The Richard Powers Waltz and More Weekend returns!
The 2026 Richard Powers Waltz and More Weekend will take place October 9-11, 2026.
Registration is now open!
About the Waltz and More Weekend
This will be a weekend of waltzing, vintage dances, and other partnered social dances, but with a strong emphasis on the cross-step style of waltz. The weekend will be held at the Russel-Acton Folk Center in Berea, KY (about 40 miles south of Lexington).
The weekend will start with a class at 7:30 pm Friday and
conclude on Sunday at 1:00 pm. Attendance is by preregistration
only and will be role-balanced. The prerequisite
for attendance is knowing any form of basic waltz (rotary,
cross-step, box, Viennese...). As in past years, this year in
addition to the traditional roles of "lead" and "follow", we will
offer the role of “either” exclusively for those comfortable
dancing both roles and who can easily switch roles in order to
help role-balance the room in case of cancellations.
Tuition is $110. A limited number of full-time students will be
accepted at $55, and a limited number of scholarships will be
offered--if interested in a scholarship, please contact us by
email to apply.
Tentative 2026 Weekend Schedule
Oct 9, 2026
- 7:30-8:15 - Quick ramp-up on cross-step waltz for the weekend
- Short Break
- 8:20-8:40 - The Vienna Dreams Waltz
- 8:40-9:00 - The Waverley Two-Step and Mixer
- Break
- 9:15-10:00 - Review of last year's Chalypso, new Chalypso Mixer
Oct 10, 2026
- 10:00-11:00 - Quick ramp-up on cross-step waltz; new variations for 2026
- Break
- 11:15-12:00 - More cross-step waltz
- Short Break
- 12:05-1:00 - Arthur Murray's 1924 Debutante Waltz
- 2:30-3:15 - Media Luna Tango
- Short Break
- 3:20-4:15 - Informal party Samba
- Break
- 4:20-4:45 - Review of Vienna Dreams Waltz, Waverley Two-Step Mixer and Media Luna Tango for the ball
8:00 - 11:00
The Saturday evening ball theme is a "Fantasy Ball" theme.
Oct 11, 2026
- 10:00-10:30 - 1886 Le Carillon, the earliest 19th century Mixer
150 years since 1876 German Schottische (a quick and easy step)
- 10:30-11:10 - 4/4 Tango, 6/8 Hesitation Waltz, 5/4 Half & Half, 7/4 Moderation (all to the same pattern)
- Break
- 11:25-12:00 - Evolution of the Skaters Schottische, the Danish Dance, Seven-Step Polka and Tre Ting
- Break
- 12:15-1:00 - Review of some of the weekend dances and cross-step waltz mixer
Saturday Lunch: Dancers are welcome to bring their own lunch or head to a local restaurant, but a catered lunch will be provided to those who pay in advance.
Ample refreshments will be available at all events.
About Richard Powers
Richard is an expert in American social dance, noted for his choreographies for dozens of stage productions and films, and his workshops in Paris, Rome, Prague, London, Venice, Geneva, St. Petersburg and Tokyo as well as across the U.S. and Canada. He has been researching and reconstructing historic social dances for over thirty years and is currently a full-time instructor at Stanford University Dance Division.
A collection of Richard's writings about danceAbout Angela Amarillas
Angela and Richard have travelled the world teaching dance and performing together. Angela shares Richard's passion for historical and vernacular dance, and has a dance minor from Stanford University.
Saturday Evening Dance
Deejayed by Richard Powers
The Saturday night dance is included with your weekend registration. The Saturday evening ball will be proctored by Richard Powers using his selection of recorded music. We will enjoy dances from several vintage eras, from the 1800s to the early 1900s, as well as contemporary music.
The Saturday night dance theme is a "Fantasy Ball" theme - We look forward to seeing your outfit!
If you are not registered for the entire weekend, you may still attend the Saturday evening dance at a cost of $15.
Note: In 2025, registration reached capacity in less than 24 hours.
To be confirmed, all applicants must pay for the weekend within 5 days of notification of tentative acceptance.
Also, since we match all leads with follows, we encourage all dancers who are not comfortable switching roles to specify a registration partner on the registration form. Those leads and follows who do not specify a partner, will be put on a waiting list and matched with a person of the complimentary role in order of registration. We will notify you when we confirm your acceptance.
If you cancel before September 15th, we will refund your fee minus $10. Cancellations on or after September 15th will be refunded minus $10 only if we are able to identify a replacement from the waiting list. When registration reaches capacity, we will keep a waiting list.
Step 1: Register
Step 2: Pay only after tentative acceptance
We will notify you by email when your registration is tentatively accepted. For online payments, we use an online service provider called Stripe which uses the most stringent level of certification available in the online payments industry. You may pay with almost any credit or debit card or electronic funds transfer from your bank. Alternatively, you may simply mail us a check via the US Postal Service by sending a check made out to "Lexington Vintage Dance" to:Lexington Vintage Dance
c/o Jan Pearce
3477 Scaffold Cane Rd.
Berea, KY 40403
With any of these choices, we offer a 5 day grace period for you to pay after receiving notification of your tentative acceptance to the weekend. Hence, your particular payment choice will not alter your acceptance status. Any checks received before acceptance, will not be cashed until you are tentatively accepted.
Location & Directions
The Waltz and More Weekend will be held at the Russel Acton Folk Center at 212 Jefferson St., in Berea, Ky.
Parking is available and free at the Folk Center.
Directions & Map:
From Louisville, Cincinnati and points North: Take I-75 South to Exit 77. Follow signs to Berea. At Ellipse St./Pirate Pkwy turn right. At Jefferson St. turn right. Folk Center is half block away on the right.From Nashville, Knoxville and points South: Take I-75 North to Exit 76. Follow signs to Berea. Immediately after crossing railroad overpass, turn left on N. Broadway. At Jefferson St. turn right. Folk Center is half block away on the left.
View Larger Map
Housing
A limited number of homestays are available to out-of-town participants. Please email to request a homestay. The deadline for requesting a home-stay is September 15th. Or you can make your own reservations at one of Berea's near-by hotels, including the famous Boone Tavern Hotel. If you have any questions about housing, send an e-mail to lexingtonvintagedance@gmail.com.
Historic hotel within walking distance:
Boone Tavern HotelOther Options:
Other hotels by distance AirBnBBeing A Host
The sharing of your home can help make a dance weekend really wonderful for someone. If you can host one or several of the visiting dancers at your home in Berea or Lexington, please email lexingtonvintagedance@gmail.com with your name, address, number of people you can host, and any other information your guests may need to know (type of beds, children, pets, smoker, etc.)
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact Jan Pearce:
Jan Pearce
3477 Scaffold Cane Rd
Berea, KY 40403
lexingtonvintagedance@gmail.com
(859) 813-0956
You can also visit the Lexington Vintage Dance's homepage to learn more about upcoming events