Sixty Brainerd High School students will take it to the floor to learn ballroom dancing beginning Sept. 7.
Chattanooga’s Choo Choo Chapter of USA Dance will teach students for free after school at Brainerd High for 10 weeks.
“I always wanted to share my love of ballroom dancing with kids,” said local dance chapter member Nancy Henderson, of East Brainerd. “Because arts programs are being cut the timing could not be better, because it’s free.”
From left are Chattanooga DanceSport owner Denny Lennon, ballroom dance students Hannah Chretien and Savannah Brown and Choo Choo Chapter of USA Dance member Mike Tsai. The group performs for Brainerd High School students to showcase what they will learn in the “Take the Lead” Ballroom Dance classes beginning Sept. 7 at Brainerd High.Education, Arts and Culture Administrator Missy Crutchfield assisted in setting up the program at Brainerd.
“We are proud to be partnering with Brainerd High School and USA Dance to make this dream a reality for local students,” she said. “Since watching the success of programs like the one featured in ‘Mad Hot Ballroom’ and the excitement created by films like Antonio Banderas’ ‘Take the Lead,’ we have wanted to bring something similar to Chattanooga.”
Brainerd High School principal Charles Joynes plans to take the dance lessons along with his students.
“I think our students will make everyone very happy that we were chosen,” said Joynes. “We want to expose Brainerd students to the higher level of ballroom dancing. I think this opportunity will broaden their horizons to better things in the world.”
Henderson said Chattanooga Dance Sport professional instructors Amanda Lennon and Amy Sandy will teach the cha-cha and hustle, respectively, and Alicia’s School of Dance’s Steve Creswell will teach East Coast swing. Students will be divided into three groups, so that each team learns one form of dance.
“Students will start with the basics of footwork and social dance etiquette,” said Henderson. “This program fits perfectly with fitness goals. Dancing boosts cardiovascular strength, balance and flexibility. Kids will exercise without feeling like they are exercising.”
She said students will have fun dancing with their partners to hip hop and rock. Henderson, who has been dancing for about six years, said she absolutely “loves it.”
“If the pilot program at Brainerd High School goes well, then we hope to offer the classes at two schools next semester,” she said. “On November 11th all three student teams will dance at Allemande Hall [in East Brainerd] at the monthly USA Dance Ballroom Party. They will dance with accomplished ballroom dancers and show off what they learned.”