Fred Astaire Dance Studio

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With season 17 of Dancing With the Stars coming on ABC this fall, one thing is certain: ballroom dancing is more popular than ever.

And for local Fred Astaire Dance Studio franchise owner Richard Silver, that’s a good thing.

“The hardest part of starting to learn how to dance is just walking through the front door of the studio,” Silver said. “Ballroom dancing is easy, it’s fun, and anyone can learn how to dance.”

Legendary actor and dancer Fred Astaire founded Fred Astaire Dance Studios in 1947. His studios have spread across the country and attracted some of the best dancers in the country.

Silver, however, did not have dancing on his radar until college.

“When I was in college, disco was really big,” he said. “It was how everyone was dancing. I wanted to learn more about dancing, so I went and took part in a training program that Fred Astaire offers where they train new instructors. I wasn’t planning on actually being a teacher; I just went for intensive training. But then I discovered how great it is, and so I’ve been with it ever since college.”

Silver taught dance in Vestavia with a large staff until his move to his location in English Village in 2009, when he decided that smaller was better.

“Now it’s just more about coming into the studio on a daily basis and teaching students how to dance instead of managing a big operation,” Silver said.

Silver, who is one of seven national certification coaches for Fred Astaire, teaches all types of ballroom dancing – 16 different types, to be exact. Most students come in as a couple and learn in private lessons, eventually moving to group classes after learning the basics. Typical lessons last 45 minutes and teach the type of social dancing one would find at The Club or at a wedding.

“Over the years, I’ve had younger couples start coming in and using this as a date night,” Silver said. “The median age has dropped. They enjoy it, and it is great exercise. It’s been medically documented that ballroom dancing in particular has a positive effect physically and mentally.”

On Monday nights, Silver hosts a practice party at his studio where his students come in and a party atmosphere is simulated. His students get to practice maneuvering on the dance floor and get to enjoy practicing what they have learned.

The studio also is partnering with the UAB Preventative Medicine Department to help cancer survivors and their caregivers with the recovery process. After a long process of applying for a grant and screening possible students, the program is set to begin this summer.

“In most cancer recovery programs, it has to do completely with the survivors and sort of leaves the caregiver out in the cold,” Silver said. “This will be a collaborative therapy where both of them are involved. It will build confidence and hopefully even help rebuild the relationships. It is the first of its kind in the United States.”

Silver credits dancing shows for making ballroom dancing more mainstream.

“Ballroom dancing has always been popular, but it’s become more mainstream since Dancing With the Stars,” Silver said. “Because guys like Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith have been on there, more guys are apt to try it. Even if they come in with a bad attitude, for the most part after a lesson they say ‘Well that was kind of fun.’ And what’s better than moving around with a woman in your arms?”