ABOUT OUR DANCES

We hold our dances on the second Saturday of every month at the Century Center in Carrboro, NC. We open the doors at 7 pm and start our lesson at 7:20. At 8:15 we start general dancing which includes about 45 songs of about 3 minutes length each. At about the midway point we have a Foxtrot mixer of about 10 minutes and then we resume general dancing. The music ends at 10:30.

Our Lessons

At each dance we start with a basic lesson about one of the dances that are regularly in our playlist. This lesson is included with your general admission price. Each month we invite a different teacher but it’s always someone from the Triangle area who is recognized as expert in that dance. We ask the teachers to focus on basic figures and technique so that even new dancers can manage to lead or follow confidently during the general dancing.

Why is a StarDusters Dance Special

We make a concerted effort at each of our dances to celebrate and promote the joy of ballroom dancing.  We start by holding our dance in a facility designed for ballroom dancing, the Century Center.  Once inside, you’ll find a delightful place: a large floating hardwood floor under a high ceiling with soft lighting. The many variations within the space such as a stage, arched ceiling and recessed seating area combine with sound dampening treatments on the walls and extensive curtains to diffuse the sound and eliminate echoes. Without echoes it’s much easier to hear clearly the rhythm of the music even when dancers are furthest from the speakers. You can watch the dancers while seated at six elegantly decorated tables or from the perimeter seating. When you want to take a break there are delicious goodies and refreshing beverages included free.

There’s a marvelous high fidelity sound system and we make the most of it.  Because we know that if the music doesn’t move you to get up and sway to the rhythm, then all the other advantages don’t matter.  So we choose our music carefully.  Yes, these are songs that get your toes tapping but they are also the songs you would enjoy if you just wanted to sit and listen to beautiful music.  And these wonderful songs, together with the spacious dance floor and the clear sound, make StarDusters one of the best places in the Raleigh/Durham area to experience the full joy of dance.

So come dance with us.  Whether you come on your own or as a couple, you will find dancers of all ages and experience levels.  There are always people interested in dancing with you, regardless of whether you are a newcomer to ballroom dancing or a skilled hoofer.  We are all there to move to the tempo and mood of the music and to enjoy the company of like-minded folks.  It’s fun. Join us.

What kind of music do we play?

A typical playlist includes two to four songs for each of the following dance styles: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz, Rumba, Cha Cha, Swing, Samba, and West Coast Swing. We often include one or two of these styles: Country Two-Step, Polka, Salsa, Hustle, Merengue and Bachata. For dances in which the American and International styles have different tempos or rhythms we pick songs that fit one or the other and we label them accordingly.

What do people wear?

We try to provide a festive setting and most people wear “Dressy Casual” although sartorial expression is appreciated. We don’t require dance shoes but nearly all the experienced dancers wear them because they make dancing on a hardwood floor so much more enjoyable. If you don’t have dance shoes consider using leather-soled shoes. Try to avoid athletic shoes with rubber soles because ballroom dancing involves gliding over the floor and rubber-soled shoes don’t glide so well.

ABOUT TRIANGLE STARDUSTERS
Our ballroom dance club has been holding regularly scheduled (with the exception of the 2020-2022 pandemic) ballroom dances in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area since October, 1988.

Questions or suggestions? You may contact us by email at: stardustersdance@gmail.com.

If you would like to be on our email list so that you receive notices about upcoming dances, please send us your first and last name and your email address. Make a note in the subject line or in the text that you would like to be on our email list and send this info to stardustersdance@gmail.com.