-START A FREE DANCE CLASS-
At this dance class, everyone has fun
dancing and unwinding from the week. The participants encourage each other on and off the dance floor- they have started a Facebook Group so they can support each other even when they aren't in class.
Movin’ to Music
Semora, NC
Caswell County
Movin’ to Music is a weekly dance exercise class held every Friday night at the Ruritan Club in Semora, NC. It was started by Paige Wall, who was born and raised in Semora and now teaches dance professionally in nearby Yanceyville. As Paige explains, “dancing at a studio seems a little intimidating to people who are just starting out dancing, or just want to dance to have fun and stay fit instead of performing on stage. This is when I decided that I would host a dance class, "Movin' to Music", to provide this opportunity in the community.”
This class is free and open to everyone. Paige donates her time, and the Semora Ruritan Club donates their building for the class. Class size varies, with the largest being 20 people. The class is advertised with a large sign in front of the building, and flyers are distributed around the community.
Paige chooses the songs and creates the dances, with some input from participants. However, you don’t have to be a professional to lead this class; one participant has been attending long enough that she started developing her own routines, and now she leads one or two songs each week. They also repeat music and dance moves week-to-week so people have a chance to practice and improve their movements. The dances are medium-paced, and Paige encourages people to modify movements as needed. The routines are a combination of dance steps and fitness moves, such as squats, lunges, and arm stretches.
All you need to start a free dance class is music, someone to lead the moves, an empty space, and a few advertisements! Some possible locations include a park, community center, or schools through a shared use agreement. You should also have everyone sign a waiver and/or make sure their doctor says they can participate.
You can use flyers, the local newspaper, local radio stations, and social media to spread the word about the classes. See the resources below to learn how to develop your own dance routine, or purchase pre-made routines from companies like Zumba. You might also hold more traditional dance classes, such as contra dance, line dancing, or ballroom dancing.
Resources
Try
it!
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