Our expert dance host for both the May and September Crossings
Mike Baris is a lifelong social dancer and vintage dance enthusiast. His early childhood mentor was Bob Barber, a veteran member of the Harry James Orchestra. Mike started his dancing training at age 11, when Bob was 84.
As a teen , Mike continued dance training under Ann Delmar, director of the Providence Fred Astaire Studio. His ambitions for dancing were interrupted in 1999, when he enlisted in the United States Navy. While on active duty, he trained at International Dance Studios in Virginia Beach, under Melinda Spencer.
After his enlistment, he relocated to Washington, DC, to train under Ron Bennett, Nick Short, and Heidi Unkle. He began dancing professionally at events across the country. Mike is the producer of the historical dance series, Footnotes.
Mike has worked extensively to preserve and document ballroom dance history from the golden age of television with the help of his longtime mentor, Pat Traymore. Mike gives credit to Pat Traymore as being his most influential dance coach, as she was the last living dancer to have trained under both Irene Castle, and Arthur Murray.
He is a certified dance instructor with a North an American Dance Teacher’s Association. He continues his dance training at Arthur Murray locations in Chevy Chase Maryland, and Baker Street, London.
