The Local Exchange: Duluth ballroom studio teaches students from all walks of life

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - The thought of dancing in public is exciting for some and terrifying for others.

While many are curious about giving it a try, they don’t know where to begin.

That’s where Simply Ballroom, located at 1918 West Superior Street in Duluth, comes in.

Family-owned since 1990, David Scherer and Kristen Trump opened Simply Ballroom studio last year, bringing three decades of knowledge to the Twin Ports.

“This is the great part about dancing: it is all about the basics, and no matter how long you’ve been dancing you will go back to the basics,” Scherer said.

People from all walks of life come through their doors for a variety of reasons.

“There’s really not much that we haven’t seen or had to deal with in helping people get over certain insecurities or even if it’s mobility issues, we’ve worked with a lot of different types of people,” Scherer said.

In addition to private classes, Scherer and Trump wanted to fill a gap they noticed in the community.

“With certain styles of dancing, they weren’t being offered anywhere, like Salsa, we’re very big into that, and Argentine Tango, and some other styles,” Scherer said.

Monday nights throughout the summer, Simply Ballroom hosts free community dance lessons to teach people the basic moves of dancing.

“The only things that we’re afraid of are the things that we really don’t know about,” Scherer said. “As soon as we know how to handle them, we’re no longer afraid of them.”

Kjell Peterson is a student at Simply Ballroom who always wanted to give dancing a try.

“It had always been on my bucket list to dance and do it more formally and to try out some stuff,” Peterson said.

In addition to the many benefits, Simply Ballroom student Kathy Levine enjoys the classes for their physical rewards.

“I had some back issues, and I think dancing has really, really helped that a lot physically,” Levine said.

Margo Ilse has tried many different types of dancing over the years, but learning ballroom style was something she needed to check off her list.

“I feel like I can reclaim a little bit of that younger dancer in me because of their instruction and their environment, and the community here is amazing,” Ilse said.

For David and Jane Wedin, dancing is about reconnecting with family.

“One day Jane came to me and said, ‘Gee, they’re having so much fun, we should try it!’ I said, ‘Well, sure.’ She went, ‘Really?’ We’ve just been having fun and doing it ever since,” David Wedin said.

Instructors at Simply Ballroom can modify their lessons to meet everyone’s needs.

“We both have had our mobility issues,” Jane Wedin said. “Since then, our balance is better, our stamina is better, and we’re having fun.”

Overcoming fear of the unknown by putting one foot in front of the other.

Simply Ballroom is hosting an open house this weekend with dancing, art, and more.

Click here for the details.

If there is a small business that has left a big impact on your community, you can nominate them for this segment by sending an email to Kendall Jarboe at KJarboe@NorthernNewsNow.com.

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