About Us:                                                  

 

The American ( Ithaca ) Social Dance Economy Program

 

Dance lessons can be found any where, yet our dance academy is unique in as much as it is not only client centered, but as secondary to this TFDDA is also attempting to install in Ithaca, New York a socio-economic inclusive dance instructional program at same time.   See online articles at...Clients' Right to Self - Determination This, and if you have the time please verify this, is quite rare within the social dance instructional industry.

TFDDA believes everyone deserves their dream once in their life.

 

TFDDA History

 

Everyone who was around when The Ithaca Swing Dance Network had its operations at Bulls, can tell you that Roger M. Christian used to dance in his bare feet and sox.  Then, he had only two shoes to his name, and needed to save them cautiously. You see.....

 

He recently came from the Buffalo-Erie county region after 16 years of dedication to human service as an activist.  None the less, the only thing open to him within Ithaca, New York, was his skills as a dance instructor which he professionally learned, and adjudicated to " teach dance " '69 - '73 by both Arthur Murray, and Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc.  The year, in which he started to teach full time, in Ithaca was 1995.  Here he also discovered, after recovering from a major physical problem, Ithaca's central socio-cultural general needs as he made his way, slowly at first,  to design his various social and dance degree programs.

 

Why?

 

TFDDA fully realizes then as now, most people in Ithaca can not afford to take dance lessons, and thus the opportunities were/are very limited to the majority of Ithacans, those who are not transient, but permanent residents, in enjoying themselves in the most inexpensive pursuits as a person can enjoy.  Dance and Social Dance.  Thus it was here, in Ithaca, N.Y., during the year of 1997, that an idea came into vision, and that was to make dance socio-economically inclusive.  To break down the socio-economic barriers which have caused a separation between the economic classes within Ithaca, New York.  Moreover, and based upon his experience working with Down's Syndrome children, as recent as 1992, Mr. Christian's vision was sharpen by the fact that his teaching techniques then incorporated this experience to his dance teaching as a means to improve human communications, and the professional fundementals of the client's rights to self - determination.  This was revolutionary, and is still being largely resisted locally, but, none the less, it is gaining.