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Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
FIVE, SIX , SEVEN, EIGHT — Sho wn from left are Kobie Rodriguez, Elora Cha iney, Chanel Bradford, Marlie Wolcott, Aspen Gey er, and Lyndi Tenney practicing their tap routines at Lee Anne Stewart’s Dance School. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.
By LILLI DWYER Staff Writer
Nowadays, outside from weddings and proms, many people practice the skill for the In decades past, dancing was love of dance itself. The learnan important social activity. Ac- ing process often takes place cording to the Library of Con- in a dedicated school. Establishments, like Debra gress, a dance was an opportunity not only for people to show Collier’s School of Dance in off their moves, but to demon- Warsaw, usually focus on perstrate how well-versed they formance dance, such as balwere in fashion and etiquette. let, tap, jazz, hip hop and modManuals were published with ern dance. Classes range all both dance instructions and the way from toddler to adult. Collier, who has been teachrules for proper behavior at these events where waltzes ing dance since 1977, said stuand quadrilles were in style. In dents often come to lessons the post-World War I era, peo- for “creative expression, joy, ple fox trotted or Lindy-hopped camaraderie, fun, making new in nightclubs and school gyms friends, acceptance — many of our students refer to the dance rather than ballrooms. school as their second home — and connection.” At Lee Anne Stewart’s Dance School in Syracuse, a dance production takes place every June, though the students aren’t required to participate. “Some really like to perform, some just like to learn,” Stewart said. “From my point of view, most of the dancers that come here are not going to be professional dancers, but they’re all going to have to be in front of a group sometime. ... They get use to being in front of people.” Stewart noted some styles have changed over the years since she has been teaching dance. “Tap has even O — Cindy changed some. It used TWO TO TANG n Miller cross to be the Sammy Davis Kinsey and Brando e at Art nc da o ng Jr. style and that sort ta a in the floor Photo by w. sa ar of thing, now there’s W in e nc of Da more of a street style r. ye Dw lli Li of tap dancing. And
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TAKE THE LEAP — Lily Schumacher, left, and Elle Wood practice their chassé moves at Lee Anne Stewart’s Dance School. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.
of course, hip hop has changed things, too,” she explained. According to NPR, hip hop, as a genre of music, had only just been created when Stewart began teaching in 1973. While ballet is still considered an important style and a foundational technique for learning more, there is a greater emphasis now on modern dance and lyrical dance, which is set to music with words. “The children like that better than they do the strict ballet; most children do,” Stewart said. Outside the performance sphere, social dancing is still alive in some forms. Matt Smith has been ballroom dancing for about 20 years and now gives lessons out of Art of Dance, Warsaw. “Competition is fun ... but I also find most people don’t really want to spend the money on it or put that much time and work into it. I think we’re missing a big part of the art when we’ve taken social dance out of our culture,” Smith said. Smith focuses on ballroom, Latin and swing styles, which are typically partner dances, but teaches group line dances as well. He describes social dancing as the ability to “go anywhere and dance.” Weddings are a prime example of when one might need to dance with others. “That’s what we focus on; being able to go out and feel comfortable and not feel secluded at my table because I don’t know how to do anything. But enjoying each other through that expression is really what social (dancing) is about,” he explained. One of Smith’s goals is to organize balls for those, who want to dance in a more formal setting.
n, MakFrom left are Mya Heato CIRCLE OF FRIENDS — ring a du ing and Annabel Clark chatt vidpro enna Miller, Alexis Reece oto Ph e. llier’s School of Danc ballet class at Debra Co ed by Debra Collier.
STEP IN TIME — Matt Smith helps Alice Metzger through a series of dance steps. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.
“We don’t really do it anymore, but I think people really enjoy it,” he said of the practice. It can be intimidating for new dancers to get started, particularly adults who feel they have started too late or they simply “can’t dance.” “Many people just lack con-
fidence,” Collier said in response. “My advice is simple: take the fist step.” “People think they can’t because no one’s showed them that they could,” Smith remarked. “It’s a very personal thing to step through that door for the first time. It shows strength.”