Spring has sprung! Thank goodness. And not only do we have “Spring Fever,” we have “Miller Mania,” too. These are afflictions we don’t want to recover from!

1. Lucky Draw Dance Party - Saturday, April 12 - read more 2. We’re shooting a video and need your help! - read more 3. Sapphires & Diamonds - 10th Anniversary Gala - read more 4. New River Valley Historic Dance, here at Sapphire - read more 5. New CTAM dances: Bachata and Carolina Shag are joining the Friday-Night club! - read more 6. Sapphire on the town - read more Sam & Denise Miller are joining us the first weekend in May for some crazy fun dancing including workshops, private lessons (filling up fast!) and a “Miller Mania” dance party DJ’ed by Sam himself. Don’t suffer under torment any longer, sign up and join all the others “infected” by dance! http://www.sapphiredance.com/Millers.htm

Dates to remember:

• Tues & Wed, April 8 & 9 - Group Classes start in Blacksburg
• Sat, April 12 - Lucky Draw Dance Party
• Fri, April 25 - Carolina Shag debuts at CTAM
• Fri-Sun, May 2-4 - Sam and Denise Miller, Workshops and Dancing
• Sat, May 3 - Miller Mania Dance Party
• Sat, May 10 - Night Groove Dance Party
• Sat, June 7 - Sapphire Dance Center Recital (details available soon on their web site)
• Tues & Wed, June 3 & 4 - Summer Group Classes start in Blacksburg (on-line listing coming soon)

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Don’t leave your plans for Saturday, April 12, to chance. Plan to roll the dice and come dancing at our first ever “Lucky Draw” Dance Party, http://www.sapphiredance.com/events.php. Our dances are always full of possibilities! They are a chance to meet new people, a chance to learn some new moves (starting with Linda’s Cha Cha lesson at 7:30), a chance to practice old moves, and a chance to have a “high-rolling” fun time.

Oh, and a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Uncommonly Gifted in Blacksburg, http://uncommonlygifted.com/. So how could you win this jackpot of a prize at this unique gift shop? Whip up a delicious treat to share with other dancers. The winner is decided by popular vote, so make it a good one!

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Want to help Sapphire make a promo video? Sure you do! All you have to do is show up for a free workshop and as a the saying goes “dance like nobody is watching”....while people are watching : ) We want to create an atmosphere just like our very popular Friday night “Cheaper-Than-A-Movie” workshops and capture it on video. These workshops are designed for beginners so you don’t need experience to help us out. However, those of you that have been dancing for awhile should definitely join too since the idea is to pack the house, plus it would be fun! AND, we will even be providing some yummy snacks since food is the secret to bribing.

Some of the potential dates that we could shoot the video are April 19th, April 20th, April 27th, May 17th, or May 18th. The time would be 7-10p. We may not need that full time, but want to be sure. We are going to plan 3 different dances in each hour (you will actually be learning) so you could pick some of the hours if you can’t do all. If you are interested in helping out, just let us know which dates you would be available. We will pick the date that we can get the most participants.

And why wouldn’t you want to participate?! A chance to get some free instruction, hang out and dance with others and of course the food...did I mention the food?

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It’s our 10th Anniversary and we are celebrating with “Sapphires & Diamonds” on July 26, 2014!

This wonderful event will start with a showcase in the afternoon where we will dazzle the community with performances from our students and staff. You will also get to see our very own Junior Ballroom @ Sapphire sparkle on the dance floor! We will keep the bling going that evening with a Dance Party for the performers and spectators alike. You will be blinded by the brilliance & glamour!

To be a part of this historic event requires a willingness to dance, time spent with your instructor, and $50 a person or $75 a couple. This includes up to 2 dance numbers, entry into the showcase and dance party, 2 tickets to giveaway to family and friends, a memento, and a souvenir tote bag.

Don’t want to be on stage? Come watch and cheer your friends on! This is one of the very rare times that Ballroom dance IS a spectator sport. General admission to the public is $18 (which includes the Dance Party) and $8 for full time college or high school students.

We will have all the details up on the web soon, so be sure to check it out, mark your calendar, tell all your friends and get ready to be dazzled!

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Looking for another opportunity for dancing? Maybe one that involves history, culture, classical music, and (occasionally) costumes?

Join the NRV Historic Dance Society on 2nd and 4th Tuesdays as they learn the dances and dance the moves like George Washington did in his day.

English Country Dancing (the aforementioned Washington dancing) is the style of dance you’ve seen in Pride & Prejudice, and other Jane Austin Movies, Shakespeare In Love, Three Musketeers, and even a little in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It involves repeating, geometric step patterns, broken into small, easy to learn pieces that (when everything goes right) flow into a magical whole. When things don’t go right, we usually end up laughing.

Debbi Richey (you know her) and Liz Gladwin (yep, you've probably met her, too) teach all of the dances from the beginning, and beginners are always welcome. So, come as you are (we only dress up on special occasions), join us, and learn something new. You might have fun!

You can see upcoming events, pictures and videos on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NRVHistoricDance

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One of our oldest and dearest programs, “Cheaper-Than-A-Movie” Friday night beginner workshops, has been around forever, always circulating through 11 different dance styles. WELL, it’s time to make that 13! By popular request, we are adding Carolina Shag and Bachata to the stellar line up that has kept people coming to Sapphire on Friday nights for a good time since 2004.

Carolina Shag is a popular Swing style that originated in, you guessed it, the Carolinas. It has a smooth style characterized by fancy footwork. Bachata, a slower, sultry Latin style, is a must-have if you like Salsa and Merengue, because where they are found you will also find Bachata.

We will still always start from scratch, always feature 2 dance styles, and give a sneak peak of a third, always no partner is necessary, and as always it is still cheaper than a movie! Just expect these fun additions to start making appearances in April and May! http://www.sapphiredance.com/cheaper-than-a-movie.php

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In addition to making frequent visits to Pulaski, Salem, and Virginia Tech you will find Sapphire over at the Radford Theater on Saturday, April 5, at their Live-Pre Show Event kicking off their showing of Captain America: the Winter Soldier. We are most excited to meet Mr. Captain America himself and get his autograph. ; ) Radford Theater, http://www.radfordtheatre.com/, shows current movies and hosts live events in a vintage setting right in downtown Radford. You definitely want to check them out.

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