News from USA Dance of Northern Illinois

May Dances this month on May 12th and May 26th. See you there!

Come to the Belvidere Community Center enjoy the dancing, do not forget the lesson being held starting at 7PM.

Dance Travel Opportunity

Ballroom Dance Cruise for 2012

This is our 3rd National Social Dance cruise, sponsored by USA Dance. We are bringing social dancers together from across the country and supporting the organization's national programs. The cruise includes ballroom, Latin and club-style dance instruction from top professional instructors and nearly non-stop dance activities throughout the week, plus great shipboard entertainment.
USA Dance offers you the scenic route of the Last Frontier - - - TAKE IT!

The Great Alaska USA Dance Cruise is taking reservations now. Website info -www.dancecruiseusadance.com

Do not overlook the December Caribbean cruise.

Newsletter is completely converted to electronic delivery

If you still have not signed up for the electronic delivery of our newsletter you may be missing out on some great dance information.

The newsletter contains more than just a reminder of our events. It continues to note ballroom dance opportunities around the region. Each month we try to include useful articles and interesting photographs from our chapter, USADance National and anywhere information can be gathered.

If you have experiences about ballroom dancing that you would like to share consider writing something for the newsletter. Submit any articles to webmaster@usadancerockford.org We reserve the right to edit any submission for length and content.

From USA Dance Offices

Athlete and Professional Membership fees to increase

USA Dance would like to inform all of our athlete and professional members that the Governing Council has voted to approve an important, but modest dues increase commencing December 31, 2011, and that beginning January 1, 2012 our athlete and professional memberships shall commence on a calendar year basis.

We are pleased to let you know that dues will increase only $5.00 per year for minor and student athletes; and only $10.00 per year for adult and professional athletes and for DanceSport professionals.

Adult Athlete $70
Student Athlete $25
Minor Athlete $20
Professional Athlete $75
DanceSport Professional $80

There are several important reasons for these changes:

As our members are aware, USA Dance has not had a dues increase for a number of years, yet the costs for administering our fast-growing DanceSport programs have continued to rise. As evidenced by our National DanceSport Championships, National Qualifying Events and other activities, we are committed to providing our athletes with the most cost-effective and highest quality of competitive opportunities. Some of the important dancesport expenses include providing USA Dance Observers for all of the USA Dance-sanctioned competitions, making important upgrades to the proficiency point system and other related website services, as well as maintaining the best of judging and administrative support for our competitions.

Lydia T. Scardina, President
USA Dance, Inc.

From USA Dance Offices

American Dancer Magazine

American Dancer Magazine (formerly Amateur Dancer) is the official membership publication of USA Dance. It is published every other month as a service for members (and included in their annual dues). This magazine features articles of interest to all ballroom dancers, as well as a Calendar of Ballroom Dance Competitions. It's editor, Shawn Fisher, may be reached via email at ad-editor@UsaDance.org

See Past Issues of American Dancer

Want to see what American Dancer is all about? Check out past issues of American Danceron the USA Dance Website .Click Here

Contributions Needed

American Dancer magazine welcomes contributions via email. We are especially seeking Social Dancers willing to communicate a simple statement of "what ballroom dancing does for me," or what they feel is the best music, or best songs for their dancing.

Photos Needed

We are also looking for good pictures of social dancers enjoying their activity to the utmost. In other words, items to be considered for publication. If mailed, your photos will be returned to the address you include with the pictures. To send e-mail, jpg at 72 dpi is passable, but if you can, send eps or tif, (300 dpi or up give a much sharper picture.

Deadlines for submissions are on 20th of odd-numbered months. For example: March 20 for May/June issue; May 20 for Jul/Aug issue, etc.

Missed a copy of American Dancer?

If you're already a USA Dance member, and you missed a copy of American Dancer Magazine, you can get a copy sent to your home address (the address in USA Dance records) by visiting the Contact Us and selecting American Dancer. Be sure to provide your Name, member number, email address, mailing address, and any other pertinent information.

How do I Subscribe to Amerian Dancers' magazine?

Join USA Dance. US Citizens or those who currently reside in the USA or one of its possessions are eligible to apply for membership. As a member, you automatically receive a subscription to American Dancers at no additional charge. In addition, you can subscribe to American Dancers, our bimonthly magazine, as a non-member at an annual rate of $25.00. (Canadian Delivery $32 and Overseas Delivery $36) Send your check payable to USA Dance with your request for subscription, name, address, and phone number to: USA Dance Central Office - PO Box 152988 - Cape Coral, FL 33915-2988.

4th Saturday Dance - Belvidere Community Center

We have the good fortune to have begun our chapter when this great facility was just opening. Its 4500 sq ft hardwood surface is very dance friendly even with over 100 couples on the floor. Our average attendance of just over 100 people, (equiv. to 50 couples), make it a thoroughly enjoyable evening on a spacious, uncrowded dancefloor.

We play properly timed, true tempo dance music for all different ballroom dances and even have a period at the end of the night for attendees to request specific dances and/or bring their own CD's to be played.

The Northern Illinois Chapter of USA Dance, (formerly USABDA), holds its 4th Saturday Dance monthly at the striking, remodeled community center in Belvidere Illinois. The large well managed facility provides us with a wonderful dance floor that has handled even our largest turnout which was over 500 people at our 10th anniversary dance held in (Sept 2006). Please review our calendar for scheduled dances during the year. The 4th Saturday dance begins with a 1 hour ballroom dance lesson from 7 PM to 8 PM taught by one of our local professional dance instructors. This followed by open dancing, several mixers and a show from 8 PM thru 11 PM.

Our events are all alcohol and smoke free.
USA Dance members fee is $6.00, non-members fee is $8.00 and students can participate for $2.00.

Don't forget to look at our 2nd and 4th Saturday Dance photographs!