par Viva Wittman
Andrea, a Soir de Bal teacher at Centre de Danse du Marais, tells me that she is a teacher “by chance.” After studying musicology in Italy, she settled in France with her future husband. She had wanted to live in Italy, and her husband in England, so the couple decided instead to make a life in the country of love.
In France, Andrea studied at AMDF, the Academy for Masters of Dance in France, and it was there that she obtained a position as assistant to Jean-Jacques Schiemer, a well-known dance master and the founder of Soir de Bal. After he fell ill and passed away, Andrea found herself at the head of the association.
Today, she teaches ballroom dances, swing dance, and Argentine tango to students between the ages of twelve and eighty.
She considers her students to be like
“one big family” and the family dynamic is apparent when she tells me that practically once a month she will host them at parties for which she will have spent the entire day preparing food.
It is Tuesday and I come to observe one of her Slowfox classes. I take photos for about an hour, but the longer I am in the room, the more I want to join the class. Andrea invites me to dance and I can’t stop smiling. It’s my first time trying the Slowfox, but I have some experience with partner dance and the steps aren’t too difficult to pick up. Needless to say, I am very content by the time I leave.
“It is the most magical place,” she tells me, “the ambiance is magnificent.”