Salsa, Swing, and Ballroom Dance Classes with Maria Kordit

Maria began ballroom dancing at age 9 across various studios in the Seattle area, ultimately falling under world-class champion trainers. As an International Style 10-Dance (Ballroom & Latin) competitor, she reached an Amateur level with successful rankings on the West Coast. At age 18, she decided to focus on academics and pursue her passion in healthcare and public health. Dance never left her side as she continues to teach and perform. She is no stranger to the world of Dancesport (yes, she knows a few from Dancing With the Stars), as she has trained with and worked in competition administration with some of the top dancers in the world. Her approach to teaching is dynamic based in one's comfort and learning style, with a strong foundation in understanding movement. For the last 10 years, Maria has run children's DanceSport programs from L.A. to New York with a following of kids that love her. Maria has seen dance change the lives of adults, empowering couples to bond, single individuals to build courage and confidence, and even some to overcome depression.

"I truly believe that dance can change lives - as a previous Pope once said about music, I repeat the same for dance, it is a language that knows no borders, no race, no color, nothing but pure beauty of humanity. 

SALSA is a fun dance that combines dance forms from the Cuban Son and the Rumba, an Afro-Cuban dance. It is typically a partner dance, but it can be done solo. In many styles of salsa dancing, the upper body remains level as the dancers shift their weight - meaning you will get quite a workout as you progress through the class series.

There are several styles of Salsa dancing, primarily based on the geographical locations where they began and are expanded upon. The style of this class will be Salsa-on-1, also known as LA/West Coast style. The difference between LA and NY style is while LA is danced in a line similar to NY, in LA, dancers break on the first beat of the music (on 1) rather than on 2.

If you’re not sure what this all means, don’t worry!  These foundation classes will focus on building a syllabus of steps, understanding the intricacy of lead and follow in open and closed hold, shadow/shines, style, and musicality. If you have experience in Salsa, please still join, as your strong leads and presence is always a source of inspiration for new students!

Avoid these items for class: tennis shoes, clothes that drape under the arms, and big hoop earrings.

EAST COAST SWING is a classical dance and one of the most popular swing dances, partially because it tends to be the easiest to learn. There are many variations of the East Coast Swing, and this dance is sometimes called by other names, including Jive, Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, Shag, and Charleston. Although traditionally performed to big band-style songs, many are swing dancing to current pop and country tunes.

The Swing is a spot dance, meaning it doesn’t move along the line of dance like a waltz or tango. The dance style has a free interpretation, allowing students to create their style and movement variation using single, double, or triple rhythms.

If you’re not sure what this all means, don’t worry! These foundation classes will teach you basic steps, musical counts, lead and follow technique, and stylistic elements. Please note this class is geared for beginners. If you have experience in EC Swing, please still join, as your leads and presence always inspire new students!

Please wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing.