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| OHCC LIVING | APRIL 2023 | 15 Village Squares Meet the co-president of Village Squares, Robert Gross. Robert was born in the Bronx, New York, and later moved to Long Island, where his family lived with other members of their family. On New Year's Day, 1969, they ran out of oil for heating and sat around in overcoats watching the Rose Parade, where people were sitting in bleachers enjoying the day, dressed in shirt sleeves. That was enough encouragement for the Gross family, so off they went to Southern California. Robert spent his junior high and high school years in Los Angeles, before moving to San Diego to attend UCSD, where he majored in Applied Physics. Robert worked for United, first in sales, and then transferred to the computer center. Later he worked for Linkabit, a company that started many electrical engineering companies, such as Qualcom and Viasat. Robert's father was a resident of Ocean Hills, and 19 years ago, he moved in with his father. He worked as a mechanical engineer, having attained a Master's Degree in Data Science. In August, 2018, a friend convinced Robert to Join the Wranglers SSD class, since it was held in the evening after work, but he never finished, as it was canceled in 2019 because of the pandemic. He retired two years ago, and then was able to join Village Squares, where he volunteered to be on the board, and then became co-president with Steve Ward. Robert was married for many years and has two sons, Neal and Aaron. Neal is an architect and father to two children, and Aaron is currently attending graduate school. Robert's goal as co-president is to get everyone dancing, not just attending class, so the fourth Wednesday of each month is dance night, enabling students to enjoy the fun of square dance. He also hopes to grow the club and to encourage others to serve on committees and the board. We are very fortunate that Robert made the decision to join our club and to step up and volunteer! He brings knowledge and enthusiasm and many new, innovative ideas. Ballroom Dance Our April dance will be held on Fri., April 21 in Abravanel Hall from 7 to 9:45 pm. We will dance to the music of Musicstation. The cost will be $15/member or $20/non-member. Checks will be due by Fri., April 14. The club sponsors Ballroom dance lessons each week on Wednesdays in Abravanel Hall from 2 to 4 pm. • 2 – 2:45 pm Beginner Class • 2:45 – 3:15 pm Dance Tips and Techniques for both Beginners and Intermediates • 3:15 – 4 pm Intermediate Class The cost for the Beginner or Intermediate class is $10/person per class for both members and non-members. Pay at the door (no reservations required, just come). The Dance Tips and Techniques discussion is open at no charge to both Beginner and Intermediate dancers. These discussions will cover a variety of topics such as lead and follow techniques, body alignment, musicality, etc. Carrie Kloss, a champion dancer, and professional instructor provides the dance instruction. She has many years of experience providing dance instruction to all levels of dancers from beginners to dance instructors. The dance being taught changes each month. The following is the class schedule through July this year. April, Rumba; May, Waltz; June, Swing; July, Tango. The dance being taught in April is Rumba which is one of the most beautiful Latin style dances and is very easy to learn. Rumba is a slow and flirtatious dance, earning its nickname as "The Dance of Love." It is characterized by subtle side to side hip movements with an erect torso. It is danced with a basic pattern of a slow forward step and two quick side steps. Rumba is a popular style choice for a wedding dance and slow partner dancing. The Lesson Review and Practice Parties are held in Abravanel Hall from 2:30 to 4:30 pm each week on Mondays. Marvin and Lynn Wheeler, who are very experienced dancers, review Wednesday's lessons and provide help upon request. After the review, you can practice your dancing to a variety of ballroom music. The party is FREE, just drop in. These parties are open to all residents of OHCC and guests of members. The annual membership dues for the Ballroom Dance Club are $10 per person. With this membership you will receive regular emails describing club activities as well as discounts for dances. To join, just drop your check off at the front desk. Indicate your email address(s) on the check.

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