Shall we dance? Where to get put through your paces

Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta

Ballroom dancing is divided into two categories. Standard Ballroom a.k.a. Modern Ballroom (waltz, tango, slow foxtrot, quickstep and Viennese waltz) and Latin American (cha-cha, rumba, samba, jive and paso doble). The waltz and the cha-cha are probably the most popular. You can learn these styles at four dance schools listed below. And, you can also join the dance crowd at cafes and restaurants such as T-Box, Bug's Cafe, Arios, Mario Cafe, Stardust, Bebek Bali or Black Steer.

Here are some of the schools or studios that have been recommended by dance lovers and professional instructors themselves. Have fun, the choice is all yours!

Linny & Roeby; Jl. Pancoran Indah VI No. 13; Tel. 7996943

D'Rose Studio; Jl. Tebet Utara Dalam No. 34; Tel. 8309784, 8312141

Like mother, like daughter, little Linny carefully watched her mother with great interest when she was teaching dance at Yen Pin Restaurant -- formerly a popular restaurant back in the 50s. Now, Linny Bachtiar also teaches dance.

As a primary school student, she learned traditional Indonesian dance and ballet. Her mother taught her ballroom dancing when she was 17. Then she continued her dance lessons at Melati Dancing School (her teacher was the famous Mrs. Chen Sunaryati). Linny perfected her skills with two well-known Australian ballroom dancers, Mrs. Aiko and Brendan Humpreys, when they visited Jakarta.

In 1990, Linny taught ballet at Namarina. She later taught ballroom dancing at Cafe Melati in Sari Pacific Hotel in 1998. Today, she teaches ballroom dancing at Posture and also at D'Rose Studio. This active 50-something woman coaches students at her cozy home too.

Roeby Soebimo, somewhere in his 40s and an administrator at PT Ladang Arta Buana, is Linny's steady dance partner. They teach ballroom dancing together.

At 14, he started dancing ballroom with Yud Sutiyoto as his teacher. The late Sutiyoto was a well-known ballroom dance teacher in Yogyakarta, Roeby's hometown.

Roeby has won several national competitions. He came second at the National Ballroom Dancing Competition (in novice Latin American section) during the 80s.

Among Roeby and Linny's best students are a brother and sister duo, Enrico, 16, and Erinia, 18. They came sixth (in Novice Latin American) at the Indonesian Dancesport Championship in 2001.

The next Indonesian Dancesport Championship will take place in June at the plenary hall in the Jakarta Convention Center. For information, you can contact Linny at 7996943 or 0812 9295583.

Erwan & Yulia Sport Dance Studio; Jl. Muara Karang Block C-III Timur No. 12B; Tel. 9210423

Erwan started ballroom dancing in 1980 (when he was 18) and Yulia in 1981. Together, they have won competitions in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. The husband and wife duo studied ballroom dancing in Indonesia and then in Australia for six months. Since 1992, Erwan and Yulia visit London almost every year to perfect their dance skills.

Some of their best students have been their own daughters. This couple has three daughters, Evelyn, Melissa and Yovita. The youngest one, Yovita, 8, is a ballerina. The elder ones are well- known dance champions.

In addition to winning many competitions in Indonesia, both girls have won numerous tournaments in other Asian countries too. Paired with Donny, 19, 17-year-old Evelyn finished second in the Pre Amateur Modern Ballroom section at the 2001 First Seremban Garden City Dancesport Championship. Melissa, 13, and her partner, Nico, 16, won several prizes at the 2001 Singapore Millennium competition. At the same event, they also topped the Pre Amateur Modern Ballroom, the Novice Modern Ballroom section and came third in the Pre Amateur Latin American section.

In 1996, Erwan and Yulia opened their 198-square-meter studio. They are assisted by four former-students-cum-instructors.

A Cu Dancing School; Jl. Hayam Wuruk 100 M; Tel. 6597758, 6590443

A Cu a.k.a. Yuslizar, 60, started ballroom dancing at 17, in the 1960s. His father was a ballroom dance teacher and A Cu's son is a teacher as well.

After learning the artistic pursuit from his father and some friends he went to Thailand in 1978 to learn dance at the Association of Dance Teachers in Bangkok. After studying for a year, he earned a certificate.

In 1980, he was also awarded another certificate from the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, London, after having studied there for a year. He has never entered a competition. "I've never had any steady dance partners," explained A Cu.

A Cu Dancing School was opened in 1975, in Mangga Besar area, West Jakarta. In 1980, the school moved to Hayam Wuruk. Its studio, at 75-square meters, is relatively small, looks slightly different from the others. Most studios look dull with plain colors, a wooden floor and wall-to-wall mirrors. However, one can safely say that A Cu's looks "flamboyant". Pink and purple dominate the room, which gives it a sort of romantic feeling.

Erlin, fondly called A Liong, is A Cu's son and one of his best students. Erlin, learned ballroom dancing at 18 from his dad. Now, at 27, having won some competitions, Erlin is a ballroom instructor as well. Erlin and his partner, Lisa, were the winners of the Novice Latin American category in the Fourth Anniversary Indonesian Dance Sport Championship, 2000.

A Cu has seven former-students-cum-instructors who help him run his studio.

Abbay; Jl. Karang Anyar Utara No. 3; Tel. 6294201

Abbay started dancing ballroom at 25. Now in his forties, he is a veteran dancer. People remember him as a regular winner in many competitions in Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and China. Abbay also won the Southeast Asia Competition in Singapore, 1998. It was his last competition. In 1999, he opened his studio.

This busy ballroom dance instructor has no assistants at all. Some of his best students have won awards at the 2001 Indonesia Dancesport Championship. Lin Kun Tsung and Linda won the Senior Ballroom Standard section, while Adrianus and Sandra were the champions in the Novice Modern Ballroom section.

The latter couple won first place in the Novice Modern Ballroom category and came second in the Pre Amateur Modern Ballroom section in this year's Metropolitan Ballroom Dance Championship.

Other champions like Paulus and Lidya, Sanjaya and Wiwin are also Abbay's students. From Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Abbay teaches at his 117-square-meter studio. Happy dancing!

Popular ballroom dance styles

* Cha-cha originates from Cuba. The name is believed to come from the sound of the shoes of dancing Cuban women. It's an energetic dance with the emphasis on the legs and feet. Cha-cha dancers do not move around the room.

* The Waltz was born in Austria. This sentimental, romantic dance is always associated with glamourous ball gowns and beautiful music. It is illustrated by the rise-and-fall of the music and dancers' movement and close contact between the couple. It does require a big area, as the dancers move around the room.

* Tango comes from Argentina. It's often called a "flirty" dance, due to its sensual body contact. The main characteristic of tango is the bent knee.

* Jive was born in New York. There are two kinds of the lively dance, the International style with numerous kicks and taps and the Authentic style (swing dancing) in which the torso and hips are used more.

-- Susanna Tjokro