Panache School of Ballroom & Social Dance came to be after owners Scott and Sandra Myers began taking ballroom lessons.  They were preparing for a surprise performance for their wedding dance.

Ballroom seemed like an unlikely activity for Sandy and Scott to participate in since neither of them were particularly athletic and both were overweight and out of shape.

However, they soon discovered a passion for ballroom dance that made them view their bodies in a completely different light.  As they began to become better at ballroom dancing, they were both inspired to take better care of their bodies.

In fact, since they took up ballroom dancing, Sandy and Scott have lost a total of over 140 pounds!  Below is a picture at their wedding, before the big weight loss.

In February 2008, Sandy came to a decision.  Rather than pursue her doctorate studies, she wanted to open a dance studio, thus fulfilling a dream she and Scott had shared for years. 

Sandy and Scott were very fortunate to have made connections with other people just as passionate about dance as they were, who have since become involved in the studio, including Tom Slater, a World Champion Exhibition dancer, who had recently moved to Bloomington.  Tom's 32 years of  experience in performance coaching, exhibition dancing, and competitive dancing were a terrific counterpoint to Sandy and Scott's focus on social dancing.

Panache officially opened its doors in September 2008, and has been growing ever since.  We are so proud and thankful to our students, who have shown such growth and improvement in their dancing, and have also shown such wonderful support to us as we continue to grow and develop as a studio.