[Noozhawk’s note: Welcome to The Working Life, the first of Noozhawk contributor and photojournalist Jenn Kennedy’s ongoing series of regular features on regular folks.]
Leslie Sack grew up dancing. After watching a ballet performance when she was 6, she was hooked. She began creative movement lessons in her hometown of Moscow, Idaho, which led to ballet and eventually modern dance. She majored in dance at Butler University in Indianapolis and began trying her hand at choreography.
For the past 14 years, Sack has been teaching, performing and competing in Latin and ballroom dancing. Before moving to Santa Barbara in 1999, she taught at the Washington Dance Club in Seattle and was an award-winning teacher and dance competitor for Arthur Murray Dance Studios in Honolulu. She also worked as a dance coach and judge in Adelaide, Australia.
Adept at all genres, Sack refuses to name a favorite dance. “I love all forms of movement,” she said.
She does admit that men have a tougher road when learning to dance. On average, it takes them three times longer to learn the dances than the women because they are tasked with leading. She recommends rumba, foxtrot or waltz for men who are just getting used to the dance floor. As for the other sex, Sack says a woman’s dance ability is directly correlated to the number of fast-twitch muscle fibers in her body. They often have the most success when they choose a dance based on their music preference, so they feel it in their soul, she said.
Teaching can be a challenge as people come in at all different comfort and skill levels. Sack estimates that her clients range in age from 25 to 80. Her best strategy to get them to relax? “I’m a total goofball,” she explained. “My mission is to help people have more fun in their lives, and dancing is a gateway.”
In addition to group classes, Sack has also prepped many couples before their weddings. She recommends they start three months out and commit to at least four to 10 lessons.
“Partner dancing is a pure form of men being masculine — leading the dance — and women being feminine, following,” said Sack, reflecting on the dynamics of couples dance. “It’s a beautiful, magical experience if each person can let go into it.”
Her studio — Leslie Sack Dance Studio, 20 W. Calle Laureles — has been open for three years and functions as a hub of social activity. She hosts bimonthly dance parties, as well as group and private lessons in a variety of dance styles, including salsa, cha cha, country, waltz and women’s movement. She plans to expand in the new year to partner with synergistic groups and instructors to offer classes in yoga, Pilates and even Tai chi. She also has a fashion show in the works with Purrmission Lingerie shop next door.
Sack enjoys the challenges of having her own business.
“I consider my studio to be my child,” she said. “It gets all my time, money and energy.”
She has also recently become a certified life coach and plans to integrate this knowledge into her dance instruction for overall wellness.
When asked for a little-known fact about her specialty, Sack offered, “Dance is an illusion. It’s created completely differently than it looks from the outside.”
She gives the example of teaching students to shift their weight to create hip movement. It’s clear she understands and embraces the subtle nuances, as Sack says, “Dance is my connection to the best part of myself.”
Click here for more information on Leslie Sack Dance Studio, or call 805.965.0651.
— Noozhawk contributor Jenn Kennedy can be reached at jennkennedy@noozhawk.com. Click here to see more of her work.