Who Knew: Making Moves on Main Street

‘Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market.

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At the storied Roseland Ballroom in New York City, a wall of plaques used to bear the names of the 700-plus married couples who first met on the institution’s dance floor. It boggles the mind that there was a time when people made each others’ acquaintance doing the rumba–it seems wildly vulnerable to commit to an entire song’s worth of eye contact with a stranger, not to mention quite sophisticated for two adult human beings to have memorized a series of complicated things to do with their feet whilst exchanging origin stories. Nowadays, if the internet is to be believed, kids just DM each other photos of their bathing suit regions and then, presumably, go to Sweetgreen.

In real life, though, dance is community. Whether for celebration, ritual, or self-expression, it’s a universal human language, as inextricable from our natures as reasoning and opposable thumbs. Plus, what else are we to do when Funkadelic comes on while we’re in CVS? Obviously, we can’t stand still.

Amy Cherrez and Marko Mićić, owners of New Canaan’s Fred Astaire Dance Studio

Amy Cherrez and Marko Mićić, who established New Canaan’s Fred Astaire Dance Studio a few months ago, are big believers in the convening power of dance; after all, they’re a married couple who met on the dance floor. In building their Main Street studio, they aimed to bring joy through movement to people of any age and to create a community centered around dance. Whether you want to put together unforgettable wedding dance choreography or just learn a few steps in a joyful, judgment-free space, Amy and Marko can tailor instruction to suit your needs and ensure that you enjoy the process. Every Friday night, they hold practice parties where Fred Astaire Dance Studio members of all levels are welcomed into their space to work on their latest movies, and once a month, a themed party brings the growing community together.

My husband and I are generally game to be Those Chaotic People on the dance floor. Having fun is more important than looking cool any day of the week, and if our moves are shambolic, at least our hearts are full. Still, having put zero effort into organizing our limbs since a series of emergency lessons for our wedding dance many years ago, we’re woefully rusty. We were thrilled when the opportunity arose to learn from Marko and Amy. Being more graceful the next time a wedding pops on the calendar is a big motivator, but it’s not the only one. Dance lessons are a chance to get out of my head, to excuse myself from the doom loop of scary news, bad ads, and weird AI art that my phone provides, and to do something that feels like a fresh mental and physical challenge. 

And that’s the point of Fred Astaire Dance Studios. Says Amy, ballroom dancing is “part art, and part sport. It teaches you to be more relaxed, to overcome fears, and in dance, everyone can find more confidence.” Marko and Amy have observed the transformative effects of confidence on individuals in their classes, and in couples, a heightened sense of communication. “People bond on the dance floor–there’s a sense of putting the other person first, and we love to see people getting closer and having fun.” 

Fred Astaire Dance Studio on Main Street in New Canaan

Indeed, during our first two lessons, I found that the best way out of my own head is through my feet. There’s no room to spiral over grocery lists and unreturned emails when you’re busy thinking “slow, quick-quick, slow, quick-quick”. There’s no way to hear your inner critic when your husband/ dance partner/ emergency contact likes to say the “slow, quick-quick, slow, quick-quick” part out loud. The instant my mind wandered (whether to my to-do list, microplastics, or snacks; nobody knows), I found myself on the wrong foot and was snapped back into the moment. Ballroom dancing is a surefire way to stay present. “It’s about connection,” says Marko. “With yourself, with your partner, and with the music.”

Marko, ever-patient, steered us through the basics of the rumba, foxtrot, and hustle. He has the kind of grace that makes you wonder if he was born dancing. It turns out he actually was, to parents who own a dance studio, and has won ten championships in his native Serbia. Amy, a lifelong dancer from Ecuador as well as a trained and certified life coach, brims with warmth and encouragement. She makes the whole process feel less like instruction and more like an opportunity to find joy.

And, as it turns out, joy is precisely what we found. There’s something surprisingly relaxing about moving in sync with another person, trusting them to lead (or follow), and getting comfortable enough to let muscle memory take over. We’re not there yet (we just signed up for another month of lessons), but I’m less concerned about the destination than I am about enjoying the way there. Plus, it’s fun to imagine all the dance floors we get to rip up this summer.

Fred Astaire Dance Studio on Main Street in New Canaan

As a kid, I watched Fred and Ginger movies with my mom, with an obsessive focus on Ginger Rogers’s wardrobe (obviously). The ostrich feather gown from Top Hat has loomed large in my memory for decades. There’s never been a movie costume, before or since, so impossibly perfect for dancing–it seemed to come from another world. Recently, as I scanned Net-a-Porter for something to wear to an event this summer, I recalled that dress. Even if modern-day practical constraints and animal welfare legislation would make it impossible to replicate, and even if it’s materially impossible for us to summon Fred and Ginger’s on-screen charisma, I like that we’re spending some time dancing cheek to cheek. That’s the beauty of the world that Amy and Marko have built.  It’s not just about mastering steps; it’s about connection—between partners, between strangers who become friends at Friday night parties, and, maybe most importantly, between your own mind and body.

Fred Astaire Dance Studio in New Canaan (newcanaan@‌fredastaire.com and 475-558-9497) will hold a Grand Opening open house party from 3-6 PM on March 28th, to which all are welcome. You can find their space at 111 Main Street in New Canaan (between Gofer Ice Cream and Pinocchio Pizza, upstairs from Luscious and Co. beauty salon).

I look forward to twirling past you there. 

The last time I (the one with the pick-me energy, at right) took dance class seriously. Photo credit: Joy Mulloy