— from an interview from a recent issue of Dance Notes.
 
Ben and Shalene…For The Love Of Dance And Each Other

One of the busiest couples at the Ohio Star Ball was Ben Ermis and Shalene Archer. Shalene's 275 entries helped earn her a second place Top Teacher Award, and Ben's 210 garnered him a third place. For the second year in a row they were designated Top Studio. As if those weren't enough laurels for this energetic couple that compete in both American Smooth and International Standard, they also placed second in the Professional American Smooth Division.

Ben and Shalene are always positive, always happy to be competing both with students and each other. Teachers, competitors, studio owners... they finally took time from their busy schedules to get married last July.

How did you start dancing?

Ben: It was a sheer accident. Fifteen years ago I was working in the jewelry business in Austin, Texas. Our jewelry shop moved to a new shopping center, and the Fred Astaire Dance Studio was also there. I got to know the folks that owned the studio and did some jewelry work for them. When I left the jewelry business, the owners of the Fred Astaire studio contacted me and asked me if I would come and participate in a training class that was starting for new teachers. They evidently saw something in me that led them to believe that I would be good working with students.

Had you danced before that?

Ben: I never danced. My mom taught me the box step, and a little bit of polka. That was it.

When did you know that being a dance teacher was what you wanted to do?

Ben: The second day of training class.

Why not the first day?

Ben: I was scared to death! It took me twenty-four hours. I was literally scared to death the first day.

How did you get to Nashville?

Ben: I was in Texas for a year and a half. From there I moved to Birmingham, Alabama. I had made a deal to spend a year and a half at that studio, and then Fred Astaire would set me up in my own franchise. Nashville just happened to be the spot that was available when I was ready.

When did you stop being part of the Fred Astaire chain?

Ben: October 1994. We wanted to pursue some training that was not going to be easily available to us within the chain.