Colors of the Rainbow Team Match

The Results!

The 2009 Colors of the Rainbow Team Match was the success we all dreamed of! A beautiful location, fantastic dancing, generous volunteers, donors, and a wonderful turnout all came together to create a beautiful event. The children dazzled the audience and the judges with a superb array of dances, including the Foxtrot, Swing, Merengue, Rumba, Waltz, and their personal favorite, the Heel-Toe Polka. After the dancing was complete, and the audience finished their applause, the results were announced:

Gold:
Forest Grove Elementary - Pacific Grove
Laurel Wood Elementary - Salinas
Sherwood Elementary - Salinas
Silver:
Robert H. Down School - Pacific Grove
Carmel River School - Carmel
Monterey Park School - Salinas
Bronze:
Junipero Serra School - Carmel
Monterey Bay Charter School - Pacific Grove

An Interview with Two Dancing Classrooms Graduates

In a wonderful article about the event written by Dorothy Maras-Ildi, she interviews Caroline Gruber & Ben Nichols, both Dancing Classrooms Graduates from Forest Grove Elementary School:

1. Did you know anything about ballroom dancing before the Dancing Classrooms Program?

Ben: No, I didn't know anything at all.
Caroline: Yes, I took lessons at Shall We Dance.
2. Tell me what you liked most about ballroom dancing.
Ben: Swing dancing because it was exciting and fast.
Caroline: I love Swing. Swing is upbeat and it has really great music.
3. What was the hardest dance to learn and what made it difficult?
Ben: The waltz was really hard because I can't remember the dancing moves.
Caroline: The Foxtrot. I got confused when you had to do the C step because first you do A step, B step, A step again, B step again then add the C step and it is easy to lose count.
4. Were you nervous when you first started learning the dances?
Ben: It was weird dancing with a girl and I was scared because I might mess up.
Caroline: In the beginning, everyone was like, "NO!" because we had to dance with boys. After a while we got used to it.
5. Once you learned the steps, how did you feel?
Ben: I could become a professional!
Caroline: It was like when you memorize a song you really liked.
6. Have you taught any of the dances to kids that weren't in the program and if so, how did you feel about being able to show them the steps.
Ben: No, but I wished I could have because it made me feel proud and confident.
Caroline: I felt really proud about showing my sister (she's 8 ½) the swing. I made her learn the ‘boy's part !
7. Tell me the TWO most important things you learned from participating in Dancing Classrooms that WEREN"T actually about the dances themselves.
Ben: 1. Anything can be made fun if you try hard enough. 2. I learned to be brave.
Caroline: 1. It made me confident. 2. It taught me to respect one another.

Location: The Serra Ballroom at the Monterey Conference Center

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Time: 5:30-7:00pm

A reception to meet the Master of Ceremony, Judges, and Teaching Artists will be held in the Steinbeck Lobby from 7:00-8:30pm. RSVP is requested by May 15, 2009 to Ingrid Tower: 831-649-6726.

The Colors of the Rainbow Team Match features 6 couples from 7 schools in Salinas, Carmel, and Pacific Grove. These students will show us how to dance Merengue, Foxtrot, Rumba, Tango, and Swing. At the same time, they will try to accumulate points from the judges to earn a Bronze, Silver, or Gold medals and trophy for their school. We teach our dancers to win gracefully, loose with dignity, and work together to represent their schools with pride. This event is open to the public and we invite you to join us.