Ellington

At the Magnolia Ballroom Dancers' Association, couples gather to enjoy an evening spun around the dance floor. The non-profit social dance organization has offered ballroom dancers the opportunity to practice their skills for almost 20 years.

"It's a social group of dancers, composed of dancers from all over the metro area," says Nola Gibson, the association's public relations manager, who has been a member of MBDA for 12 years.

The association is not a studio that offers regular dance classes. The MBDA offers dancers an extra space, outside the classroom, to come and practice or simply enjoy the experience of ballroom dancing.

"It's great exercise, the music is beautiful, and you get to meet nice people you may not have been able to meet any other way," Gibson says. The MBDA accommodates around 80- to 100 dancers per event and has more than 150 members.

"Ballroom is a very polite type of dancing," Gibson says. The website offers a brief description on ballroom etiquette which provides first timers with knowledge to keep with the flow of the evening.

Magnolia Ballroom Dancers' Association will hold a ballroom dance at Madison Square Center of the Arts in Madison the second Saturday night of each month: Dec. 8, Jan. 12 and Feb. 9. The dances are 8-11 p.m. and cost $10 for members and $15 for guest. Water, setups, and snakes will be available. Visit msballroom.com or contact Nola Gibson for more information [email protected].