Katie Rich and Sho Rich
Appalachian Ballroom teaches adults to dance whether for fun or a competition.
Sho Rich says he and his wife, Katie, started Appalachian Ballroom because they have “a strong passion for dance, and wanted to bring the timeless grace of ballroom dancing and the soulful country rhythms of the Appalachianstogether.” They teach a multitude of dance styles in hopes to create a community where people can come together, share stories and keep the rich cultural traditions of partnerdancing alive.
Sho Rich is the main instructor, and Katie handles the administrative side of the business. Sho has more than 35 years of experience in the industry and accolades across every style of dance. He is training other instructors to join him.
He says, “The benefits of ballroom dancing are limitless: from physical, mental, emotional and social.Dancing offers numerous health and mental benefits by improving cardiovascular health, flexibility and can even reverse early signs of Alzheimer’s/dementia. Dancing is also an incredibly upliftingway to engage with others and is a natural mood-booster. With its great sense of community, it engages the young and young at heart. We have seen lots of new friendships formed amongst the dance community.
“Our focus lies in quality dance training. With a great foundation, comfortability and knowledge, one can social dance at an event or a wedding, and those skills can carry over to the competitionfloor if so desired. Whether you are single or a couple, looking for a fun night out, meeting new people, or a fantastic date night, classes are designed to be inclusive and supportive regardless of skill level.”
They offer private and group classes. They teach classes at three locations: Johnson City Ballroom in Johnson City, Tennessee; Highlands Ballet Studio in Abingdon, Virginia; and Elite Motion Dance Company in Lebanon, Virginia. Classes are available for singles or couples and are popular with brides and grooms for their first dance after the wedding. Dance styles include ballroom (waltz, tango, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, quickstep), Latin (cha cha, rumba, salsa, bachata, mambo, bolero, samba and merengue), swing (East Coast swing, West Coast swing, lindy hop and hustle) and country western (two-step, three-step, shuffle, cha cha, swing, waltz and line dancing).
They hold Western Wednesday at the Abingdon location at 7:30 p.m. and group classes every Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. There is also a Halloween Dance Social Oct. 19. A Halloween Flash Mob is held Oct 31 in Lebanon with practice for it Saturdays from 3-4 p.m.
Sho also trains dancers who are interested in competitive dance.
For more information or to sign up for classes, visit Appalachianballroom.com.
