Ylva Wintzell

Pick School of Ballroom Dancing first opened its doors in 1961. Like most businesses with longevity the school changed names and locations over the years but its commitment to the trade and dedication to quality are still uncompromised. Rhona Pick and her professional dance partner Roy Hinton first started the International School of Ballroom Dancing on Divisadero and California. Although it was a good location they were restricted from offering practice parties to their students and after three short years they were forced to move. The historic 18th avenue location offered the stability that was needed at that time. Built prior to 1906, the building had withstood the great earthquake and longtime residents of the neighborhood remember dancing on the same floor when it was called the Alexandria Ballroom in the 1920s. Renamed to the Hinton Pick School of Ballroom Dancing, it hosted the undefeated United States West Coast professional ten-dance champions, Roy Hinton and Rhona Pick. The dance team trained and competed throughout the US and Europe representing the United States in world championships in Berlin ( 1966 ), Zurich ( 1968 ) and London's Royal Albert Hall several years in a row. Amidst their competition and practice schedule, in 1968 Roy and Rhona also started San Francisco's International Grand Ball Dance Championship. The annual competition still draws dancers from around the world. The celebrated dance team retired from professional competition in 1974 and Roy left the business after a difficult knee surgery. In 1975 Rhona continued with Pick School of Ballroom Dancing. What makes Pick School different from other ballroom dance studios in San Francisco? Just look at the walls. Not the pictures of great dancers but the professional's Code Of Ethics framed by the office door ; that you won't find anywhere else. Rhona Pick demands a certain standard of qualified teaching at Pick School, regardless of industry fashion, and the traditional philosophy works. "When you stop dancing a part of you just dies, " says Rhona. "Physically, it has been hard, but it is the most wonderful profession." Rhona Pick continues actively managing every aspect of the school and teaches each week preparing professional instructors for their exams. The challenges of operating a successful ballroom dance school make Rhona both grimace and smile, but she can honestly say with unwavering surety, "I wouldn't change a thing." Today, Pick School of Ballroom Dancing is a prestigious school with an unblemished reputation. Located at 1532 Taravel Street, CA 94116 Francisco, it is a place where one goes to learn the wonderful art of ballroom dance, and indeed, numerous world champions have graced the dance floor at Pick, presenting breath-taking shows and seminars to wide-eyed dancers. The school's alumni roster boasts dancers who have gone on to establish distinguished careers of their own. Some have taken up careers as professional ballroom dancers while others have founded their own studios elsewhere. Be a part of San Francisco's classic ballroom dance school. Let Pick School of Ballroom Dancing teach you to dance, today.