About Us
Empowering Children and Adults Through Leadership, Life Skills, and Social Skills Development
About Back to Basics
Back to Basics provides an exciting and popular Leadership, Life Skills, and Social Graces Enrichment Program for youth and adults.
Our foundation is predicated on the belief that success is built on social intelligence (a combination of social graces and emotional intelligence), because at the core of humanity is our ability to navigate and thrive face-to-face, not just online.
We offer private coaching and group programs on weekends or weekdays. It can be customized as an ongoing program, a special series, or a one-day intensive workshop. We know our services are vital to the social aspects of development and introduce appropriate and creative ways to develop them.
- Enhance professional skills, life skills, and social skills.
- Reinforce positive character traits like manners, ethics, leadership, and healthy boundaries.
- Increase self-confidence, tempered by humility, diplomacy, and emotional intelligence.
- Encourage empathy for others and enhanced communication skills.
Featured In ...
About Deborah Joy Block
Background & Philosophy
-
Lived abroad for 8 years while her parents served as U.S. State Department diplomats, gaining an early appreciation of protocol, etiquette, and cultural adaptability. Speaks Spanish.
-
Worked for the U.S. Department of State.
-
Traveled to 23 countries, strengthening her ability to navigate diverse cultures and personalities.
-
Believes that kindness and empathy are the “international language” that unites people across all backgrounds.
“My guiding and primary goal is to empower people to have strong self-confidence while also demonstrating empathy and kindness toward others at every opportunity.” — Deborah Joy Block
Professional Experience
- Over 30 years of social dance, entrepreneurship, image consulting, social skills, lifestyle balance, and relationship success.
- Specialized in coaching singles, dating clients, and engaged couples in premarital preparation.
- Social Graces and Image Consultant for TV personalities, celebrities, political leaders, diplomats, and military brass.
- Hired, trained, supervised, and mentored a staff of 41.
- Clients include: corporations, schools, government agencies, community organizations, country clubs, camps, and religious organizations.
- Professional Coach: etiquette, matchmaking, dating, premarital, event planning, social dance, and social skills.
- Published author of articles on social skills and soft skills, and national speaker on leadership, life skills, and social graces.
Entrepreneurial Leadership
- The Wedding Dance Specialists: Founded the nation’s first wedding dance instruction company, serving more than 30,000 engaged couples and their families. Recognized as a top wedding dance resource, with celebrity clientele and national recognition. TheWeddingDanceSpecialists.com
- Dance Dynamix: Founded a talent agency providing professional performers, teachers, and party hosts for special events.
- Social Intelligence Coaching: The intersection of Emotional Intelligence, Holistic Life Skills, and Social Graces.
- Organized and hosted industry trade shows, connecting vendors and clients in the social events industry.
- Block Real Estate Group/RE/MAX Allegiance.
- Silver Key Senior Transitions.
- RUACH Fund (Real Estate United Against Crimes of Hate).
Education & Certifications
- B.A. Communications.
- Social Graces — The American School of Protocol.
- 30 years of teaching experience: Ballroom, Latin, Argentine Tango, and Bellydance
- Special Event Planning — The Bridal Society.
- Premarital Coaching — Prepare/Enrich Program.
- Life Coaching Certification — The Redemption School.
- Wedding MBA Graduate, Las Vegas — entrepreneurship training.
- Studied French and Spanish in Switzerland & Costa Rica.
- Holistic and Conventional Mental Health & Wellness Classes.
- Energetic Movement Processing & Spiritual Dance.
Additional Credentials
- Licensed and insured professional.
- Cleared criminal background check and fingerprinting (Alexandria City Police Department).
- Authorized Fairfax County vendor.
- Virtus™ child safety certified by the Catholic Archdiocese.
- Biblical and Spiritual Studies.
- Former holder of Top Secret security clearance with the U.S. Department of State.
Media & Public Appearances
- Performances at the Arlington Tango Festival (sponsored by the Argentine Embassy), U.S. Department of State Fine Arts Program, Chamber of Commerce Galas, and major corporate events.
- Featured in Washingtonian Magazine, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, The McLean Times, Alexandria Gazette, Perfect Wedding Guide, Brides & Weddings Magazine, Old Town Crier, and Washington Jewish Week.
- Television and radio appearances include Telemundo, Channel 8 TV, Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Network (national reality show), HOT 99.5, MIX 107.3, WJFK 106.7FM, WTNT 570AM, and WUSA Ch. 9.
- Public Speaker for National Organizations.
Corporate & Organization Clients
Burgundy Farm Country Day School
Randolph Elementary
Clairmont Immersion Elementary School
Saint Thomas Moore Cathedral School
Saint Agnes Elementary School
The Virginia Homeschooling Association
Foreign Service Institute
National Jewish Retreat
Saint Ann Elementary School
TC Williams High School
Polk Elementary
Gunston Arts Camp
Chabad Lubavitch Synagogue
McLean Community Center
Freemason Fraternity
U.S. Department of State
McLean Chamber of Commerce
Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering
Booz Allen
Girl Scouts
Cub Scouts
Wounded Warrior Project