What The Locals Know–Dancing and Dining at American Burger

Tonight, Friday, November 12, 2010, we will hold the very first West Coast Swing Dance and Dine from 7:30 – 10:00 PM, for just $15.00–which includes dancing and a special menu! Here’s the story behind it:

Jose Miguel and his family own the American Burger restaurant at 738 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, between Prescott and Irving, across from Gianni’s Pizza. Locals are starting to take notice of this Little-Burger-Joint-That-Could because Jose Miguel has a knack for good marketing that matches the tastiness of his burgers.

For example, Jose Miguel loves to dance, sing, and play music, but he has little time to do it all since he’s busy running a family restaurant. The solution? Bring the dance classes, social dances and musicians to his restaurant!

You may now find Argentine Tango at American Burger on Mondays, Salsa dance classes on Wednesdays, a West Coast Swing social dance on the second Friday of each month (starting November 12), and Latin social dancing every Saturday.

Let this lesson be learned by crafty businesses owners….How can you combine your passions under one roof? Jose Miguel’s solution is this: offer a Dance and Dine package of only $15.00 per person for each night there’s dancing. That means the following: You can Dance and Dine for $15.00 each person on Mondays if you like Argentine Tango, Wednesdays if you like Salsa, Fridays for WCS, and Saturdays for Latin dancing. Brilliant!

Insider’s Tip: Call American Burger at (831) 373-7573 for dance event information and directions. Depending on the dance crowd, American Burger may stay open later if there’s a good number of dancers still on the dance floor.

What The Locals Know–West Coast Swing Dancing

West Coast Swing is the California State dance and is growing in popularity, thanks to Lacey Schwimmer of “Dancing With The Stars” and Benji Schwimmer of “So You Think You Can Dance”.

West Coast Swing is a 6-count slot dance that can be danced to the blues, contemporary, pop, club, and country music, and the main age range of West Coast Swing dancers is between 30 – 70 years old.

If you’re interested in finding places to dance West Coast Swing, here are some of the places where local “Westies” hang out:

Tuesday nights–Carmel Woman’s Club at the corner of San Carlos and 9th, across from Sunset Center in Carmel.  Call Jennifer at 831-324-0816 for class details.

Wednesday nights–Sly McFly’s at the corner of Cannery Row and Prescott in Monterey.  It’s a small dance floor, but Westies are friendly about sharing slot space.  Don’t be shy about asking a Westie to dance with you.  We’ve all been beginners at some point and love bringing new people into the dance.

Thursday nights–On the 3rd Thursday of each month, join the Westie community at Clint Eastwood’s Carmel Mission Ranch off of Rio Road, right by the Carmel Mission.  Dancing is located in the Barn, and the place gets packed.

Friday nights–Embassy Suites in Seaside has a lounge area where Lee Durley and Joe Indence sing oldies but goodies.  If you’re in the mood for East Coast Swing, there’s music that will satisfy both dances.

Saturday nights–On the 4th Saturday of each month, the Santa Cruz Swing Club hosts a West Coast Swing dance at the Senior Center (behind 831 Bay Avenue and Woodworm Party Store) at the Bay/Porter Exit in Capitola.  Class with a WCS dance pro start at 7:00 and the dancing goes until 11:00 PM.

If you’re uncertain about scheduling, contact Jennifer at 831-324-0816 and she’ll point you in the right direction, or consult the Monterey County Weekly newspaper or the Go! Calendar in the Monterey Herald.