MADISON — The Kinesthetic Cue Dance Club just danced its way to its 20th birthday as of Jan. 15, and the studio is gearing up for a big birthday celebration Friday night, Jan. 18.

Founder Harold Renneberg and the rest of the Kinesthetic Cue staff will be dancing the night away at their Old Madison Pike studio with plenty of birthday cake, and everyone is invited to join in the fun.

“I’ve discovered that there are no calories in birthday cake when they’re eaten at a dance party birthday,” Renneberg joked.

Like all other Friday night dance parties at Kinesthetic Cue, the fun and festivities will begin at 8 p.m. and continue until about 10 p.m.

Dancing beginners need not fret—a free newcomers class will also be offered at 7 p.m., an hour before the birthday dance party will begin. These classes are offered at the same time every Friday night.

“That’s being taught for those that have not had lessons before,” Renneberg said. “It’s a great way for current members to get their family and friends and coworkers involved, or any other people that want to come in.”

These classes are also an excellent way for people to understand that learning how to dance is very much in their grasp.

In the newcomers class, a staff member will teach students some dancing basics and show them how easy it can be for anybody to learn, no matter what their skill level might be. The class lasts about 45 minutes.

“Dancing is a skill, and with every student that myself and my staff teach, one of our goals for the student is to teach them a skill that they can take anywhere,” Renneberg said. “If they go on vacation, their dancing goes with them. If they happen to be somewhere on vacation in Florida, or wherever they go, and they go in some place and there’s music, that gives them an opportunity to dance.”

Renneberg remembered a time he was able to use his dancing skills at an airport in El Paso, Texas.

“A bunch of years ago, I was walking through the airport in El Paso, and they had a little player piano going on,” he recalled. “So, I stopped—the lady and I stopped—and put our suitcases down, danced a dance. The song ended, we picked our suitcases up and walked on, and people stood around applauding.”

In addition to the newcomers classes, Kinesthetic has group classes throughout the week according to skill level. After learning the dancing basics, students can learn up to seven dances: the foxtrot, waltz, tango, rumba, cha-cha, swing and hustle.

One of Renneberg’s favorite moments, he said, is watching a student master something they’ve been learning. “Just to see that light come on and they go, ‘Ah! I’ve got it.’ It just gets me all warm and tingly inside,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Yes!’”

There are also private lessons and weekly dance parties students may take part in. “It’s all fun,” Renneberg said.

Occasionally, the studio will hold themed dance parties to coincide with the seasons, such as a Halloween costume party. “The whole thing on this costume is dressing is mandatory, but dressing in costume is optional,” Renneberg said with a laugh.

A Thanksgiving night dance party to work off the calories is also a fun tradition, as well as a Christmas party with a Dirty Santa gift exchange. Students also sometimes have the opportunity to attend a dinner dance. One of these is hosted by Friends Inc., and another is hosted by the Huntsville Ski Club around Christmastime.

Renneberg emphasized that there are many benefits to dancing.

“Dancing is healthy,” he said. “It’s fun. Dancing is one of the best exercises because not only does it work the body—it works the legs and the back and the abs and the arms—it also works the heart, and it works the brain. … Learning the ballroom dancing fights off Alzheimer’s because you’re keeping your mind active.”

In addition, Renneberg said he likes to provide a space where people can come to dance and be social in a safe, alcohol-free and smoke-free environment.

Upon entering the studio, dancers may notice the large and open dance floor and floor-to-ceiling mirrors on one end of the room. Decorations and memories captured in photographs also line the walls. The far side of the room consists of a refreshments station and a small music station.

Near the music systems, two healthy, green plants sit to add a little more life to the room. These plants are special to Kinesthetic Cue, Renneberg explained.

After The Dance Company decided to relocate, directors Beth Cannon and Julie George decided to give two plants to Renneberg once he took over the space on Old Madison Pike. They also gave him a note wishing him well as he began his journey with his own studio.

“I made kind of joking promise 20 years ago, and I said, ‘As long as those plants are alive, I’ll still be in business,’” Renneberg said. Lo and behold, the “promise” has held true.

Renneberg said he likes operating out of Madison since it serves as a good central location for his students that come from Madison, Huntsville, Athens, Harvest and smaller communities in the area. Some even come from as far as Cullman.

“I’ve had a good response,” he added. “A lot of dance TV shows have influenced people—kind of sparked an interest—and they come out and give it a try.”

Renneberg has been teaching dance for about 25 years. Since opening its doors to the public Jan. 15, 1999, the Kinesthetic Cue Dance Club has been working to help members of the Madison County community and beyond know that dancing is for everybody who wishes to learn and develop this skill. Through their methodical approach to teaching and their dance class packages tailored to the student, Renneberg and the rest of the team hope to help students have fun and become more confident dancers.

The Kinesthetic Cue Dance Club can be found on the left end of the bottom level of Miller Plaza, located at 8006 Old Madison Pike in Madison.

To learn more about this social dance club, or to view a calendar of events or more photos, visit kinestheticcue.com. For more information on Kinesthetic Cue’s dance class packages, call their office at 256-464-8477.