Darien Soundings

PLACES: Dance on the DL

Meet Doreen and Linda, owners of Dance on the DL! Linda met Doreen years ago in one of her dance classes when she was instructing at Equinox in Darien. At first glance, Linda immediately knew that Doreen had been formally trained in dance and they easily struck up a friendship based on their mutual love and passion. Linda was working on the end of a workshop and looked to Doreen to collaborate on some new and exciting choreography to finish it out. The collaboration was more than successful and what followed is what we know today as Dance on the DL! The duo began offering classes out of Joy Ride Darien in 2016. What started off as three classes with 35 kids easily escalated to over 100 kids and too many classes to count in just the first year alone. Linda and Doreen knew they had something special and needed to expand beyond their space at Joy Ride. The space next door opened in 2017 and they immediately began working on their own studio.

What makes Dance on the DL different from other studios around the area? It’s in their message. Linda and Doreen believe that dance is an integral part of building confidence and comfort in your own skin. Every class offers a motivational aspect, and the pair continuously promote progress over perfection. You don’t have to be “the best”, you have to be “your best”.

Today, Dance on the DL offers preschool and afterschool programs for boys and girls of all ages. They recently added breakdancing to their schedule of classes which has become a huge hit - especially for the tweens. Visit www.danceonthedl.com for so much more information!

BITES: Ten Twenty Post

Welcome to Ten Twenty Post, a buzzing, upscale bistro featuring a hopping bar scene and seafood-focused French-American fare by Chef Erik Luptonband and Sous-Chef Alan Cotrina. Ten Twenty Post has been at the same Darien location for over 10 years with the same local ownership team in place. The restaurant prides itself on some of their more popular items like fresh oysters on the half shell, salmon BLT sandwiches, tuna tartare, and their juicy steaks; and is continuously bringing new ideas and ingredients to the table through weekly rotating specials. Beyond the delectable cuisine, Ten Twenty Post also offers an expansive, interesting and ever-changing wine list! In fact, every Sunday they offer 50% off on all full bottles of wine— a great way to explore a range of regions around the world.

HIGHLIGHTS: Darien Book Aid

Congratulations on 70 years! Darien Book Aid is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Every year, the generous organization donates hand-selected books to communities in need in approximately 75 countries, with the aim of improving literacy and education worldwide. Many of these books are requested by Peace Corps volunteers who work in communities lacking appropriate-level English books. Darien Book Aid also works with a partner organization, Books4Everyone, to donate books to under-resourced schools and community centers within Fairfield County.

Anyone can help by volunteering time, donating gently-used books (especially children's books), and providing funding to help the organization cover their shipping costs. Please visit www.darienbookaid.org to learn more.