Shown from left are Kobie Rodriguez, Elora Chainey, Chanel Bradford, Marlie Wolcott, Aspen Geyer, and Lyndi Tenney practicing their tap routines at Lee Anne Stewart’s Dance School. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

By Lilli Dwyer
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — In decades past, dancing was an important social activity. According to the Library of Congress, a dance was an opportunity not only for people to show off their moves, but to demonstrate how well-versed they were in fashion and etiquette. Manuals were published with both dance instructions and rules for proper behavior at these events where waltzes and quadrilles were in style. In the post-World War I era, people fox trotted or Lindy-hopped in nightclubs and school gyms rather than ballrooms.

Nowadays, outside of weddings and proms, many people practice the skill for the love of dance itself. The learning process often takes place in a dedicated school.

Establishments like Debra Collier’s School of Dance in Warsaw, usually focus on performance dance, such as ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and modern dance. Classes range all the way from toddler to adult.

Collier, who has been teaching dance since 1977, said students often come to lessons for “creative expression, joy, camaraderie, fun, making new friends, acceptance — many of our students refer to the dance school as their second home — and connection.”

From left are Mya Heaton, Makenna Miller, Alexis Reece and Annabel Clark chatting during a ballet class at Debra Collier’s School of Dance. Photo provided by Debra Collier.

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 changed some. It used to be the Sammy Davis Jr. style and that sort of thing, now there’s more of a street style of tap dancing. And 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.

Cindy Kinsey and Brandon Miller cross the floor in a tango dance at Art of Dance Warsaw. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

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.

“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 confidence,” 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.”