Social Dance

Judy Patterson Wright, PhD, is an accomplished dancer who has taught social dance at the junior high, high school, and college levels since 1971. Dr. Wright's dance experience includes a wide variety of styles: ballroom and social dance, tap dance, jazz, modern dance, ballet, folk dance, square dance, country western dance, line dance, and aerobic dancercise. She has been recognized as one of the Outstanding Young Women of America (1982) and repeatedly as an Excellent Teacher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has judged and competed in dance competitions, and she specializes in progressive teaching workshops both for social and competitive dancers. Judy and her husband, Sam, placed second overall in the Silver Advanced Showcase Division at the World finals in 1996 and 1997. They are the 1997 World Silver Advanced Showcase cha-cha Champions. Dr. Wright, currently an acquisitions editor, is the creator of the format for the Steps to Success Activity Series and the author of the companion title Social Dance Instruction: Steps to Success. She resides in Mahomet, Illinois.

Implementing the steps to success staircase; preparing your class for success; checking students' rhythmic skills; introducing basic dance steps and short combinations; adding Swing variations for longer combinations; adding Cha-Cha variations for longer combinations; adding Polka variations for longer combinations; adding Fox-trot variations for longer combinations; adding Waltz variations for longer combinations; adding Rumba variations for longer combinations; adding Tango variations for longer combinations; adding Salsa / Mambo variations for longer combinations; expanding your students' dance options and creativity.