Sensual notes of saxophone and keyboard rang out from Jim & John, as extended arms grasped soft hands and led ladies onto the dance floor.

Moonlight Chasse’s Feb. 6 dance brought crowds out into the night to share a love of motion to music.

The group’s announcer, Mark Swalley, said the band set the stage for the dance.

“Jim Andrews and John Brust make this incredible duet,” he explained. “They have each played since their teenage years which lead them into successful careers as musicians.”

“Music has taken both John and Jim all over the world to play with some of the most famous and talented entertainers of our time. It was not until both relocated to Gulf Shores that this power pair got together. They have been delighting The Gulf Coast ever since.”

But a mixture of melodies and harmonies only account for part of the atmosphere.

Instructor Ryan Duvall, of Rhythms Ballroom Studio, divulged a bit of the basis for happiness.

“Teaching is an important part of my life because I teach people from 15 to 92 years old—I watch them get happy and smile when they get a step,” he said. “It’s about watching people enjoy themselves.”

“It’s something people can enjoy on the human side rather than on a big screen. I love the way I feel when I’m moving with a partner across the floor. It’s become more than a job for me.”

He said that ballroom dance is a hobby that people approach for different reasons.

“People are afraid of ballroom because they don’t want to look silly,” he explained. “Women take to it because they want to look elegant, and a lot of men get involved because of somebody they’re interested in.”

Duvall, also ballroom dancer for the past 15 years, said that “guys get to feel accomplished and women feel like they’re in the arms of someone who knows what they’re doing. Women like the feeling of security and comfort.”

“For couples, it’s something they can do together that can last a lifetime, not dinner that lasts an hour and a half or a movie that lasts two hours.”

He explained that there are other benefits to ballroom.

“It’s great exercise—it’s great for physical and mental health,” he said.

Cassie Fishbein, Moonlight Chasse’s public relations director, agreed.

“Dancing is an innate form of creative expression—it enhances emotional and physical health by increasing stamina and aerobic conditioning,” she divulged. “Dancing helps relieve the mind of anxieties while sharpening concentration and coordination.”

“The dancer learns to synchronize the natural flow of musicality and movement, and in a short amount of time, a dancer can become the dance.”

She said it has been an important part of her life for many years.

“In 1988, I walked through the door of a ballroom dance studio, felt an instant connection with the energy of the dances, and continue to be captivated and committed to ballroom dance,” she explained. “After the awkwardness experienced during the first lessons, I discovered that while dancing, I was truly ‘in the moment,’ and nothing else entered my mind.”

“I became conscious of improved balance, memory, coordination, posture and energy.”

Despite the many reasons behind the art form, most participants agree that fun is the driving force behind the notes.

According to Swalley, “There are only two rules in ballroom dance: one, you never stop moving, two, you never stop smiling.”