Crystal and Wally Lang don’t mind driving 20 minutes from their home outside Richmond to reach the Rigby’s Jig dance studio near The Shops at Willow Lawn.
“We have three small children, and Thursday night is our date night,” said Wally Lang as he waited for the start of an East Coast Swing class. “It’s good clean fun.”
Nearby, a young couple swayed together in a side dance studio, getting individualized instruction. Such lessons are perfect for people—often newlyweds—who want to trip the light fantastic in private. The main dance floor was filled with folks who didn’t mind tackling the tango in public.
It was just another night of fun, footwork, and frolic for Eleanor Robertson, who started the dance studio in 2003, and has seen it grow ever since. In many ways, it’s more than a dance studio—it’s a safe haven in the heart of Henrico for people looking for an alter- native to movie theaters, bars, and concerts.
“This is a fantastic environment for a lot of people —couples, singles, divorced, or maybe someone who lost a spouse,” the energetic owner explains. “In the age we live in, people are looking for something fun, something that’s active, and something that’s a social thing to do.”
For married couples, she said, “It’s better than a movie because they can actually talk to each other, and be active.”
Some clients travel from as far away as Charlottesville and Fredericksburg. The studio is easy find because it is across Broad Street from the recently renovated Shops at Willow Lawn.
For as little as $8 for a one-hour class, or $14 per couple, Robertson and her instructors teach a variety of styles and steps, from swing to salsa to tango to a basic course with a combi- nation of moves.
But it’s the prospect of tripping up at a wedding reception—whether it’s the bride and groom or their parents—that often motivates first-time customers. “The average person can probably learn in half a dozen lessons, and for some people that’s OK,” Robertson says. “But a lot of clients become addicted to it, and are here three days a week. It’s fun, you’re out of the house, and you’re meeting people.”
In America, she noted, it takes practice to maintain the dance tradition. Despite the current popularity of dance on TV, Robertson said, “The dancing in the United States goes through ups and downs, whereas in the Hispanic culture it’s part of their families. Kids learn to salsa from their grandmother.” Typically in the United States, she said, “We don’t have that lineage.”
Launching the Langs’ class, Robertson sounds like a cruise director. “If you’re here for the East Coast Swing class, come on in and we’ll get started!” Typing on a laptop computer linked to her sound system, Robertson cues up some easy-listening soul music. “Everyone grab a partner!”
The bright ballroom floor is flanked by a mural that shows Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It quickly fills with couples ranging from their 30s into their 70s. Robertson circles the room, and breaks in on male partners to demonstrate the right way to lead a couple.
She also helps the few men out of a group of 20 people who lack a partner, tak- ing time to dance with them and provide instruction. It’s like a Sixties sock hop, except everyone keeps their shoes on.
“How’s everyone doing?” Robertson calls out. “You doing all right?”
A good time seems to be had by all. “There aren’t many places you can swing dance,” Robertson says. “That’s one of the reasons our parties are so popular. You can dance all the dances you learn, in an adult atmosphere, in a smoke-free environment on a big dance floor. Most places are small, so if you want to fox trot, you really can’t do anything.”
A 1996 graduate of Trinity Episcopal High School, Robertson went on to major in theater and dance at George Washington University. After graduating in 2000, she worked as a dance instructor and, encour- aged by the success of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” started her own business that blossomed into Rigby’s Jig. (The name combines a piece of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” and an Irish jig).
Robertson partnered with “Dancing with the Stars” in Richmond for the past two years, hosting the local ballroom dance challenge.
Earlier in the day, workmen were busy renovating her ballroom’s interior, adding what she called “cool, funky lights” for dance parties, and a lounge area to serve hors d’oeuvres. That will add to the clubby feel of the place, which includes a peach-colored room where she offers a class called “Tango in the Mango.” Robertson also rents her growing studio for wedding receptions and office parties.
“Several big Richmond companies have hired us to teach the staff line dancing,” she said.
She also teaches creative movement to children.
Whatever one’s age, dance provides a great form of exercise as well as entertainment. “For adults, we’ve had so many people lose tons of weight,” says Robertson. “If you salsa for an hour, it’s different than being on a treadmill. We have men who bring three changes of shirts. A lot of people are surprised at how much exercise it is.”
No matter the age, the need to move— and have fun—never dies. “We have a stu- dent in their 80s who can swing dance like nobody’s business,” she marvels.
