KENNEWICK -- When entering the Tri-Cities' newest ballroom, make sure to check your extra left foot at the door.
There's a box at the door with two in it, and Carmen Johnson is ready to claim many more."I'm excited about sharing my passion for dance," she said Friday, standing in the middle of a new ballroom in the back of her Kennewick home that will be the focus of her new business, Strictly Ballroom.
Carmen and her husband Dale bought the house last year when the Seattle couple decided to retire someplace sunny.
"This place was a godsend," Carmen said, pleased with the 300 days of sunshine and the lower cost of living in the Tri-Cities.
They were also looking for a place to teach their favorite pastime -- ballroom dancing. Dale, a sergeant with the Seattle Police Department, plans to retire in May.
"Back in Seattle, we were lost in a sea of different instructors and dances. Here, we will be the only ones who teach strictly ballroom," Carmen said.
Strictly Ballroom strives to teach "closeted" dancers to come out and have fun, she said.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony today at the couple's home will introduce the community to the new dance place.
"We don't teach competitive dancing. We want to help people become confident social dancers," Carmen said.
Dancing is not only a hobby for the Johnsons, but it's also a family tradition.
"Both of our parents met dancing," said Carmen, who has been dancing since the age of 5.
It only seemed natural for her to find her partner on the dance floor as well.
When Dale walked into a dance class she was teaching three years ago, "everything was in slow motion," she said with a laugh.
A photograph of the couple dancing their wedding waltz -- her body poised and elegantly spinning, his knees bent and mouth wide open -- showcases their dancing style.
"He's such a ham, and I'm the teacher," she said.
The couple teaches all styles of ballroom dancing, from swing to the cha-cha, the hustle to merengue.
"We like the variety," Carmen said.
Registration for private and group lessons began in August, and so far the word has been spreading.
"I've got 20 students," Carmen said.
Group lessons include 10 students, or five couples. Private lessons are $35 an hour and group lessons are $10 an hour.
Carmen and Dale's Strictly Ballroom is at 215 N. Yelm St., Kennewick. For information on dance lessons, call 396-9291 or visit www.YouCanDanceBallroom.com
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