SEQUIM — The Old Dungeness Schoolhouse is lit up on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Inside, the sound of laughter, catchy music and many feet moving together signifies the adult students of world-class ballroom dancers Shimkiri and Werner Figar are practicing their steps and moves.
Sequim Ballroom has been operating out of the Schoolhouse, at 2781 Towne Road, since January 2024.
They are seeking to “build up the ballroom dance community in Sequim,” Figar said.
Children’s lessons are offered during afternoons, organized by age group, and adults practice at night.
Adult beginners attend on Wednesdays and intermediate to advanced attend on Thursdays. The types of dances on rotation, Figar said, to “give everyone an opportunity to try something they like.”
February beginners classes, which started last week, feature the tango and salsa on Wednesdays. For intermediate to advanced, the classes include the tango, cha cha and swing on Thursdays. Classes last 45 minutes each.
Teenagers are welcome in the adult classes, Figar said.
Last month, there were people from teenagers to silver-haired folks dancing together.
People come to class with or without partners, Figar said, adding that dancers rotate partners unless they want to stay with the same partner.
Private lessons also are available.
Brie Rocha, who said she has been dancing all her life, is an intern at Sequim Ballroom. She is the “follower” to Figar’s lead in demonstrating dances, as Shimkiri is currently home with the couple’s infant, their third child.
But what is ballroom dance?
Figar said includes all dances that are done with a partner.
“From a more formal waltz, tango and foxtrot to a rumba, cha cha, salsa, etc.,” he said.
“Within ballroom, there are certain dance styles which specify different dances. For example, American smooth, international standard, international Latin, American rhythm and social dances.
“At this point, we teach only ballroom but might expand to other dance styles — modern dance, ballet, hip hop — in the future.”
History
The Figars first came to Sequim to take a class from Katy Bowman of Nutritious Movement after they read her New York Times best seller. They had been looking for a place with a lot of nature in which to raise their children, and Sequim seemed just right, except for being so far from their dance studio in Jersey City, N.J.
Figar currently returns to it every month.
Figar is originally from a small town in Austria and Shimkiri from California. They met while dancing competitively, Figar said, and they began dancing together professionally.
Figar said his interest in dancing began when he watched scenes from the movie “Dirty Dancing” when he was 7. Before then, he was a gymnast, according to his online biography. He danced competitively with his sister, with whom he was a “three-time Austrian Latin champion.”
Figar said Shimkiri has been dancing since she was very young, but she became a mechanical engineer before she moved to New York to become a competitive dancer.
According to her online profiles, she is “an international Latin dancer who is the undefeated Edison Ballroom Champion, Vice-Champion of the NJ Open Rising Star Latin and finalist in many U.S. competitions.”
The two have much more extensive professional biographies, including teaching.
Figar said their eldest child, Seraphina, takes classes because she is interested in dancing, but “we don’t force it on kids. They can be whatever they want to be.”
A student’s perspective
Dance student Debra Van Dusen said she has been taking classes on and off since the Sequim Ballroom opened. She said she was “a very rusty dancer” when she started taking the classes.
“I was really happy when they started teaching,” Van Dusen said. “It’s wonderful to have ballroom teachers.”
She said about half the people who attend come to class without a partner and that each person can choose to be a “leader” or a “follower” when they dance; some people alternate between each role.
“It’s very safe on the floor,” she said.
Van Dusen said everyone has a turn in dancing with the teachers.
She Figar is “very warm, he’s humorous. I don’t think anyone has to feel anxious,” about how well they can or can’t dance in his classes.
About Shimkiri, she said, “She’s very nice,” and a good role model for being a follower. “Brie as well.”
Van Dusen said that, in the beginning class, “most of your peers are in the same boat.”
She advised taking the beginning classes over and over.
“Learn what you can and keep coming back,” she said.
What seems too challenging at first will make sense over time, she added.
She said there are a lot of places in Port Angeles and Sequim to dance.
“It’s good to know the basics of popular dances,” she said. “People are nice. If you’re willing and want to learn, people will want to include you. Come with a classmate.”
Van Dusen added, “Movement to music is just really beautiful. If you can get your mind out of the way and let your body do it over and over again, you’ll develop a relationship with the music.”
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Emily Matthiessen is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. She can be reached by email at emily.matthiessen@sequimgazette.com.
