24 Years of Pain until…I started Dancing.

At the age of 8 I was diagnosed with Osteo Arthritis. Normal childhood activities were always painful, but I kept going, dealing with the pain afterwards.

As a young adult in my late teens to early twenties, I used to go to the dance clubs when I wasn’t working as a chef. Disco was the rage and I loved it!!! Then, at the age of 27, my life was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. My left leg, from my toes to my hip swelled to 4 times its size and turned a bluish gray color! The pain was horrific; it felt like my entire leg was being crushed with a 2 ton weight while viciously being stabbed with a razor sharp saber! The external skin temperature was 103 degrees, I was on fire, and the slightest touch was unbearable! I started getting strong muscle spasms around my rib cage, making it difficult to breathe and impossible to straighten up. All I could do was cry, just cry!!!

No medication at the time eased my pain. I lost everything, my job, friends, health insurance and at times my mind. All the joy in my life was gone and I slipped into deep depression. I could not walk or even put my foot on the ground.

I went to many different doctors and pain specialists, tried medications, physical therapy and electronic nerve stimulation, NOTHING worked! One specialist decided to try sympathetic nerve blocks. He was to insert a long spinal tap needle between the vertebrae and into the spinal column. He needed to inject a numbing agent directly in to the sympathetic nerve. This procedure was to be done once a week for 4 weeks. It was an extremely painful experience. During the last of the series I suffered a stroke. My body was in full tremor, my eyes rolled back and I couldn’t speak. The doctor removed the needle as quickly as possible and opened the I.V. line to release sedatives into my body. 15 minutes later I came out of it. The stroke had impaired the motor functions and feeling on the left side of my body. My muscles could no longer hold my hips in alignment; I could not move my leg, foot or toes. It took 2 years of therapy to learn walk, but walk with a limp I did. I could not walk more that 5 feet without swelling and pain, but I did walk. I gained a lot of weight from the 6 pills a day I had to take combined with the inactivity. I tried to joke saying “I am twice the person I once was”, but in truth, I was living a life of depression filled with pain. I could no longer do the things that brought me joy, long walks, or dancing to name a few.

Over the next 18 years all the medication took a toll on my immune system, I was sick all the time. After talking with my doctor, I decided to get off all of it. The pain became more intense, however, over the years I learned to live with it.

One evening, while watching television, I saw someone who inspired me to do something that would change my life for the better. I decided to try ballroom dancing. I began in late April 2008. The first few weeks were painful to say the least. By June, however, for the first time in 24+ years, I am completely pain free. My toes are moving, I’, getting motor function and feeling back and I’m losing weight!!! Everything seems brighter, depression a thing in the past. I’m so happy!! I feel healthier then I have in years! I won’t say dancing is a cure, but it has worked a miracle for me. Hurray I’m dancing again!!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few people. To Maksim Chmerkovskiy for unknowingly inspiring me to try; Gabriella Bodocs, Babette and Warren Brown, Lisa Haber, and Pierre Gider for their encouragement, support and extra coaching; and most of all to Vladimir Velev for his patience, humor, kind heart, expertise, support encouragement and for not giving up on me.

Your Very Grateful Student,

Cheryl Bazar

P.S. Fred, wherever you are, thanks for creating these studios!

December Class Schedule!!

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Halloween at Fred Astaire Jupiter

Last Friday we were holding our annual Halloween Party - this time really on Halloween evening. It was a great Party, the ballroom was full of beautifully and fun costumed people and we danced the night away.
Congratulations to Sherri aka "Jack in the Box" for winning the costume contest!!

Message from Jack Rothweiler, President and CEO of Fred Astaire Dance Studios Inc

November 2008 Class Schedule

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Halloween Open House Group Class and Party

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US Open Smooth Championships 2008 - Warren & Babette Brown

Warren & Babette Brown - Tango

Warren & Babette Brown at the US Open 2008 - Waltz

Class with a Glass - September 6th 2008

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Newsletter - July 28th 2008

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Get into Character - Workshop with Pierre & Lisa

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Class with a Glass - Our Monthly Wine Tasting event

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TONY DOVOLANI, from the hit TV show "Dancing with the Stars" will be here in Jupiter!!

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Let me introduce you to: Savanna Michael, 16 years old; from Canton, Ohio

1) When did you start dancing?
5 years ago, in Ohio.
2) Why did you become a dancer at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter?
2 Years ago I came to Florida for a long vacation with my mom. I took a few lessons at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter while I was on vacation. I liked it, actually loved it, so I decided to stay with this studio. I come to train here every other month and spend most of my time in the studio; I go back to Ohio. I spend one month in Florida taking lessons, and one month in Ohio practicing.
3) What did you want to become a dancer?
The movie “Dance with me” inspired me to take lessons. I hated the first year because I felt I did not know anything, and then later I started to like it.
4) What goals were you hoping to achieve through dancing?
I started to set goals for the first time when I started to dance at this studio. I realized that I wanted to become a professional dancer and that I would like to open my own Fred Astaire Dance Studio when I am older.
5) How did dancing better your life?
It is keeping me in shape; it made me stronger, improved my posture, and I am not as shy as I used to be when I started. I am a lot more outgoing with my friends and I feel I became a better person.
6) Did your personal expectations for your dancing change since you started?
Oh yeah! The first year I hated it. I had no goals; I did it just for the exercise. Now I love it! I want to become a professional, I want to improve more and I want to have more understanding of the sport.
7) What kind of activities do you take part in at Fred Astaire Jupiter?
I dance at regional and national competitions. My biggest success so far was becoming 2nd at the World Pro/Am Junior Standard Championships and 5th at the World Pro/Am Junior Latin Championships at Ohio Star Ball. I have taken Top Youth Student at many Fred Astaire Regional and National Championships. My biggest competition yet was the Cross Country Dance Championships in Las Vegas last April. I also love to do Showcases and I perform at studio events like Holiday Galas and at some Friday practice parties. I participate in most of the events.

Let me introduce you to: Phyllis Holcomb, 81 years young

1) When did you start dancing?
I danced as a kid; I did tap, acrobatic and ballroom Dancing. I started to dance at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter about 2 ½ years ago.
2) Why did you become a dancer at Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter?
After I had 3 back surgeries I have tried to walk in about shoulder deep water…..I got sick and tired of it….so I talked to my doctor who mentioned that Ballroom Dancing would be very good to strengthen my back. But I had not danced in 50 years; and I like old fashion style bands, I am not a fan of new music.
3) What benefits where you hoping to get from dancing?
My main goal was to help my back. I never thought I would perform or compete; not at my age!! I just wanted to do something I always loved to do.
4) How did dancing better your life?
Dancing helped my health through strengthening my back and giving me better posture. It made me more aware of myself and helped my stamina and balance. Dancing also made me proud of myself. I have accomplished goals I never thought I could. It boosted my self esteem and made my every day life more colorful. I developed a new family around me, my Fred Astaire Jupiter Family!!
5) Have your personal expectations for your dancing changed since you started? Yes, dancing changed my whole attitude physically and emotionally. I feel much better. I have no real expectations from myself because of my age. I am dancing for the love of dance. I am also dancing for the love of you all. I am living for the moment.
6) What kind of activities do you take part in at Fred Astaire Jupiter? Showcases, Competitions, events for special occasions like Sweepstakes and Holiday Parties…etc
7) How would you describe the competition and performance experience?
I have never done a competition before and it was a memorable experience. It helped my stamina; I loved the team atmosphere and enjoyed watching the other people dance. I love doing Showcases in particular because they give me self confidence. I enjoy it all very much. It is wonderful to be able to dance, and to dance with people like Warren and Vladimir, who are champions, is a thrill in itself. People should have more confidence in themselves, they should enjoy dancing Showcases and Competitions because it is fun and makes you feel accomplished. After dancing a showcase I have a great feeling of satisfaction.
8) Is there anything you would like to share with all of us?
Dance is a wonderful art. Anybody who does not get involved with it in any form is missing out on a lot! Everybody should take advantage of it. It is good to start dancing young but for people in my age it is great exercise and it keeps the mind occupied so we do not think about ourselves too much. The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter has Champion teachers who know how to take care of students on different levels. It is a very well run studio, I would not go anywhere else. I love their dogs, Coco and Max. They are like my inherited grandsons. Dancing is a wonderful experience. I think everybody should try it. Half an hour of dancing is worth 2 hours of walking. I hope anybody who starts dancing will have as much fun as I do and gain as many benefits as well.

SWEEPSTAKES PARTIES

Summer Sweepstakes have arrived and we have 4 exciting themed Parties for you. June 6th: 50ies Rock'nRoll Party
June 13th: Mardigras Party
June 20th: White Summer Party
June 28th: All American Barbecue Party and Sweepstakes Raffle Draw

Parties start at 8:30 PM on friday evening with one exception; our All American Barbecue Party will be held on Saturday at 5:00pm

Maks is coming back to Jupiter!! June 16/17/18 2008

we are happy to let you know that Maks Chmerkovskiy is coming back to Jupiter already this month. He will be here to coach our students and we are planning a big VIP PARTY on June 17th at 8:30.

TEAM JUPITER at the South Florida Regional Mini Match 2008

Team Jupiter at CCDC Nationals in Las Vegas

Thanks to all members of TEAM JUPITER for making this a huge success!!

Maks Chmerkovskiy from Dancing with the Stars at Fred Astaire in Jupiter

You could feel the excitement in the studio already far in advance. Everybody was excited to meet Maks Chmerkovskiy in person right here in Jupiter.
Who is following Dancing with the Stars will remember that he just danced a show with Mel B on the Tuesday 100th Anniversary of Dancing with the Stars; well he flew stright from LA to Jupiter to be with us. For everyone who got the chance to have a lesson with him, he was GREAT. Maks is a fantastic dancer, coach and a very nice, down to earth person to be around. He has been teaching private lessons all day Thursday and Friday and the highlight of the visit was our Friday night party, hosted by Maks himself. We all got to learn part of the Mambo routine he danced with Mel on Dancing with the Stars, it was great fun and he did not leave until every question was answered and everyone had a picture together with Maks and his autograph.
Needless to say that we all had a wonderful time, students, staff and guests alike and we hope he will be back some time soon with us here in Jupiter.

THANK YOU MAKS,

from all of us at Fred Astaire in Jupiter and especially from the other Max.

Sole Mates: On and off the dance floor; Reporter: Eric Roby

It's the type of passion that makes a marriage strong and helped create international dance champions.

Babette and Warren Brown could live anywhere in the world; however, they choose to live in our area. Every time they get on the dance floor, you can see their passion for dancing, but most of all for each other.

Gliding across the dance floor, hitting each step with precision and purpose, Babette and Warren Brown are among the best ballroom dancers in the world. "There is something that is absolutely unique with ballroom dancing is the partnering skill. It is about a man dancing with a woman. It is the most intense kind of partnering," Babette describes.

Intense is what this couple does best. They make you feel the passion of the tango. But for this married couple of six years, it's just a normal day at the office. "I can perform if I am piping mad at you," says Barbette.

"Yeah, she often does," Warren admits. "Yeah, you wouldn't see a difference."

Warren is from Scotland and a fourth generation dancer. Babette is from Austria. Together, they are the reining Scottish Latin ballroom dancers.

After a month of dancing together, Warren knew they were in love and proposed. "We were practicing the rumba, which is the dance of love, and I was standing there waiting to dance. She couldn't look at me for three days; she couldn't dance with me."

The two soon got married traveling the world as professional dancers both competing and teaching. But they wanted to put down roots and picked Jupiter to open up a Fred Astaire Dance Studio. "Dancing on the dance floor and competing, that's one thing, but trying to teach someone to dance with no experience, now that's a real challenge."

For some, the strain of running a business together, competing together and living together would be too much. But, like on the dance floor, these two have figured out the right moves to make it work.

Babette says, "We can have a practice where we hate each other; then, we go home and everything is fine. We never take a grudge home. We really understand what is dancing and what is private life."

Warren and Babette have a relationship few will ever experience. "We listen to each others' bodies while we dance. It's knowing where our weight is, our body connection."

From world class dancers to renowned teachers to a fairy tale romance, Warren and Babette are perfect together both on and off the dance floor.

For more information, log onto the Fred Astair Jupiter Dance Studio's Web site.

Warren & Babette on Fox 29 Today, Thursday April 24th @10.00pm

They're shakin up South Florida!

World famous dance champions like you've never seen before.

Feel the passion of their real life love story in Eric Roby's special report "Sole Mates" tonight on the Fox 29 10 O'Clock News.

Maks from Dancing with the Stars is coming to Jupiter

National Dance Championships – Las Vegas

Hello everyone, I am back and I have to tell you how excited I am about what happened in Vegas. I know, I know, now you think what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – well, this story I am proud to share.

Each year we attend Fred Astaire National Championships in Las Vegas. This year it was held at the Luxor resort, directly on the famous Vegas strip. We arrived on Tuesday to spend an extra day and… well that stays in Vegas. On Wednesday the competition started and I have to say, even I was impressed. I have been to many competitions all over the world but this one was special. With 11,000 entries this was the biggest competition we’ve had so far and the atmosphere was mesmerizing. The ballroom was packed from the first day with competitors from studios all over the USA.

After the first day we already had a feeling that this would go really well for us. Vladimir was dancing with Patricia Becker and Warren was dancing with Savanna Michael, Gail Sermersheim and Sherri Michael. I am sure you think that I am biased, and I probably am, but the level of dancing that I saw from our students exceeded all my expectations. Fred Astaire Jupiter made it through all first rounds and quarter finals, and into almost every final. Many times we placed in the top 3 – it was so good to see that all our effort paid off and we are so very proud of our students, they made us look very good.

On Friday evening it was the Professionals who got to compete. Both of our top couples made the finals in Open Smooth and Open International Latin, which was a great success. The same evening we enjoyed a special show from Ricardo Cocchi and Yulia Zagoruychenko, who were second at the last UK Open Championships. I was thrilled to hear the announcement that they will join the Fred Astaire family. I am sure we will welcome them soon to Jupiter for coaching’s.

On Saturday evening the event finished with a grand Gala banquet and show with, of course, an Egyptian theme. The setting and decoration were beautiful and everybody enjoyed a great dinner and dance. Then came the moment when the TOP awards were handed out. Jupiter won: TOP STUDIO RUNNER UP. Warren and Vladimir both were in the TOP TEACHER rankings. Patricia Becker won TOP FEMALE AWARD and Savanna Michael won TOP YOUTH AWARD!

What a weekend!!! I couldn’t leave all our success in Vegas; I had to tell you all. How do I feel about it – well I stepped out of character and shed a tear or two. That’s how happy I was.

I hope I see you soon at Fred Astaire Jupiter.

Happy dancing,

Babette Brown

CROSSTRAINING in Ballroom Dancing

If you are working in a ballroom dance school you meet different people from many different backgrounds. The reason people want to ballroom dance varies by individual. Everybody wants to have fun, that is for sure, but its people’s goals that are actually amazing. This brings me to a very interesting story about how Ballroom dancing helped another athlete to improve their skills. For example, one of my students, Patricia Becker, a Professional Grand Pix Dressage Riding Champion who’s working towards making the Olympic team for 2012.

Patricia came to take dance lessons while training with her horses in Wellington. At first it was no more than a hobby for Patricia, but she then realized what potential advantage the dance lessons have for her Dressage discipline. Patricia is working with one of our top instructors, Vladimir Velev. Vladimir has been dancing for 25 years and has achieved many top results, among them Austrian National Latin Champion in 2005 and Fred Astaire National Latin Champion in 2006. Together with his partner Gabriella Bodocs, who is also an instructor at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter, they dance at a world class level and are an internationally sought after couple who’s world renown for their unique style and unbelievable athleticism.

One day after a lesson, Patricia mentioned that she would be interested in taking her dancing lesson on her horse. At first we were skeptical since we are dancers, not Dressage riders. But needless to say we were willing to give it a try. I went along with Vladimir and Gabriella as I was very interested in how this would work. Patricia was planning to ride 3 horses over a period of 90 minutes and requested Vladimir work with her on her posture and appearance. I have to say, it was a great lesson to watch. Vladimir started out observing the sport and learning the objectives in Dressage riding. After Vladimir had a good understanding they began working on isolations of the upper body the same way they would work together in a dance lesson. It was proof that if you are a top level competitor in any athletic discipline, there is always a need for an understanding of human movement and coordination. This particular skill is transferrable to other disciplines and athletes can benefit greatly from the technicalities of dancing.

Patricia is now practicing her dancing on a daily basis and has entered in her first competition, The National Cross Country Dance Championships, held in Las Vegas this April. I had a wonderful day out at the horse stable. Between watching Vladimir and Gabriella working with Patricia and the horses, petting horses in the stables, and the highlight of my day, riding around on one of Patricia’s beautiful dressage horses, it was a lovely afternoon.

Our website is launched www.warrenbabette.com

We just want to let all of you know that our new website went live today. It is to be completed but we wanted to get it started as soon as we could. Check back for the latest news soon,

Looking forward to see you soon,

Love

Babette and Warren
www.warrenbabette.com

SHOWCASE PICTURES AVAILABLE NOW

Movie Mania Showcase pictures are available to purchase online at www.katbraman.com
Click on “ordering online”
Password: fredastaire

Have a look—the pictures look amazing. If you need any assistance please let us know, we are happy to help.
We have sample pictures at the studio, come by and have a look.

Class with a Glass March 29th, 2008 5:00-7:00pm

We invite you to sample a variety of
California Wines and Ballroom Dances

$25 per person/$40 per couple all inclusive
Active Students Only
$35 per person/$50 per couple all inclusive
Fred Astaire Guests

Guest Admission includes a complimentary Introductory Package

Event is limited to 50 guests.
Advance purchase of all tickets is required.
Admission includes 1/2 hour group lesson, 1/2 hour wine lecture, and 1 hour
practice party and tasting. See Ericka for more details.

FRED ASTAIRE JUPITER • 155 TONEY PENNA DR • JUPITER—FL 33458
TEL: 561 - 7433 216 WWW.. FREDASTAIREJUPITER.COM