Welcome to Social Ballroom Dance

Our goal here is to introduce and teach you the basic fundamentals of social dancing.

During the six week introduction to Ballroom Dance as you progress and learn you will find that dancing is a very enjoyable form of exercise.

There are many reasons people take dance lessons: weddings, proms, military balls, and black tie events. Some students dance for LIFE. Having medical situations that require a mild, fun form of exercise. Others dance as a way to reduce stress. Some dance as a social outlet or to meet a new group of friends that have something in common. Dancing also provides the opportunity for you to have fun doing something with that special someone.

We hope you enjoy starting a new hobby that will last you a lifetime.

As you improve you may advance to our intermediate level of ballroom instruction. To move up to a higher level we recommend our students to take the Newcomers class twice in a row.

Debby Hasson

Debby has been a fully certified dance instructor for over 20 years.  Prior to teaching, Debby was a professional ballroom competitor who was consistently ranked in the top three in the country in several styles of dance. She began training in ballet at age 5 and began teaching ballet at 16. She moved on to ballroom and began competing at age 19.  She holds several awards and certifications through the Fred Astaire Association and continues to bring her love of dance to anyone willing to learn. 

Bruce Hasson

Bruce is a fully certified dance instructor with the Fred Astaire franchise, holding many Top Teacher Awards from both Regional and National competitions.  He also sits on the Fred Astaire Dance Board and is an accomplished choreographer and coach.  Besides teaching, Bruce also received the Gold Freddy Award, Rising Star Award, West Coast Rising Star and many others in the American Smooth Division (which he won with his partner & wife Debby).  Both he and Debby have received numerous awards throughout their careers and consistently placed in the top three of their divisions while on the competition circuit.

Joe Hasson

Joe is the oldest son of Bruce and Debby and he began dancing before he was born (mom Debby was pregnant with Joe while she was competing!) He began competing at the age of 8 and turned professional at 18.  He was recently seen in the Dancing With The Stars/Walt Disney Christmas Parade on ABC and just returned from competing in his first National Competition in Las Vegas where he placed 5^th in the Smooth Division and made it to the semi-finals in the Mixed-Novice division.  Joe divides his time teaching between the Pinehurst/Sanford Studios and the Greensboro Fred Astaire Studio while also practicing for upcoming competitions.

Michael Hasson

Michael is the youngest son of Bruce and Debby and has been dancing since he was 8 (just like his brother!)  He has also competed in several regional competitions and won 1^st place in the last competition in Charlotte, NC. He and his partner Lanie McQuain were one of four couples chosen to dance at the Dancing With the Stars tour in 2007 in Raleigh.  You can usually see Michael assisting in classes at both the Sanford and Pinehurst locations.  He is a rising Freshman at Lee Senior High School in Sanford. Besides dancing, Michael also enjoys playing soccer, hanging out with friends, and would like to become a movie director.

Allison

Allison has been dancing with Debby, Bruce and Joe since the studio first opened in 2003 and she is currently training to become an instructor.  She teaches mainly in the Sanford Studio and is a rising Senior at Southern Lee High School.  Last year, Allison and her partner John-Luke Gunter won the opportunity to dance at the Dancing With the Stars Tour in Raleigh.  She and Joe have competed in several competitions in the amateur divisions where they consistently placed in the top three.

Shannon

Shannon is the Office Manager for both the Pinehurst and Sanford studios (although she is mostly in the Pinehurst Studio!) and she tries her best to keep everyone on track! She first met Ms. Debby and Bruce while working at the Temple Theatre in Sanford. She signed on as Joe’s first student and moved on to the office work when they moved to their present locations.  Shannon received her BA from UNC-Wilmington in Theatre Performance, and you can often see her performing at both the Temple Theatre, and with Moore OnStage in Southern Pines, as well as in the dance showcases that the studios put on twice a year!  She also works full time for First Bank and in her spare time…oh wait- she has no spare time! What was she thinking?