written by Bianca Zeiler

I have to admit that I was secretly thrilled to learn that dancing would be offered at Millennium Tower. While I certainly do not have two left feet – I took years of ballet and jazz classes as a child and I will never decline an invitation to take a spin around the dance floor – it is sadly the case that as an adult there are fewer opportunities to dance in general, and as a result, my moves and coordination have suffered. This is why, after meeting Rob and hearing him speak about his history as an award-winning dancer and choreographer for Dancing with the Stars, I was practically giddy to take a dance class with him.

Initially I considered a private lesson, but my husband was unwilling unavailable, so a group lesson seemed just the ticket. I enlisted a few friends, made an appointment with Rob, and there we were, on a Thursday evening, in stocking feet in the studio at FLX, ready to perfect our cha cha cha.

Rob’s charming personality and demeanor put us at ease right away, and any nerves we felt flew right out the window as we chatted, joked and belly laughed. The class began with a lesson on “Cuban Rhythm”, which is the basis of all the dance movements we would learn. Rob demonstrated and then we all tried to listen to our bodies and replicate his movements – to varying degrees of success. Rob’s teaching style was very encouraging, hands-on and not intimidating at all, which helped all of us feel comfortable and “get it.” After a few tries, we were all grooving, moving and having fun to all different kinds of music.

Since there were six of us, Rob paired us up and showed us how to dance with a partner. THIS was a bit more complicated, but honestly, even more fun. We took turns leading and twirled around the room, learning how to properly connect with our partners. Rob took each of us for a spin as well, gently correcting our positioning and timing. The hour seemed to slip away and before we knew it our lesson was through. We congratulated each other, took a bow, thanked Rob – and then set out into the city, determined to find a place where we could grab a drink or two and practice our new moves. 

Watch a video of our lesson below to hear more from Rob and see us in action!