with him as well. If you want to get into
the Competition West Coast Swing Game, contact Bryan at
bubbamotion@yahoo.com
Coach Anita should be up and running in April. If you are ready to
let her work her coaching magic on you, contact Anita at
anitawilliams1@juno.com
I would like to conclude by saying how grateful I am that SSQQ has
been graced with the presence of so many talented people! My hat
goes off to Victor Marquez, Joel McClesky, Randy Winfrey, Coach
Anita, as well as to Cher Longoria, Christine Sandal, Gary Thorpe,
and Priscilla Hamic. You all have opened the door and set a
standard of excellence that will likely encourage many others to
follow in your footsteps.
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2005 CRUISE NEWS
- THE ALASKA TRIP IN JULY IS UP TO 53 PEOPLE AND THE SAME TIME NEXT
YEAR RHAPSODY CRUISE IS UP TO 28 PEOPLE |
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In 2005, Marla and I have two trips planned. In July we take a
dream trip on RCCL's Radiance to view the magnificent beauty of
Alaska. Then in late September we have our Same Time Next Year
Rhapsody Reunion Cruise.
THE JULY 2005 SSQQ CRUISE TO ALASKA (SATURDAY, JULY 16 -
SATURDAY, JULY 23)
(THIS TRIP ALREADY HAS 53 PEOPLE SIGNED UP!)
http://ssqq.com/information/alaska2005.htm
Trip Status as of March 3, 2005
The SSQQ ALASKA CRUISE scheduled for July 16 -
July 23 has reached a very critical moment. Prices for this trip
have skyrocketed due to the extreme popularity of Alaska trips
during the summer. Let me add the Cruise Industry says this is
shaping up as the biggest year in history for cruise trips to
Alaska.
Each Saturday I play basketball with Alan Fox, the owner of one
of the largest travel agencies in Houston. Not long ago Alan
told me he has never seen demand for Alaska trips like he is
seeing this year. Here is a brief blurb from his Newsletter:
…………………
-----Original Message-----
From: VacationsToGo.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 3:40 PM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: Vacations To Go Cruise Newsletter
"This year is starting strong for all the major cruise regions,
with both bookings and prices ahead of last year's pace. Last
year at this time, people were booking cruises an average of 72
days before departure; this year, they're booking an average of
94 days before departure.
That's quite a swing, an advance-booking curve that hasn't been
seen in this industry since before 9-11, and it indicates that
travelers are more confident this year about planning
international vacations. It also means ships will likely fill up
a bit earlier than they have in recent years.
The hottest ticket in 2005 may well be the Alaska cruisetour,
which typically consists of a 7-day Alaska cruise combined with
a 3- to 14-day land tour of Alaska's interior. About half of all
Alaska cruisers opt to add a land tour before or after their
cruise.
I've heard that the pace of sales of Alaska cruisetours this
year exceeds the best year in history, which is a strong
indication that they will sell out earlier than usual."
……………………..
In a nutshell, even though it is only March
our Alaska ship is on the verge of selling out!!
I am not going to fib and say this trip is cheap. In fact, this
is an expensive trip. What we will say is that right now the
SSQQ price for this trip is $200 to $500 a person below market
price. This discount is available because we booked the trip
back in November! However the discount disappears in Two
Weeks. Come March 18 the price skyrockets.
REPEAT: SSQQ has its price locked in for TWO MORE WEEKS.
(PS- You have my word of honor this is not a
BLUFF.)
On March 18 we have to release our unsold space. From that point
on we cannot guarantee space much less the current price.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU WANT TO GO, WE ADVISE YOU TO DECIDE
TO JOIN US IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS OR FORGET ABOUT IT.
The moment we release our remaining cabins, Royal Caribbean has
people on a wait-list ready to snap up the unused space in an
instant.
WE NEED A $250 DEPOSIT FROM YOU ON OR BEFORE MARCH 17.
The good news is you still have another month and a half before
you have to make your final decision.
Please note that you can still back out of the trip and
get a COMPLETE REFUND UP UNTIL MAY 7th.
So there is no reason not to lock in a cabin at a tremendous
bargain by acting now. Not only will the prices jump, the ship
will sell out of all cabins soon after.
Act now!! Email Marla Archer at
marla@ssqq.com or call her
at 713 862 4428.
THE SEPTEMBER 2005 RHAPSODY REUNION CRUISE - SAME TIME NEXT
YEAR!
(THIS TRIP ALREADY HAS 28 PEOPLE SIGNED UP!)
http://ssqq.com/information/rhapsody2005.htm
A trip as magnificent as the one we just completed has the
makings of MANY SEQUELS. The easiest way to get an idea of
what's ahead is to read again what just happened.
As most of you know, Marla and I got married aboard the 2004
Rhapsody Trip. This special event set the tone for the most
spirited group we have ever seen. I cannot begin to explain all
the trouble these characters got into. There was SO MUCH
MISCHIEF it took me nearly two months to write about all the
crazy things that happened. I completed the write-up on the
Rhapsody Cruise just recently.
Including stories about the infamous "Elevator Ride", Da Jammer,
the Attack of the Zombies, Champagne Night, Wedding Fiascos,
Tales of the Captain, and of course the Legend of Mr. Handsome,
the trip write-up makes for scintillating bed-time reading. Just
pop that laptop onto your belly with a 20 foot Roadrunner Cable
and read deep into the night!
PLUS in addition to all the vicious RUMORS, we have PICTURES of
people like Mr. Handsome, Center of Attention, The Great Gabino,
Lollobridgida, Grapevine, the Goldmine, and all the Usual
Suspects. We have the Beatles Story, the Bloodbath Volleyball
Match at Cozumel, Bar Hopping, Zizzling Birds and Bees Gossip,
and best of all the Steamy Gatorade Hot Tub Tales. Do you want
to hear some juicy scandal?? Do you want to see pictures of Mr.
Handsome strutting in girl's? Do you want to see pictures of the
Great Gabino sucking the blood right out of… well if I write
more this email won't get past any of the spam censors, now will
it??
Read for yourself! Then decide if you want to be part of the
lunacy on the next trip!
Last year:
http://ssqq.com/information/rhapsody2004home.htm
Same Time Next Year.
http://ssqq.com/information/rhapsody2005.htm
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THE ALASKA CRUISE
HAS THE DISTINCTION OF RECEIVING FEBRUARY'S
MOST ANGRY COMPLAINT AWARD!
"To be included as a part of the SSQQ group, you must book your
cruise through SSQQ. NO EXCEPTIONS!" |
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Where do rules come from? Usually one
jerk does something so utterly stupid that they ruins things for
the rest of us.
A simple example are Stop Signs in the middle of nowhere. We
have one on a corner in the Heights where I live. One day there
was a terrible two-car collision. Some idiot who ran a stop
sign. So they added a Stop Sign in the other direction as well
and made it a four-way stop. As a result for the past ten years
I have to slow down and stop even though I see at most one car a
month coming from the other direction. I might add that car
always stops anyway because there is a Stop Sign on the other
street. As I said, it only takes one jerk...
People hate rules! So do I for that matter. I am one of
the biggest rebels on earth. But in my position as owner of
SSQQ, I find myself making up rules all the time!
One of the reasons I make up rules is to protect my business
from predators. I am stunned at the number of people who
continually try to exploit our business.
There was a bizarre incident last summer where a couple had
emailed Marla several times about going on the 2004 Rhapsody
Trip. Then for reasons that still make no sense, they bypassed
Marla and signed up for the trip with another travel agency.
Oddly enough, they paid $170 more for their ticket than if they
would have paid by booking through Marla.
Don't ask "why?" because I have never figured that one out.
But they did immediately ask if Marla would arrange their
seating for them at our tables. They definitely wished to be
part of our group. Since I did not have a rule forbidding this
action and because I actually LIKED both people, I told Marla to
make them feel welcome. But I decided this was this last time.
There had been several previous incidents along this line, but
this was the incident that made me decide to put my foot down.
Now you know where this rule came from:
"To be included as a part of the SSQQ group, you must book your
cruise through SSQQ. NO EXCEPTIONS!"
This week I discovered it turns out that
someone out there doesn't like this rule one bit. He complained
bitterly about the injustice to an SSQQ Staff Member who passed
his tale on to me. Here's the story:
THE DISGRUNTLED
GENTLEMAN WHO WANTED TO SAVE $49!!
As Julius Caesar once said in his Gallic writings, "Omnes viae
Romam ducunt." Translation: "All r | | |
