For Curtis and Sarah Haremza, dancing is like swimming.
‘You have to learn it, you have to be taught,? she said. ‘You can’t just expect to jump out in the water and swim.?
At their dance studio, Elegance in Motion, the Clarkston couple teaches 22 different dance styles, including Fox Trot, Hustle, Salsa, Rumba, Waltz, Merengue, Swing, Cha-Cha, Argentine Tango, Night Club Slow, and Samba.
With a background in dance and theatre, Curtis said he applauds single guys who come in with no dance experience.
‘These guys who come in and never danced before and have no idea what fox trot compared to a quickstep is, it’s so out of the box for them,? he said. ‘I really give the guys credit for walking in the door.?
The married guys are usually motivated by their wife, noted Curtis.
‘It’s the guy who likes it more than the wife once they get going. They like the challenge and being in charge on the dance floor,? he said.
‘The women like it for different reasons, they like getting all dressed up in the gowns and getting their hair done.?
Over the last eight years, they have seen many people come in and prepare for their first dance as husband and wife.
‘We also have people who come in and get ready for their kids wedding,? noted Sarah. ‘So they can learn how to dance and have fun and look good.?
When it comes to teaching, Sarah said younger people retain more, learn easier and singles learn faster than couples.
‘When you have couples you’re teaching two people to dance,? she said. ‘When you have single you’re just teaching one to dance.?
Curt said there is always a misconception that people must have a partner in order to sign up for lessons. Sarah said the other misconceptions are those who think they are not teachable because of the famous line ‘I have two left feet, you probably can’t teach me.?
Curtis and Sarah met in the theatre industry. They traveled a lot doing children’s theatre; however when it came to settling down Curtis wanted something a little more stable, that was when Curtis decided to audition and was accepted as a dance teacher at Arthur Murray’s Dance Studio.
‘I was teaching about 50-60 lessons a week at Arthur Murray,? he said. ‘When my daughter was born we wanted to go to part-time.?
After working four years at Arthur Murray’s and with the birth of his new daughter, Curtis decided to open their own studio in 2000 at 3771 S. Baldwin Rd. in LakeOrion.
‘We wanted to have more flexibility in the schedule,? said Sarah. ‘Being your own boss always offers you the most flexibility.?
Curtis grew up with a family who liked to dance.
‘My grandmother used to have dances in her house,? he said. ‘As a kid we grew up with guys dancing in our family, it was just one of those things that we did.?
Curtis and Sarah compete in a couple competitions a year, along with some students.
‘We recently returned from a dance competition’at the’Indiana Dance Challenge. We had two students and three instructors that competed in five different dances,? said Sarah.
In the smooth category they competed in Fox Trot and Waltz. In the Rhythm category they competed in Cha-Cha, Swing, and Rumba
‘It was a lot of fun and a great experience for all that attended,? she said. ‘The dancers were actually judged by some of the dancing with the stars professional dancers.?
They also went to Vegas in October and went to Deerborn Michigan this past weekend.
‘When we go to Vegas our staff does training. We have coaches that come in from all over the place that come in to work with our students and staff members,? she said. ‘We’re always up to date. I think that’s one of the benefits of just teaching ball room and not teaching tap and ballot and all the kid stuff is that we can really tune in as to what we need as far as training.?
Twice a month they bring in Terry Worrall U.S. dance champion and two or three times a year they bring in World champions Gregory Day and Tommye Giacchino.
‘Competition isn’t the biggest thing that we do here. We do two showcases a year,? said Sarah.
‘It’s like a recital but we’re doing solo routines. Students work on them for about five or six months. Some people dance with their spouse, some dance with their instructor and sometimes we have people that are neither. There are friends that will dance together.?
Sarah noted, very few students actually want to compete, but it does help them reach for a goal and improve from being judged by judges.
Both Curtis and Sarah said TV show ‘Dancing with the Stars,? has definitely helped bring in customers.
‘We’ve always been successful. We’ve been very blessed that we’ve always been pretty busy at our studio,? said Sarah. ‘I know a lot of businesses are going through downtimes and we’re lucky that that hasn’t hit us so far.?
Sarah said her favorite part of teaching and owning a dance studio is watching others ‘change through dance.?
‘We’ve had couples come in who are literally on the verge of divorce that fall in love again an find each other through dancing. We’ve had widows come in who are distraught and see them find excitement and fun again in their life. I think that’s my favorite part,? she said.
‘It’s seeing the people become happy. What can be more rewarding than seeing somebody’s life change in a positive way??
‘Seeing the people do the competitions and the showcases and achieving their goals,? said Curtis. ‘I think that’s very huge for me.?
For more information visit www.elganceinmotion.com or call 248-393-4273.