Dance classes keep students moving
Line dancing has many benefits, from simple exercise to the fun of teaching students skills that will get them moving fluidly on the dance floor.
Avery Baker leads a line dance class at Thornton Recreation Center in Armuchee from 6 to 8 p.m. on Mondays.
The difficulty of the line dances he teaches ranges from beginner to improving and more. He has learned to play it by ear, he said.
“If we get some new students in, I’ll start us back at zero and go from there,” he said. “We also do beginners warm-ups sometimes.”
“It keeps you young,” said Sally Farmer, line dance class member.
Carol Greissinger said she loves the class because it is great exercise and it keeps her up-todate on popular music.
“Dance is therapy,” laughed Charlotte Saxon.
The students travel around Rome, visiting assisted living and nursing homes, Greissinger said.
“We visit and dance to a few songs and sometimes the residents like to laugh and clap along or join in,” she said.
Walking through the center during class time, you won’t just hear just country music, because line dancing covers a wide spectrum of popular music.
“We mix it up,” Baker laughed. “Every now and then, we’ll break out ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie,’ but not all the time.”
Baker said the class is excellent for exercise and improving memory.
“It can help with the onset of dementia,” he said. “It is more of a workout than you think, because we can definitely work up a sweat.”
Dancing is also good for the soul, he added.
“Come out, laugh together, kid around,” he said. “We have a good group out here.”
The dances range in number of steps. Some are short as 32 and some are as high as 116. The most complicated part of the class is remembering the steps and making sure to stay on beat with the music, he said.
Baker said that line dancing has huge conventions in places like Florida, the Carolinas, Atlanta, England, Hong Kong and even on cruise ships.
“You can have as many as 100 or more dancing together at some conventions,” Baker said. “There are instructors who teach classes to 1,000 students.”
Baker gets many of his line dance step lists from a website called Copper Knob Step Sheets, he said.
Fellow instructor Sherry Herring visited the class Monday just to have fun, she said.
She teaches a class on Thursdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Second Avenue United Methodist Church in Rome, so there are several opportunities to attend a class.
The class also believes in supporting each other, members agree.
“We always clap for each other after every dance,” explained Saxon.