A decade of dance

One, two, cha, cha, cha!

Surprisingly, there is an elegant 1,800 square foot floating ballroom dance floor on Franklin Lane in the Sussex-Vernon area.

Owners Katy and Russ Fischer have been operating the family business for the past 10 years dazzling locals with ballroom dance lessons, specialized holiday and themed parties as well as their every Friday dance social from 7 to 11 p.m.

For a pre-paid fee of $25 or $30 per person at the door, individuals and couples can get a lavish dinner and all evening dancing plus a mini dance lesson from 8 to 8:30 p.m. by the professionally trained owners.

“The dance of the month is the hustle,” said Russ as he flashed a Saturday Night Fever pose.

Music played throughout the evening to encourage the guests “to do the hustle.”

Upcoming October’s dance will be the lively, energetic polka. Other dances included during the evening of fun were over 20 dances, some familiar being the foxtrot, the samba, the merengue and the Viennese waltz.

Katy studied ballet and modern dance for 12 years and attained a BA degree in studio art. She taught at Arthur Murray’s for over 40 years then opened her own dance studio. Russ holds a Ph.D. in electronics. He has an expertise in sound equipment. He and Katy have been teaching ballroom dances for 25 years.

As the song Hola Chica filled the ballroom, the dance couples sprung to the dance floor to kick up their heels complete with mega smiles. Many of the dancers attend every week, others are newbies welcomed by the veterans. The Frank Duval Ballroom named in honor of Katy’s former teacher and mentor always welcomes new students and Friday night guests.