Vargo's Dance Studio in Geneva is a Civic Treasure

Vargo’s Dance Studio in Geneva is a Civic Treasure

Is it fair for students of Vargo’s Dance studio to be out having this much fun dancing, when many others who could get out are sitting at home watching the tube?  

Yes and no.  As students at Vargo’s Dance studio, my wife and I consider it such a rare local resource—at 115 W. State Street in Geneva— that we want to make a “public service announcement” about it.   Start with the physical facility itself— a gracefully styled room with evocative decorations, special effects lighting, a full wall of mirrors to speed the learning process, and a smooth wooden dance floor perfect for gliding.  

Did I mention the teachers?  Jamie Vargo, the proprietress, is a vision of celestial dancing grace when she demonstrates a movement.   A soothing but definitive teaching style, with highly developed communication skills earned over more years than seem possible for a woman so young.  

The other principal teacher—truly a master teacher—Levi is a talking syllabus of correct dancing techniques, fundamental principles of posture, balance, lead and follow.   And higher artistry.  

Both teachers are patient and persistent, and they will push your envelope of dancing skills to help you grow more than you thought possible.  In a nice way.   For the beginning level or experienced dancer, they are gonna take you higher.  Especially when you dance with them.  You didn’t know dancing could feel this lovely.

When the students and teachers are out as a group dancing in nightclubs, Jamie and Levi always do some dancing together.  It could be Salsa, the Hustle, West Coast Swing.  The floor clears.   A hush!   Then legs and arms flash, mood sizzles and scorches!!!   Len Goodman of Dancing With the Stars would rate it a 10.   Bruno Tonioli would jump over the judges’ table in a frenzy and blurt out:  “YOU!!  YOU are the flaming torch of Vesuvius erupting!   YOU are the Michaelangelo of kinetic sublimity!   YOUR performance would render Marcus Tullius Cicero speechless!!  TEN!!!”

Or something like that.

My wife and I have been fortunate to be taught by many fine professional dance teachers over the years, and to study at several nice studios in the Chicago area.  In our experience, Jamie and Levi are the very best of the best teachers we’ve had, and Vargo’s is the most attractive studio we have visited.  That’s why we feel so lucky we don’t have to travel to Chicago or some other far-away place to get the benefit of this level of instruction.

This may sound like a commercial message, but it is not that at all, just a consumer review by people who frequently take advantage of other online consumers’ reviews of products or services we are considering.

But there’s more.  The other students, friendly, supportive adults who aspire to grow and enjoy music to a greater extent by moving in harmony as one organism with four legs.   They feel uplifted whenever they enter Vargo’s Dance studio. 

Then to be in an exciting nightclub of an evening—Evenflow and Villa Verone in Geneva, Nuovo Italia in St. Charles in recent weeks.  To be on the floor dancing with your partner thrilling to the music, pleased to display what you’ve learned that precious few in our culture know.  The delight in knowing that, at least for tonight, there will be many couples on the dance floor who actually know how to dance with their legs and not just their arms flailing.

Vargosdance.com includes a link to the Facebook page, which has many beautiful pictures and lots of other information, including the current month’s calendar of events.  Monthly outings in nightclubs are open to the public, including prospective students who may resolve no longer to be too busy to have this much fun and this rich a social experience.

Finally—most enchanting—the feeling.  What a feeling!  Irene Cara wrote and sang about it in 1983 in her Academy Award winning song for the movie “Flashdance:”

“First, when there's nothing but a slow glowing dream
That your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind
All alone I have cried, silent tears full of pride
In a world made of steel, made of stone

Well, I hear the music close my eyes, feel the rhythm
Wrap around, take a hold of my heart

What a feeling, being's believin'
I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life
Take your passion and make it happen
Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life.”

Vargo’s Dance studio of Geneva rocks that feeling.  You can come alive there; you can dance right through your life.