WHO AM I?

Michael Diven, known as “The Energizer Bunny” by his dancing friends in Switzerland, first stepped onto a dance floor over 36 years ago. At the age of 18 and with that step, this dancer/instructor/competitor/choreographer/DJ/bartender launched what would become a life-long passion, as well as a thriving business in Dare 2 Dance Productions.

He has choreographed a variety of line dances to music of every genre and has had the opportunity to work with many of the popular names associated with the world of line dancing. He has also received many choreography awards from various competition venues of the UCWDC, including the JG Marathon in Raleigh, NC and the Eastern Dance Classic in Alexandra, VA.

Mike has taught line dancing to literally thousands of people over the course of his career. Pennsylvania is where he calls home and many local venues have the privilege to have him as their dance instructor and DJ. Some of the local venues have included the Burning Bridge Tavern in Wrightsville and the Country Barn in Lancaster, just to name a few. He is currently teaching at the Warehouse in Columbia on Friday nights. However, Mike loves to travel and always enjoys going somewhere new and meeting new line dancers all over the world. As long as line dancing is involved, he is ready to go. He has a lot of plans for traveling and dancing in 2022 and looks forward to each and every adventure. Throughout his career he has competed, volunteered for local charities, and even choreographed musical dance routines for local high school productions.

Nationally, he has been invited to and has taught at multi-day line dance workshops that draw hundreds of experienced dancers from all over the world. Teaching credits include workshops in various states and regions, with more being added each year. On the international line dance scene, he has taught numerous workshops in Canada, the Country Western British Championships in England, and a two-week workshop tour of Switzerland, where he taught his choreography and his style of instruction to other instructors, who then carried it back to their own clubs and teaching venues. He is looking forward to his upcoming trips and is constantly looking for more.

The success in his field and business has not changed who Mike is and what he believes. He possesses not only a passion for dance, but also a passion for people. Giving back to the community remains high on his list of priorities. He has hosted many dances and provided complementary dance lessons and DJ services for charities and organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Awareness, Special Olympics, Relay for Life, the Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation, Caitlin’s Smiles, and Dover's Women of Today. He has even acted as an emcee and auctioneer for the Gift of Giving fundraiser benefiting Hershey’s Children’s Hospital.

When Mike has a little free time, he certainly doesn't sit still. He is always looking for something new to do. He has attended and graduated from Capitol Bartending School and is now a certified bartender. Recently he has also been ordained and has performed multiple weddings marrying people over the past couple of years. He can provide the music, entertainment, lessons, marriage and even serve cocktails to a large variety of clients. He likes to refer to it as a “party in a box.”

It’s been a busy life for the last 36-odd years on and off the dance floor, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon, with multiple classes being taught weekly. But that’s just fine with Mike. When he’s not teaching dance, his extensive music library, which includes over 420,000 artists, keeps his DJ business in demand. If you want to listen or dance to a certain track, he’s either got it or he’ll get it for you. “I make sure I have what my customers want to hear,” he says, “and they are welcome to sit and listen if they choose, but what I’m really hoping is that they’ll get up and dance. You know me,” he adds with a smile, “I hate to waste any good music.”

He says he loves to dance and he means it … so much so that the sentiment is echoed in the credo found at the bottom of every Dare 2 Dance business card:

Life is short … Dance Hard!