Fred Astaire Studio to host "Rhythms of the Night" at The Tarrytown Music Hall

The Fred Astaire Tarrytown Studio will conduct its thirteenth annual ballroom dance exhibition at the Tarrytown Music Hall on Saturday, January 24, 2015. An audience of about 400 attended the previous (January, 2014) show.

The two-act program for “Rhythms of the Night” will be performed by 32 of the studio’s students and seven members of its professional dance staff including show co-directors Sasha Bylim and his wife Olga. Students will perform 32 routines paired with studio instructors and five numbers will be performed by the professional dancers only. The show begins at 7 p.m. with each act running about an hour. There is a 20-minute intermission.

Ten of the students participating gathered awards during the past year at National and Regional Fred Astaire competitions held in Las Vegas, NV, Atlanta, GA, Whippany, NJ, and Tarrytown, NY.

The students are residents of Armonk, Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Chappaqua, Croton-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Mount Kisco, Peekskill, Pleasantville, Putnam Valley, Scarsdale, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, White Plains and Cos Cob, CT.

The cost of admission for “Rhythms of the Night” is $33. Tickets can be purchased at: www.tarrytownmusichall.org

Three-choreographer collaboration

Three choreographers participated in the preparation of the program: Eduard Apolonov, Jim Carter and David Hamilton.

Apolonov is a Fred Astaire Dance Studios’ National Choreographer and has won many International Dancesport championships during his career. He lives in Milwaukee, WI.

Carter, a resident of Houston, Texas, has been a part of the Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studio organization since 1984 and has won many awards in solo, novelty and showcase competitions.

Hamilton, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, has been teaching for 27 years. He is a three-time, undefeated American Ballroom Champion and a three-time World finalist. He is a member of the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance Council.

Sasha and Olga Bylim’s background

The Bylim’s are long-time residents of Tarrytown and also operate Fred Astaire franchised studios in Huntington and Manhasset, Long Island and expect to open a third Long Island studio in 2015.

Sasha Bylim is a Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studio Co-National Dance Director. He and Olga became dance partners in Poltava, Ukraine in 1980 and over the years have danced at more than 500 dancesport championships.

The Bylim’s were Ukrainian champions for six times and went on to become Fred Astaire National Champions and United States National Finalists. They opened the Tarrytown Fred Astaire Dance Studio in July of 1999 and moved the studio to its current location in Sleepy Hollow in March, 2010.

Open house at studio

An open house for prospective students will be held at the studio on Friday, December 26, 2014, starting at 7:45 p.m. It will include observation of an actual lesson, participation in a free group dance lesson, and attendance at a evening-ending party with snacks and beverages.

The studio operating hours are from 1 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. An introductory three-visit package is available for $60 per person.

Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 358 North Broadway, Suite 102, Sleepy Hollow, NY, 914-366-4695, www.fredastairetarrytown.com