Dancing May Lead to That Shape You Covet

It’s New Year’s Day. And chances are you’re horizontal on the couch--such a casualty of Post Holiday Syndrome that even working the TV remote takes too much effort. Since Thanksgiving you’ve watched more football games than any human can stand and grazed on so much fatty food that a month of fasting couldn’t save you.

Face it. What’s needed to render those size 7 Wrangler jeans compatible with your body is exercise--not liposuction estimates. But if it isn’t fun, you won’t go near it, right?

Voila! Barroom aerobics! The Electric Slide is cheaper than a Thighmaster. The Schottische works better than a tummy tuck, also firming the tush. Clogging is cardiovascular nirvana. And swing dancing can tighten those nasty underarm flaps.

If a saloon’s not your cup of tea, you and yours can learn to shake your booties elsewhere.

Here is a sample of family-oriented dance lessons starting this month at the Conejo Community Center, 1300 Hendrix Ave., Thousand Oaks. Starting Jan. 19, Kathy Bailey will teach eight-week classes in “Beginning Country-Western Line Dance (7:30-8:30 p.m.) and “Intermediate Country-Western Line Dancing” (8:30-9:30).

Starting Jan. 24, Bailey will also offer “Beginning East Coast Swing” (6-7 p.m.), “West Coast Swing” (7-8 p.m.) and “Beginning/Intermediate Two-Step (8-9 p.m.). These classes are open to all ages and cost $28 per eight-week session. To register, call 495-2163.

On Thursdays, the Thousand Oaks Community Center, 2525 N. Moorpark Road, offers continuous clogging classes (as in Jed Clampett of “The Beverly Hillbillies”). “River Dance” fans, take note: Beginning classes start at 6:30 p.m. Each 45-minute session thereafter gets more difficult and ends with an advanced class, 9:45 to 10 p.m. The fee is $5 per class. To register, call the center, 381-2793. For clogging classes call 445-9854.

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Live Country Music: Up the coast at the Galleon Room, country-folk duo Too Much Fun will take the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday. The club is at 5925 Calle Real in Goleta. For more information, call 967-0128.

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Closer to home, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday you’ll find Winslow, a fun, high-energy band, at Mixer’s, 2381 Tapo St., Simi Valley. For details, call 520-7787.