Pro dancer teaching classes in Moorpark

Wiley Simpson is a professional dancer, choreographer and retired national champion in ballroom, Latin, swing, and country and western. He’s a dance teacher from Los Angeles who has moved to Moorpark.

Simpson offers a complete social dance program that includes specialized classes in ballroom, swing, Latin, salsa, New York Hustle, and country and western.

The programs this fall run three to eight weeks, one evening per week, for all ages, including grade school children through high school and college levels.

In October, Simpson will introduce a cotillion program for middle school children. The sixweek course meets once a week from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The program teaches “life skills” training via character development.

Simpson teaches children the six pillars of character from the Josephson Institute: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship, and also demonstrates how to apply these principles in their daily lives.

The program covers social skills such as how to meet and greet other children and adults,

how to function comfortably in any social environment with good manners and etiquette, which utensils to use for what food, how to “listen” in a conversation and participate, good grooming and hygiene, how to dress appropriately for social functions and what the physical boundaries are between boys/men and girls/ women.

The children also learn dancing, because the dance floor is the central hub for all the social and character training.

Simpson is leading a new class for beginning dancers from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays at High Studio, 11 High St., Moorpark. The class teaches salsa, tango, swing, foxtrot, cha cha, and country and western two-step.

The classes are $18 each per twohour session or $97 in advance.

Simpson is a Texas native who has worked all over the world in dance for more than 30 years, with many credits in film, television and stage.

Simpson is the founder of Celebration Dance International in Los Angeles. He participates in community service throughout Los Angeles through Wheelchairs for the World, Child Help USA and low-income retirement center dance programs that he has founded and runs on site.

Class enrollment is limited. For more information, call (877) 744-3262.