May I have this dance?

Locals learn to ballet, salsa, bellydance and hula

 

By Maria Allard

C & G Staff Writer

Quick. Name the country duo that did the “Boot Scootin’ Boogie?”

  If you answered Brooks and Dunn, chances are you’ve hit the dance floor on more than one occasion.

     From the ballroom to the Chicken Dance to local clubs, dancing never goes out of style. That was evident July 20 when the crowd at Freedom Hill’s German American Volksfest in Sterling Heights made its way to the dance floor to polka, line dance and waltz. When music played, they danced.     

     Dancing is fun, great exercise and a way to make friends. From beginners to advanced dancers, there is no shortage of places that offer lessons. Local parks and recreation centers, school community education programs and studios offer lessons in tap, ballet, hip-hop, swing and more.

     Adam Schwager, 20, began talking German folk lessons at age 3 at the Carpathia Club in Sterling Heights. He performed ethnic German folk dances with club members at the German American Volksfest July 19-20. Dancing is something he can’t imagine not doing.

     “My friends and I enjoy doing it. You build friendships. You have a common bond.”

     Carpathia Club dancers must be of German descent and sponsored by a member, lead instructor Anna Marie Tittjung said. Other dance instructors are Linda Schwager, Monica Prybula and Monique Ricard. The classes are divided by age group: 4-7, 8-13, and 14 to 23. Most dances consist of waltzes and polkas, and require a partner. The students practice once a week and occasionally perform locally and out of state.

     “They learn about the culture and carry on the tradition,” Tittjung said. “The kids we have now, their parents grew up in this atmosphere.”

     Pam Oriold, the current Miss Youth Group, began taking German dance lessons when she was 2.

     “My dad was in it when he was younger and my grandparents have been in it,” Oriold, 17, said. “I like it because it’s a way to keep in touch with my heritage.”

     The islands have come to the metro area by way of Karen Marks, artistic director of the Golston Polynesian Dance Company. Since 1992, Marks has taught Polynesian dancing, which includes dances from Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, Tonga and Somoa. Various costumes are worn with each dance.

     “Polynesian dance means all the dances from the South Pacific,” Marks said. “Each song, each dance tells a story about something. My students not only learn to dance, but they learn about the culture and the history.”

     The story could be about a love interest, ancient Hawaiian kings and queens, or the love of a child. In her Hawaiian classes, Marks teaches Hula Kahiko, which means ancient hula. 

     “Before the Missionaries arrived, Hula Kahiko was performed by men and eventually women,” said Marks, adding the Missionaries thought the dance was vulgar. “When the Missionaries came, they softened it up.”

     Hula Auana is the modern hula, which is danced to music considered contemporary and Western.

     “Ancient hula … most tourists don’t see that,” Marks said.

     Maori is a New Zealand dance in which the dancers use poi balls. Sometimes the poi balls are on fire, while some dancers use a special material that makes the balls glow.

     “Maori dance is more hand movement than hip movement,” Marks said.

     Marks said the Samoa dance is similar to Maori. Men perform a slap dance in Samoa similar to the handbone, in which they use their hands to slap their legs, chest and back.

     “In Tonga dancing, the moves are rather slow and there is more hand movements,” Marks said.

     Marks said Tahitian is the dance “everybody likes” and it differs from Hawaiian dancing.

     “Mostly, it’s basic moves,” Marks said. “You usually turn around so you can see the hips move.”

     In Tahitian dancing, grass skirts are worn and the dancers use a hand prop known as the ii, which dancers twirl while dancing.

     What creates a good dancer? Bellydance instructor Mary Sasta said it takes practice.

     “If you don’t practice, you won’t get it,” said Sasta, a belly dancer for 22 years and instructor for five years. Sasta just finished an eight-week course with the Chippewa Valley School district. Many community education programs have added bellydancing to their classes.

     A friend talked Sasta into taking lessons. At first she was hesitant, but she quickly fell in the love with the dance.

     “I love the exercise part of it and the art of it,” Sasta said. “It’s such a pretty dance when it’s all put together.”

     Salsa music also has a reputation for getting people onto the dance floor. At Player’s Athletic Club in Warren, members and non-members get an aerobic workout and several salsa moves in the club’s Energetic Salsa class.

     The class is not designed as a dance class, but is taught in an aerobics format. Students pick up different Cuban style salsa steps, and beginners and advanced students are welcome.

     “I try to get the class to have fun with it,” instructor Dorothy Sirhan said. “I really enjoy salsa dancing as a hobby. The music is invigorating and I just think it’s a lot of fun.”

     You can reach Maria Allard at allard@candgnews.com

 

 

 

     • The Energetic Salsa class is from 7-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Player’s Athletic Club, 13750 11 Mile, in Warren. The class is free for club members and $10 for non-members.

     • For information on the Carpathia Club’s German dance lessons, call (586) 978-2292.

     • Swing dancing is available the third Wednesday and the last Wednesday of each month at Freedom Hill, 15000 Metro Parkway, Sterling Heights. Country western dances are offered Aug. 14, Sept. 12, Oct. 24, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12 at Freedom Hill. For more information, call (586) 979-7010 or log onto www.freedomhillcountypark.com.

     • Karen Marks, artistic director of the Golston Polynesian Dance Company, is holding a Polynesian dance workshop and luau show Aug. 9-10 at the Comfort Inn Hotel, 31960 Little Mack in Roseville.

     The event will feature instructor Julie Wolfgramm from the island of Tonga. Workshop fee is $129 per person. The luau show will be from 7-9 p.m. Aug. 9. Cost for the luau is $19.95 and deadline to register is Aug 2. For further information on the event or on Marks’ classes, call (313) 527-5073 or log onto www.marksdesigns.com.