I imagine ballroom dancing fans have never been happier. The sixth season of “Dancing with the Stars” is well under way and Tango, Fox Trot and Samba classes are available in every town to dancers of all ages. It’s kind of like when Tiger Woods started dominating the PGA Tour and every amateur began eating, drinking and sleeping golf.

Simply put, ballroom dancing is hot.

With that in mind, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is joining the craze when they present The Springs 2008, “Dancing Under the Stars.” An annual concert tradition, The Springs is in its fifth year and will offer a variety of contemporary and classic dance music like the cha cha, foxtrot, jive, mambo, salsa, tango and waltz. In addition to the music, a fun-filled celebrity dance competition starring dancers from the Arthur Murray Dance Studios will also take place.

The outdoor concert is scheduled for May 3 at 8pm in Longwood with tickets starting at $30. VIP admission and other packages are also available, check the Orlando Philharmonic website for complete details.

If you’d rather spend your time learning to dance, there are plenty of locations in Orlando that are willing to help. While you won’t have Julianne Hough or Fabian Sanchez as your dancing partner, you will have the opportunity to learn any one of the many classic ballroom dances that are featured on the show and in dance competitions throughout the world.

Prior to getting married last May, my wife and I took lessons at Spotlight Dance Center to learn the waltz and the polka (she’s from Pittsburgh). During our first lesson, we learned that Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson were getting ready for Season 4 of Dancing with the Stars in the studio. Luckily for me, our lessons were a little less intense than their’s.

As for the wedding-day dance, we received many complements from our guests and just about everyone was shocked that I could put a few steps together. I don’t think we would have gotten any “10’s” from the judges, but we didn’t fall flat on our faces, either.

Other studios I could find that offer ballroom dance classes include the following:

• Arthur Murray Orlando
• The Dance Doctor, MD - MD Studioz
• EverybodyDance.com
• Longwood Ballroom
• Festival of Dance

If you know of any others, leave a note in the comments.

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