Bringing ballroom back

While the wedding singers and wedding crashers of the world attract attention, D’mitri Fourmyle, the wedding dance instructor, keeps a low profile.

His modus operandi: saving soon-to-be-newlyweds from embarrassing themselves on the dance floor. Which is to say, Fourmyle is the last line of defense against sloppy footwork and ill-timed dips on a couple’s big day.

Ballroom is Back Dance Studio in Costa Mesa is where Fourmyle teaches his wedding dance classes on Saturdays. He works with several couples at a time and gives each person specific dance recommendations.

“You don’t just want to rock back and forth,” said studio owner Leo Cendejas. “You wear tuxedos and look beautiful, so why not dance beautifully too?”

Cendejas’ business has been operating for about 10 years -- though the current facility is a far cry from the old, 5,000-square-foot space.

Taking dance classes is often a major undertaking, the finances and the time commitment, Cendejas said. He said the studio’s goal has always been to make lessons affordable and attractive to a general audience.

“The mission is to bring ballroom dancing back to mainstream America,” said Cendejas, who is one of three instructors. “People think about it as old people moving around. We’re trying to change that image.”

The instructors have certainly been boosted by the recent television series “Dancing with the Stars” and the documentary “Mad Hot Ballroom,” both of which put dancing on the pop culture radar.

Cendejas, whose background is in creative choreography, spent years training to be a dance instructor. He teaches cha-cha and tango on Saturday.

Classes, which are 45 minutes long, are offered for individuals and groups. Students can choose to take multiple classes or come to just one.

Those who are advanced or who show a particular interest in one form of dancing often request or are asked to take private lessons.

Samba, rumba, waltz and swing classes are available on Tuesday and Thursday nights beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s lineup is tango, cha-cha and wedding dance.

Cendejas said he begins most classes by providing background about a specific dance. For example, he explains the difference between the tango, an Argentine dance that is meant to be seductive, and the cha-cha, which is a more “flirtatious and cheeky,” he said.

“Every pattern has a design or an intent,” Cendejas said.

Instructor Jasmine Chavez, who teaches samba, rumba and swing classes, likes to emphasize the social benefits of taking up dancing.

“If you want to meet girls, you want to learn how to dance,” Chavez tells some of her male clients.

Cendejas said many who attend classes are single, divorcees or widowers in their 40s and 50s.

And there are times when students ask more of their instructors than their opinions on a dance move.

“We’re wingmen. We’re matchmakers,” Cendejas said. “You wouldn’t believe the favors people ask us.”

Cendejas enjoys sharing the story of an Orange County real estate agent who met his girlfriend through a dance class. They got married and returned for the wedding instruction a few months later.

Every six weeks, Cendejas and the instructors take some of their students for a progressive night of dancing called “Ballroom Underground.” The group visits a Latin club, a ballroom club and finishes with a dive bar.

Among other things, it’s a chance for the teachers to see if their dance tips are paying off.

“I like helping the students,” Fourmyle said. “It’s fun to see when they get it.”

IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Tango, cha-cha and wedding dance classes

* WHEN: Saturdays, starting at 1 p.m.

* WHERE: Ballroom is Back Dance Studio, 2980 McClintock Way, Unit C, Costa Mesa

* COST: $36 for a four-week course

* INFO: (714) 641-3188 or visit www.ballroomisback.com

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter. He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at elia.powers@latimes.com.