I joined in October of 2002 & it has been nothing less than a fabulous and challenging experience for me in many ways. I have learned that it is taking considerable patience & practice to become a skilled dancer. It has taught me about my own willingness to be committed in my goals of learning the dances we are learning & that learning to dance is more than just learning the steps. It is a true art that I would like to continue to improve on. I am finding that it is becoming a passion for me. I plan to continue taking weekly lessons & also taking private lessons to fine tune my skills. An added gift has been in meeting the many people with a similar interest in Ballroom dancing. The social connection I am forming is positive & stimulating as well. I have found your dancing instruction to be very professional & fun. I plan to make Ballroom dancing a part of my life always. It has been a wonderful experience & I look forward to more! I appreciate very much the opportunity of being a part of your dance club. On the lighter side, some people I work with now call me "Tango Al," as they hear me talk about my dancing.

- Academy Student, Al Yniguez

First and foremost this is a letter of appreciation to yourself & Brian for offering these classes. I started Ballroom dance classes with you, Rita & Brian in January after hearing many wonderful comments about you for some time. Even though I drive down from Kula it is well worth the trip. Due to your generosity I find the classes extraordinarily reasonable in cost. I think this is one reason you have drawn such a large and enthusiastic group of people each Wednesday. I have enjoyed meeting new people & having the social dance activities to attend & get to know these people more. I also find great enjoyment getting dressed up & going to the Balls with these new friends in the beautiful hotels we have on Maui. I appreciate the clarity & steadiness of your teaching & each week I'm excited to experience I know a little more I can do on the dance floor. I am very happy to be able to be asked to dance East Coast Swing and Tango & actually feel I can say "yes" & get up & do it with some comfort rather than apologetic comments to my partner. This gives me more desire to keep learning. I also want to acknowledge Brian, with his great laugh & good natured attitude as the assistant. I enjoy having an opportunity to do a dance or two at the social events & experience his gentle yet clear leads. I feel fortunate to have taken several privates lessons with you both & look forward to more. I would highly recommend it for anyone who has had it cross their minds to "do it." Your dedication & love of the dance & desire to share it with others shines in those lessons. You are both so supportive in the process. Thank you for bringing Ballroom Dancing into my life in such a dignified yet grounded & understandable way that's a lot of fun too.

- Academy Student, Julie Holmes

It is going on a year I am still dancing. Every Wednesday, I join a group of people for two hours of dancing lessons. The class is over before you know it and as you walk away at the end of the evening, you go home visualizing the steps. So really, you end up dancing all the way home. It is one of my highlights of the week. There was no way that I thought I'd be able to take classes as I thought it was going to be a spendy hobby until the day came that I met Brian and Rita O'Connor, the two dancing marvels! They have created a class that only costs approximately sixty cents a class. That is what the charges break down to. Every three months, we learn two different types of dances and pay only $22 for both classes. Everyone ends up contributing a donation only because we can and everyone appreciates the honor of their services! Rita is truly a PRO and Brian's her loving and devoted partner! They'll take their time with you on an individual basis since they realize that we are all dancing to a different drum. Rita is truly a great teacher and as a couple, this is a passion that they have continued to share with me and other citizens of Maui. I recommend joining in on the lessons.

- Academy Student, Carol Russell

Talk about how dancing has changed our lives. We really have come a long way, from two soldiers (the way we walked when we first started our ballroom dancing a few years back) to two dance partners, who enjoy every dance event, can't wait to make the move every time we hear beautiful music... Life certainly has been different since we started our ballroom dancing. Our lives have become more exciting. We feel like time has gone by so quick with all the dance lessons, dance socials, dance parties and especially Dance Balls organized by the Academy. We have made more friends. Now everywhere we go we can't avoid running into dancers we know and having a nice chat. Thanks to Rita and Brian's instructions our dance technique has moved to a different level.

- Academy Students, Charles & Annie Yane

We absolutely love the dance classes with Rita and Brian, as I am sure you can tell. Wednesday nights are very special to us and it adds a very meaningful touch to our relationship. Sometimes, even when we are tired or do not feel like going for whatever reason, we both feel this deep commitment to attend regardless of our circumstances and as always, we are so happy that we have made that decision because afterwards there is a true sense of accomplishment and increased closeness. The group of dancers who are in the Academy have become increasingly closer. We are all in this together disciplining ourselves to dance better each week. You two are the greatest teachers we could ever want, and Dennis and Jennifer are an added bonus. How fortunate we are to have you here. We speak of these classes to many people that we meet, even in Sushi bars! I cannot say enough good things about the quality of the instruction and the dedication that both of you have towards developing excellence in the world of social dancing.

- Academy Student, Kamala Everett

There's no doubt about it. If you're a guy who wants to meet a gal - or many of them - learn how to dance. If you think you don't know how to or ever will, consider meeting women eager to help you do so. They take ballroom dance classes with Rita & Brian O'Connor at the Kihei Community Center every Wednesday from 6:30 - 9 pm. By the way, if you believe you have two left feet, try walking. I you can't, you're right. If you can, you're beginning to dance!

- Academy Student, Mary Norton-Braidman