Aug 18, 2019
Sept 22, 2018
May 30, 2018
May 12, 2018
April 20, 2018
Posted: May 7, 2022 by Shimkiri
This year seems to be passing by so quickly as we “return to normal”, or dare I say, as we aim for #betterthannormal? Mother's Day seems to have snuck up on us, even for me and I'm a mom!
I love to recommend dancing as a gift, obviously because I love dancing, but also because I value gifting experiences and skill sets. Dance is a beautiful art form and learning to dance is a skill that can last a lifetime and become a treasured hobby! Here are some ideas for a fun and original gift that will be a unique experience for your mother.
I hope these options will help you make this Mother's Day a special one! Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, grandmas, and mom-figures out there. Best wishes to you all.
Posted: June 26, 2020
Dear Students,
We're back! We've been missing seeing our dance community on the dance floor. It's been great to stay active and keep in touch via the livestream classes, lessons, and happy hours, but it's really not the same as seeing YOU in person!
As we look forward to re-opening, below are some measures that will be put in place for your health, our staff team's health, and the overall health of our dance family. We will still be offering virtual private lessons at a discount at least until the end of July for those who do not feel comfortable dancing in person yet and for those who are enjoying the virtual lesson experience. We will also continue to offer virtual group classes at least until mid-July when we will re-evaluate the situation.
We will be reaching out first to students whose lessons had to be cancelled due to state orders and wedding couples whose wedding dates are coming up quickly. Scheduling will be on a rolling basis. Please keep checking in with us for more updates and check for any changes in protocols at the time of booking. If you have not heard from us personally and are really itching to dance in the studio again, please reach out to us so that we know that you are wanting to come in. Looking forward to seeing you all soon! Stay well and happy dancing!
All the best,
Shimkiri & Werner
Co-Founders
#dancemakeslifebetter
*Please note that cancellation refers to cancelling your appointment time, it does not refer to our refund policy.
Posted: August 18, 2019
On Friday, August 16th, Jersey City Ballroom celebrated its second annual “Summer Splash” event. This year the theme was a luau party and was hosted at the JCB’s Brunswick Center location. The studio, turned event space, was aptly decorated with parrots, tropical flowers, grass skirts, and palm trees. There was even a tiki hut buffet with snacks and tropical fruits. As our guests, donning their best summer-themed attire entered, they had the opportunity to try our special Summer Splash cocktail to start their evening off right!
Throughout the night guests had the opportunity to engage in social dancing, fun conversations, and tropical-themed pictures. Dylan led the first of our group dance classes: the ever popular,latin dance samba. Next, Dakota took us through a hula class which yielded quite a few laughs as well as some surprise hula stars we had hidden amongst our guests. The highlight of the evening, however, was our limbo contest. After Dylan and Werner demonstrated some expertly flexible limbo technique, our guests were off to prove just how low they could go. We have to say, we think our two male champions, Matt McGriff and Gerrald Samraj, could give the professionals a run for their money.
We rounded out the evening with performances and dance shows. Annamarie, Danielle, and Jen, showcased their competitive dancing for the crowd, as well as a wedding dance preview by Robert and Rachel who were married on September 1st. They did an awesome job running through their first dance one last time before their big day. The event was a huge success with a large turnout, great dancing, and loads of laughs. We are already looking forward to next year’s summer bash.
Posted: September 22, 2018
Dance Congress 2018 kicked off Saturday morning with a fantastic catered breakfast from the Old German Bakery. It was nice to sit down and enjoy the company of fellow students and friends over a breakfast sandwich or pastry. It was just the thing to get our dance energy going for the amazing lineup of guest dance pros we enjoyed.
Our first workshop was the Lindy Hop with Samantha and Brian Lawton, nationally acclaimed dancers, choreographers and Swing specialists. They not only kept our feet busy with their quick steps but also kept us laughing with their unique and witty teaching style.
Our second workshop of the morning featured Boriana Deltcheva, 3-Time Bulgarian Latin Champion and 3-Time US Latin Silver Medalist. She used a slow Rumba and multiple versions of a familiar song to inspire us to think about the musicality of the songs we choose for our dances. One version was slow with focus on the vocals and was paired against a remixed version that incorporated more percussion. The added drums gave the song a new flavor and depth which in turn added a more rhythmical element to our dance moves. We then contrasted that with the more lyrical original version and explored different ways to add musicality through stylistic interpretation.
The last workshop for the morning was taught by Lori Ann Greenhouse and Kelvin Roche, 9 Time World Hustle Champions. Kelvin used warm-up exercises to encourage us to be very conscious of our movement through space and keeping our bodies centered as we move through our dance steps. We were then moved into the world of Hustle, floating across the floor with quick, light steps that are just too much fun.
Lunch was a fantastic spread by Taqueria with live music by Matty D and social dancing before moving to the long anticipated heats and showcases.
We were happy to be joined by Derek and Lulu from SHDA in Philadelphia for the Dance Congress. In the heats, they dazzled us with one round after another with seeming unending energy. All the couples who participated in the heats were a pleasure to watch with their unique costumes and variety of choreography. For some of our students, such as Vlera, Endri and Hannah, it was their first time on the floor with an audience! For other students, such as Elizabeth and Wilma, their years of experience in dancing gave their dancing an extra dimension.
Both Pro-Am and Am-Am showcases were great fun with a wide variety of themes and musical choices. Some fast and energetic, some slow and graceful, all representing countless hours of planning and practicing to create a lineup that was quite impressive. Both the heats and showcases were judge by Boriana, and for the showcases, each performer received a special feedback on their particular strengths and areas to improve.
Thank you to all our guests who showed up to support their friends and family. Thank you to our special dance pros who each taught us something we will carry with us and add into our lives of dance. Thank you to all the volunteers that helped throughout the day to keep things moving smoothly. We appreciate every table you set up and chair you moved. Thank you to all the dancers who participated to make the day what it was…for you and all about you. It was a celebration of all that you worked hard to accomplish over the last year. All the sweat and frustration, fun and laughter. Congratulations to each of you for all that you have accomplished and all the best for what exciting things this year to come will bring. Looking forward to Dance Congress 2019!
Lindy Hop Workshop
International Latin and Musicality Workshop
Hustle Workshop
Awards Ceremony after the Heats and Showcases
Posted: May 30, 2018
Jersey City Ballroom’s first official Dancing & Wine event was deliciously fun. Everyone’s hip movements seemed to be enforced by glasses of rosé. The workshop was taught together by Shimkiri and Werner and the added benefit of having two instructors paid off as everyone successfully learned an open American Rumba choreography. It was a blast and we hope to be holding more Dancing & Wine events very soon!
Rhumba & Rose Shenanigans
Posted: May 12, 2018
Our Spring Spectacular 2018 was a great hit. With more than 22 numbers, we kept the audience entertained and wanting more! Performances included Latin numbers such as a Pro-Am Cha Cha Cha by Anna and instructor Werner Figar, to traditional Ballroom numbers such as Slow Waltz by the Am-Am Performance Team. Instructors Emily and Dylan performed a Viennese Waltz, Resident Coach Joel showcased Salsa, and Co-Founders Shimkiri and Werner ended the evening with a romantic Rumba.
Congratulations to all of our students who danced their hearts out. Every number was unique and it was exciting to see all the improvement and development that our students are undergoing. Job well done everyone! Congratulations to all of our performers and a special thank you to all who attended.
Latin Performance Team featuring students (from left to right) Alan, Jen, Veronika and Sherezada. Choreography by Shimkiri
Jen and Werner's Pirate-y Paso Doble
Instructors Dylan and Emily showing off their Tango flair
Annamarie and Werner smoothly performing a foxy Foxtrot
Posted: April 20, 2018
Thank you to all who made out to our first ever Masquerade Ball dance party. It was such a fun event and it was amazing to see all of the creative masks and disguises that everyone wore. One attendee even hand-made her mask! Of course, as the night went on, some of the masks came off to improve visibility (and airflow!) for dancing.
Michele and Daniel Partnering Up for the Group Class
Annie and Dylan compete in the Jack & Jill Dance Mixer
Michaela and Elizabeth strutting with flair for the Dramatic Tango dance-off
Dylan kicking off the festivities
Batman and Poison Ivy
See More Photos from our Mascarade Ball on our Gallery Page.
