Cross-step waltz Albuquerque Sundays 12:00-2pm Lloyd Shaw Dance Center (large hall), 5506 Coal Avenue Southeast, Albuquerque, NM 87108 An hour lesson for new and reviewed material and an hour of open dance:

12:00-12:15 open waltzing (warm-up/beginner lesson) 12:15-1:15 lesson (learn) 1:15-2:00 open waltzing (open dancing/practice)

$5/person (suggested) Gary Diggs and Erik Erhardt, instructors Join the Facebook group Cross-step waltz Albuquerque is a new dance group meeting every Sunday 12-2pm at Lloyd Shaw Dance Center in Albuquerque organized and taught by Gary Diggs and me, Erik Erhardt.  I’d heard about the west coast cross-step phenomenon, danced the follow role with a couple California leads at dance camps, and dreamily watched YouTube videos over the previous couple years.  At last, my moment arrived with the arrival of Richard Powers and Angela Amarillas from Stanford University to Albuquerque to teach a cross-step waltz workshop the weekend of October 12th, 2012, hosted by the Albuquerque International Folk Dance Foundation.  Cross-step immediately became my favorite dance form!  Soon after, Gary approached me to co-teach a class with him.  Because Gary knows all the fancy moves and I connect well with beginners, we play well together and offer something for everyone.  We welcome beginners and experienced dancers, alike.  Each class is structured with a fifteen-minute warm-up/beginner lesson, a one-hour lesson, and forty five-minutes of open dancing/practice/one-on-one touch-up. For a lovely online preview, search for “Richard Powers Cross-Step Waltz” to find his social dance page including an uncut three-minute video sequence with many of flowing variations and a generous description of the dance, its history, and hundreds of variations (in active development).  Next, of course, come cross-step with us (especially gents)! Erik Erhardt teaches couples dance and calls contra and English country dance in New Mexico and around the country. 1/28/2013