Woodbury's Tropical Ballroom ready to rumba

A Woodbury ballroom forced to move when a neighboring hardware store expanded is back in step.

Last week, owners of the Tropical Ballroom resumed a full schedule of dances in a new studio in the Valley Creek Mall.

James and Tricia Wood haven't been able to do that since late November, when Frattallones Ace Hardware took over their previous home on the north end of the mall at 1750 Weir Drive.

That forced the Woodbury couple to consolidate operations into temporary quarters down the hall, where they continued to offer walk-in dance lessons and classes.

But with reduced visibility and only a small paper sign to direct patrons to their temporary studio, attendance dropped way off. Many people thought the Tropical Ballroom had closed, said Tricia Wood.

"I'd hear people say things like 'that's too bad that it didn't make it' and I'd get defensive," she said. "We were not closed, but it felt like we were."

With their move into a former taekwondo studio now complete, the Woods say their biggest challenge is spreading the word that the Tropical Ballroom is back to full strength.

James Wood said dancers will be happy to know that he saved the prized hickory hardwood dance floor. He moved it piece by piece down the hall to is new home. Dancers also may like the fact that there are no poles obstructing sightlines, he said.

But the move to the smaller space means the metro area's only ballroom east of St. Paul won't be able to host large events such as wedding receptions and corporate functions as it had in the past.

"We still have our furniture and can host small birthday parties," Tricia Wood said.

The Woods opened the Tropical Ballroom 3 1/2 years ago. They teach 20 different styles of ballroom dancing, including tango, swing, rumba and Latin, along with a basic "Wedding Dance" class.

In addition to holding walk-in and private lessons for couples and groups in their studio, the Woods also teach off-site at country clubs, community education classes and churches.