Fancy & footloose

Couple establish a dance-night tradition in Mount Pleasant The people who have flocked to smoke-free dancing sessions at Creative Spark arts center in Mount Pleasant on most Saturday nights for the past five years can thank John Travolta and all involved in the creation of the movie "Saturday Night Fever." Because it was that movie that inspired then-19-year-old Stanley Ostendorff to develop a lifelong love of dance and to pass that passion along to others. I thought Travolta was cool. At first, I concentrated on disco, but then it progressed to other forms of dance," says Ostendorff, now 44 and a certified dance instructor for more than 20 years. Today, Ostendorff runs Ballroom Plus and teaches ballroom dancing "plus a whole lot more!" His most popular offering, however, comes on Saturday nights, when he and his sidekick and partner, Shirley Cooper, rent out the Creative Spark facility and hold dance parties. Typically, one style of dance is featured each night. Those nights start with lessons from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., then dancing for the next two hours or so. The dances run the gamut: tango, East Coast or West Coast swing, country-Western 2-step, cha-cha, shag, salsa, rumba, waltz and more. Ostendorff and Cooper, a registered nurse, often will feature special dance evenings to celebrate holidays, such as New Year's or Valentine's Day, or hold special evenings, such as a recent country-Western night, in which dancers enjoyed Texas-style barbecue between the lesson and "A Rodeo Rockin' Dance Party." THE REGULARS They draw about 20 regulars and between 40 and 100 participants each Saturday night. That's pretty impressive considering all the options open to people these days. Besides the variety of dances, Ostendorff says, he thinks the dance nights offer a unique alternative. "We don't have smoking, deafening music and don't sell (alcoholic) drinks, though people can bring drinks. A lot of our regulars don't care for cigarette smoking and don't want to be part of a pick-up joint. They love to dance. If you're after the trappings, we're not where you want to be," says Ostendorff. Regulars say they like attending the dance night because of the friendly atmosphere, Ostendorff's patient teaching approach and the smoke-free environment. "Sixty-something" Elisa Klingel has been driving from her Kiawah Island home to Mount Pleasant ever since Ostendorff and Cooper started the dance nights. "If I'm in town on a Saturday night, that's where I am. I forgo many invitations to be there," says Klingel, a native of Italy. "Dancing is a passion of mine. I enjoy it very much. ... I find it not only to be good physical exercise but good mental exercise, too." Klingel says when she was a child growing up in her small Italian village, her parents refused to let her dance. After her husband died a decade ago, Klingel says, she felt "lost in Charleston" and decided she needed to take up either dancing or tennis. She chose dance and is happy to have found the perfect venue. "I like the wide variety of dances they teach. I like the family atmosphere and that we have all ages there. And I feel very secure there." Kristin Davison, 20, of Summerville got hooked on dancing after attending dance nights four years ago. She soon started taking private lessons with Ostendorff. "Stanley is such a good teacher. He's very smooth," says Davison, adding that she wishes more young people would try dancing. Davison recalls impressing a crowd at now-closed Level 2 dance club by doing the cha-cha with a friend to rap music. Surprisingly, Davison's boyfriend does not dance. She repeats some oft-mentioned advice to men. "If a guy knows how to dance, he can get any woman he wants. Women love guys who can dance," she says emphatically. Charleston real estate agent Buck Rogers, 48, can attest to how much women love going to the dance sessions, which he has attended regularly for more than four years. "I could go anywhere, any night, I want, but for $10, you get heavy hors d'oeuvres and great dance music. It's absolutely the least expensive date in town, and your date loves it 10 times more than a $150 dinner," says Rogers, who had become a "bored" shag dancer before going to the dance nights. He marvels at how nice the people are because it's completely inclusive. Like some, elementary school teacher Pam Moore, 59, of Summerville, has had a lifelong love of dancing and has fond memories of watching her parents dance and her dad dancing with her. She knew Ostendorff and Cooper long before they started holding the dances in Mount Pleasant and had taken dance lessons with Ostendorff. She rarely misses a Saturday night dance. "I have a passion for dancing, but I hate the smoke-filled environment that one finds everywhere else," says Moore. While Ostendorff gets credit for being a good group dance instructor, Moore says Cooper gets credit for the music. "Shirley's music is the best in Charleston to dance to," says Moore. "She not only knows which music is great for dancing, she is also able to take popular songs that one might not be able to dance to and either slow them down a bit or speed them up a bit, which gives her an even greater variety." "The parties are always jammin' with her music," she says. STANLEY & SHIRLEY Walking into a dance night at Creative Spark, one would most likely encounter the warm, welcoming smile of Shirley Cooper -- who undoubtedly plays a key role in what is essentially a "mom 'n' pop" event. Stanley and Shirley met in 1991 in a now-defunct club, RJ's, in Mount Pleasant. "I was with a group of my friends, saw Stanley dancing and thought, 'That boy CAN DANCE,' " says Shirley. "I took a chance and asked him to dance." Shirley was more involved in ballroom dancing, such as the waltz and cha-cha, while Stanley came from more of shag, swing and hustle background. "We blended our interest, and it's been a happy union. We've been dancing for a long time," says Shirley, who does not teach dancing but will assist Stanley. Shirley has heard Stanley's story about "Saturday Night Fever." While that may have been a catalyst for him to start a dancing career, she adds that dancing is in his family blood. His mom has taught jazz and tap dance in Summerville for years. What do Stanley and Shirley, who are common-law partners, do in their spare time? They dance. Bill "Mr. Bill" White likes to hang out in Charleston's country bar, the Neon Moon, at The Plex on Aviation Avenue and says that Stanley and Shirley will come in and get noticed. "Some people try to do country dancing and they are rough. They watch Stanley and Shirley and see how it should be done, smooth. They are so smooth," says White. "They are great people and a good influence on people dancing." SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER Stanley Ostendorff, dance instructor and owner of Ballroom Plus, holds dance nights at Creative Spark Center for Fine Arts, 757 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant, on most Saturday nights. Lessons start at 7:30 p.m. Dances start at 8:30 p.m. The cost is $10 per person, unless a special dance night is scheduled. For a schedule, see ballroomplus.com. Contact Ostendorff at ballroomplus@comcast.net.

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