The Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City will have special visitors Thurs., Apr. 22. Sidney Grant, also known as Dr. Dance, and Ballroom Basix USA (BBX) dance teachers will meet in person the Boys & Girls Club members they have been teaching virtually for the last six weeks. Ballroom Basix USA, first launched by Mr. Grant in Harlem, NY in 2008, is an arts-in-education program that uses the fundamentals of Ballroom, Latin and Line dancing to enhance the educational, social and physical skills of all students served. The program teaches etiquette, kindness, inclusiveness, and manners through the tool of dance by using verbal and physical courtesies in every class. Their motto is “Making manners matter…every move we make!” The students have been practicing several dances in virtual sessions. They learned much more than steps; they learned the history of the featured dances, the origin of the dances, and more. At the Ballroom Basix Bash on Apr. 22 nd, the students will demonstrate their new skills, performing the Merengue, Swing, Rhumba, the Barn Dance, and a special pandemic dance created to teach safety during these Covid-19 times — a fun and unique parody of the 1990s Macarena named the Macoronarena. The Macoronarena was created as a way to remind kids and educators of the vital importance of social distancing and wearing masks through dance. The program was brought to the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City by Cooper Levenson, Attorneys at Law, who has worked with Grant of Ballroom Basix on other initiatives, including American Heart Association programs. The Ballroom Basix “BASH”, the culminating event of the program, will be an outdoor celebration at each of the Boys and Girls Club locations — 2:30 p.m. at the Chelsea Club, 215 N. Sovereign Ave., and at 3:30 p.m. at the Drexel Club, 1010 Drexel Ave., Atlantic City, NJ. Friends and family are welcome. Social distancing, mask wearing and health protocols must be observed.
