Artist Spotlight - Tom & Maria Cesta
HarmoNNY is excited to share our April Artist Spotlight, Tom and Maria Cesta. This talented husband and wife team specialize in social ballroom dancing and offer dance classes and host ballroom dance nights in the Northern New York community.
Maria has had a love and passion for dance from a young age. She started ballet and gymnastics at the age of 7. Since that time, Maria has been able to share her love for dance with her husband, Tom, when they began taking ballroom dancing classes in 2002. When they first walked into class on day one, they had no idea that it would lead to teaching dance classes and the rest of their lives.
Tom and Maria have been teaching ballroom dancing since 2012. Classes are offered at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, NY for couples of all ages and abilities. Two classes are offered during the Fall and Spring semester and run for 6 weeks each. The first 6 weeks is a beginner class that teaches three different styles of ballroom dance. The following 6 weeks, which is a separate registration, focuses on one single style of dance for the entire period. Classes run for one and a half hours one night per week. “It is great to see somebody come into class and start at the beginning and not know anything, [but] by the time they’re done they’re doing the waltz, or they’re doing the foxtrot, they’re doing the swing, and they get a lot of enjoyment out of it.”
Mr. and Mrs. Cesta host ballroom dance nights at the Clayton Opera House for community members and to give their students the opportunity to practice their skills in a real ballroom setting. The goal of the classes that are offered at JCC are to make it so that you are able to get on the dance floor at the end of the 6 weeks.
Tom and Maria are also members of the Cosmopolitan Dance Club, which is a ballroom dance community that has been around for the past 60 years. The Cosmopolitan Club hosts dances throughout the year that feature a band and a whole night of dancing. Tom and Maria are thankful for the fellowship and community that ballroom dancing has brought them. Mr. and Mrs. Cesta also graciously give back to our community by performing shows at some of our local nursing homes.
“Just do it” is Tom’s advice for anyone who is considering signing up for dance classes. During the interview, Tom and Maria shared that ballroom dancing as a couple can teach you so many things from learning to be tolerant of each other, give and take, and compromise. Dancing has truly developed a closer relationship for Tom and Maria.
Tom and Maria plan to continue teaching until they can no longer walk. They both feel so lucky to be able to share the gift of dance with the community.
To find out how to sign up for ballroom dancing classes or to join the Cosmopolitan Club check out the links below:
