Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

Photo by eric miller

Students waltz and tango through class

By Eric Miller

ermiller@vwc.edu

 It should be fun, but could be interesting, Nate Swann, a 2008 VWC graduate said of his decision to take a dance class his senior year.  Because I don t know how to dance& no one really knows how to dance anymore.

Maybe they don t know how to dance, but at Virginia Wesleyan, both students and faculty are sure making it look like they know what they re doing. And they re having a lot of fun doing it.

While flipping through a recent VWC catalog, you might find a list of the different dance classes offered by the college, ranging from ballet to movement. According to Dr. Doug Kennedy, associate dean for campus recreation, many of the courses haven t been offered in several years, but that just makes the ones that are being offered more popular. These are Ballroom Dancing and Latin American Music and Dance, taught by Carlyn Vincent St. John and Dr. Mavel Velasco.

But is dance really all that popular on the Virginia Wesleyan campus?

 There s a growing interest, said Kennedy.  It s every bit as important [as the other sports offered].

That popularity has led to the formation of an intermediate ballroom dancing class which follows the introductory course in the spring.

 Most Latin American dances are done in couples, she pointed out, which is why her husband, a dancing instructor, assists with the course.  Without him, it would be more difficult to show students how to dance with a partner. And bonding with one another does seem to be a reason as to why so many are now being attracted to the dance floor.

Suzie Lazarowitz, a senior, participated in the first dancing with the Professors, an SGA fundraiser held March 2008 to raise money to buy new books for the library.

 It was a chance to work with Lina [Green] and get to know her better, along with forming personal relationships with many different professors was very inviting and I m so glad I took to opportunity, said Lazarowitz.

Kennedy said,  Dance is a lifetime sport, something that you can start in college and carry throughout the rest of your life.

 Our group rehearsals were so much fun, remembered Lazarowitz.  Oftentimes there was more laughs than dance going on.

Dancing with the Professors was a huge success, raising over $2,000 to support the cause. A total of eight students and accompanying professors danced the night away to routines such as the waltz, swing, tango and cha cha.

While many of these dances are the same as the ones taught in the ballroom dancing class, Green had personal connections. She had been dancing for years, everything from tap to hip-hop, and was able to get a friend, also a dancing instructor to tune the couples movements.

St. John also had a background in dance before she became the instructor at Wesleyan. You can tell she knows what she s talking about through her step-by-step demonstrations.

So whether you have a history in dance, are looking for a way to get energized, or want to make friends doing something fun, consider busting out those moves and joining the crowd in the Batten studio. Whether it s Latin American in the winter, ballroom in the fall, or Dancing with the Professors in the spring, a good time is sure to be had.

 I was very excited to start doing dance at school, said Lazarowitz.  I had not been able to find a good studio in the area and dance was missing in my life.