“There's nothing like being in a full room of 6th or 7th graders and seeing them dance, socialize and just have a great time! every MidWeeklies participant is so special and precious in their own way. It's truly rewarding to have the opportunity to work with these students and the MidWeeklies volunteers.”
— Alise, dance instructor
OUR DANCE INSTRUCTORS
JEFF CHANDLER
Jeff Chandler has been teaching MidWeeklies dance lessons for over 20 years. Jeff has been a ballroom dance instructor, coach, professional competitor, and choreographer since 1979. He is best known in the ballroom dance world for his mastery of technique in his teaching and his unique choreographic style. In 1991 Jeff opened the Metronome Ballroom in San Francisco, the largest ballroom dance studio on the West Coast at the time. Jeff is also the producer and director of the Ballroom Blitz events at Lake Merritt Dance Center in Oakland, California. These are themed dance parties featuring a show with professional dancers from around the Bay Area. In 1999 he was approached by the Midweeklies organization to teach 6th and 7th grade kids. Having worked primarily with adults and “serious dancers” Jeff reluctantly began teaching a small group of around 60 children. He made the focus on the dancing and all of the good manners and mutual respect that come with it. Today the program spans the entire school year and is attended by nearly 700 students. He considers this program one of the great achievements of his professional dance career. He currently teaches private lessons and group classes at Just Dance Ballroom in Oakland and at other studios around the Bay Area.
ALISE HALBERT
Alise Halbert has been teaching, competing, choreographing and performing Ballroom Dance in the Bay Area since 1996. Alise has completed her Membership degree in Standard and Associate Degree in Latin with the ISTD. She has taught throughout the Bay Area, and also in Canada, Germany, the Czech Republic and Japan. Her ballroom Standard coaches have included US and World Champions such as Heather Smith, Victor Veyresset, Stephen Cullip, Aira Bubelyte, Tomas Atkocevicius and Charlotte Jorgensen. She loves performance and bringing dance talent together. Her dance productions include the Main Event, Decades of Dance, Dance Noir and the Journey to Wonderland. She is also very proud to have joined Jeff Chandler in co-organizing the Ballroom Blitz. In addition to this, one of her biggest loves has been co-teaching the MidWeeklies program in San Francisco.