“Shall We Dance?”: Local Ballroom Dance Classes Offered at Unitarian Church

The great Fred Astaire once said, "I have no desire to prove anything by dancing….I just dance. I just put my feet in the air and move them around."

Considering that not everyone can be as naturally gifted as Mr. Astaire, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading has a solution for those who may need a little help on the dance floor.

For the past two years the Church has been home to a ballroom dance class under the instruction of Peter Zaccaro, a man who has been ballroom dancing and teaching for nearly 22 years.

The glossy hardwood floors and high ceiling of the newer addition to the Church provide Zaccaro with the perfect setting to conduct his classes on Tuesday nights. When asked who usually attends the classes, Zaccaro replies, "I get the same group of people returning every week basically but it depends. Most of the people who come are couples in their fifties or so. But I think that people would enjoy the class because people enjoy music. They want to be able to dance to music."

Zaccaro has help from Diane Whiles, who dances competitively, and can be seen on YouTube in noted New England ballroom dancing competitions. Both also have experience judging competitions.

When distinguishing what makes a certain form of dance competitive, Zaccaro notes, "There are many different styles of dance: Tango, Cha Cha, Fox Trot, and so on. But American dances tend to be more social whereas International dances are competitive." Zaccaro also attributes the recent popularity of competitive dance shows like Dancing with the Stars for increasing people's interest in ballroom dancing.

Ed and Jen McNeil, one of the youngest couples in attendance, said they were excited when they saw an advertisement for the class two years ago.

"We had wanted to take lessons for a while, but none of the classes were close to where we live. Then, eventually, we saw the ad for this class in the newspaper, and we called, and we have been coming ever since."

Both said Tango has been the most challenging dance to learn.

Ed McNeil said there are couples of all levels at the class.

"There are people here from beginner to professional. It's nice to have the mix, because then you are able to learn more." The couple also agrees that the class is a fun way to spend one evening per week. They have children at home, and said the dance class is like a date night.

Peter Zaccaro believes that people always come back to dancing.

"When people are younger, they dance until college or whenever, and then they stop and don't have time for it anymore. At our age, it's challenging, but, at this point, people are able to come back to dancing and start again."

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