Teenagers who love to tango or to swing and ballroom dance?

"It's a nice change from the normal dancing we do," says West Seattle High senior Sophia Sandvig. "I like feeling accomplished at something different."

Ballroom and Latin dance instructor Loretta Turin is luring teens, seniors and those in between onto the makeshift ballroom dance floors at the Senior Center of West Seattle and the gymnasium at West Seattle High School.

The Vancouver-born instructor recently moved to West Seattle from Los Angeles where she competed with some of the lead-dancers seen on the hit TV show, "Dancing with the Stars." Thanks in part to that show's popularity, and Turin's easy-going but professional manner, no arm-twisting is needed to get things hopping in her classes.

"I was worried about teaching high school kids the dance steps and wondered if they would be serious about wanting to learn," Turin said. "They turned out to be great students. I am amazed by their enthusiasm. They are having so much fun learning and are trying to get more students involved."

"I like to swing dance. It's a lot of fun," says senior Rachel Barnecut, who wore an elegant black party dress and a silver necklace to dance class. "The boys need to get out here so I don't have to dance by myself."

About half the guys wore ties with formal shirts tucked into jeans.

The consensus seems to be that once the guys show up at the gym they can't resist stepping into the tango. About 10 girls and eight guys participate at the high school. They alternate partners.

Carol Viger drives her son, Marc, a sophomore, and daughter, Helene, a senior, and their friends to the lessons and likes to hang around during class.

"I grew up with ballroom dancing and see its value as a lifelong activity," said Viger. "I am grateful it's experiencing a resurgence in the United States. Loretta's great with the kids, and they're really learning from an accomplished professional.

"The kids are under an awful lot of pressure to get their varsity letters. But this is different. They can come here to relieve stress, socialize, and just have fun."

Doug and Lorna Ava are local realtors who sold Turin and husband Fernand Giasson their house.

"We learned ballroom dancing on a cruise ship but were not very good until we began taking Loretta's classes," said Doug Ava.

"We were just in Mexico and practiced there," says Lorna Ava. - and they also practice in their living room.

Giasson is from Montreal. Pretty smooth on his feet, he assists his wife during class, but is also her ongoing student. Somewhat of a renaissance man, Giasson has trained winning racehorses and was plumber to the stars. He got down and dirty in the homes of Charles Bronson and Billy Crystal. He said Crystal had a lot of basketball paraphernalia on his walls, and a bathroom designed like an airplane lavatory.

He now specializes in plumbing large corporate complexes and shopping centers.

"I had a plumbing emergency tonight just before class and was wearing my dancing shoes," Giasson said, holding up a pair of dull gray shoes that sparkled just a few hours earlier.

Marc and Susannah Nelson learn waltz, tango, and swing from Turin at the Senior Center. The twenty-something couple got married two and a half years ago. "I wished I had learned this before," said Marc. "I would have danced better at our wedding."

For information on lessons, e-mail Loretta Turin at: ilivedancing123@yahoo.com or call the Seattle Center of West Seattle: 932-4044.

Steve Shay may be reached at steves@robinsonnews.com