Monday, April 2, 2007
Stephanie Thompson and Josh Ibarra, Shawnee freshmen, learn how to ballroom dance Saturday evening in the Kansas Union Ballroom. Saturday was Dance Across Lawrence Day. "We've done some ballroom dancing before and we wanted to get some more experience," said Thompson. The Lawrence community had the opportunity to attend free dance classes or mini-performances throughout the city.
Learning a few new moves was free for participants in Dance Across Lawrence on Saturday. The event, sponsored by the Lied Center, the Lawrence Arts Center and the University of Kansas department of music and dance, featured free dance classes and performances for the public from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Among the styles of dance taught at the 30 classes throughout the day were ballet, ballroom, east Indian, hip-hop, jazz and swing. Stephanie Bottoms, Omaha, Neb., senior and intern at the Lied Center, said class sizes ranged from three in aballet class to 30 in an advanced jazz class.
Another popular class was hip-hop, which was taught by members of the Rock Chalk Dancers. Aubrey Morris, Lawrence freshman, convinced her boyfriend to join her for the class after hearing out about it through her sorority. Students learned choreography to a Ciara song in eight-count bits and progressively built on more steps until performing the entire routine for each other at end the class.
“I’ve never really danced routines so it was really difficult for me,” Morris said. “It was so much fun though.”
Candi Baker, dance program director, said the idea for the day came from a similar event held in Boston. She said the event showcased the wide variety of dance available in Lawrence.
“We just wanted to open the doors to everyone and get people excited about dance,” she said.
Mayor Mike Amyx declared the day “Dance Across Lawrence Day,” and Baker said she hoped it would become an annual event. Lawrence native Karole Armitage also returned Saturday night with her dance company and participants received discounted tickets.
Kansan staff writer Kyle Carter can be contacted at kcarter@kansan.com.
— Edited by Sharla Shivers
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