[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]University Swingers will be welcoming three sets of dance instructors and guests to Truman State today at noon and Saturday as it hosts its annual Rock Ya Body swing workshop.
Rock Ya Body is an opportunity for others to see what swing dancing is like and offers lessons to those interested in learning from professionals. Dancers of any skill level are welcome, but there are three tracks to choose from. Track 1 is the beginner track, which focuses on breaking down the fundamental techniques of swing dancing. Track 2 is the intermediate track, where participants will learn how to be versatile on the floor. Track 3 is advanced, which focuses on exploring rhythm and how to make your dance stand out from the rest.
Senior Ian Wohlstadter said he is the event planner for Rock Ya Body this year and was able to reach out to three distinguished instructing groups.
“We are able to bring in these big name instructors who are internationally known or locally known, or who are getting more well-known,” Wohlstadter said. “The [Funds Allotment Council] allows us to do this and without them we wouldn’t be able to afford them.”
Wohlstadter said he thinks this opens opportunities for students and the Kirksville community because the instructors are more popular. The instructors will include Christian Frommelt and Jenny Shirar, Jamin Jackson and Grace Durant, and Michael Brafford and Dee Daniels Locke.
Frommelt and Shirar began teaching during 2011 and are experienced in varieties of dance such as the Charleston, the St. Louis Shag and class routines, according to the Swingers website. Jackson is an entrepreneur who has traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad for more than 20 years choreographing and teaching dance, according to the website. Durant has been teaching in Texas and across the country for the past few years, according to the website. Brafford and Locke have each been dancing since the 1990s and like to focus on self expression on the dance floor, according to the website.
Lessons will begin 7 p.m. Friday night with Frommelt and Shirar giving a beginners’ lesson before the kick-off dance from 8-11 p.m., Wohlstadter said. He said the opening dance will feature a live band and also will include varying dance contests such as the same-sex competition and a solo Charleston competition.
To learn more about Rock Ya Body, read the rest on Issuu, and check out the video below to watch a previous University Swingers performance.
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