For ambitious Villagers, the Enrichment Academy always has a broad and wide choice of courses available.
On any given night in the square, there are lots of expert instructors eager and capable of teaching you the dance routines.
Jan Brown and her husband, Steve, teach a variety of dance classes via The Enrichment Academy, including intermediate East Coast Swing from Aug. 1 to Sept. 5.
The East Coast swing is identical to the jitterbug, but it is slower and easier to execute.
In the 1990s in Illinois, the pair took a variety of dance classes and by 1994, they were teaching them — anything from swing to country western two-step and cha-cha.
After their neighbors requested to learn the dances they performed, they began to teach with The Enrichment Academy while living in The Villages.
“We love to teach.” Jan said. “We love what we do.”
The Browns’ classes watch their students’ progress with each passing class, which they appreciate. Jan claims that her husband involves breaking down the classes into smaller elements and fundamentals in order to keep Villagers safe and capable of performing in little steps.
Jan feels that students in the classes form bonds with one another and that they make it a point for students to meet and form connections with their fellow dancers. This, according to Jan, helps them create groups to go to the squares at night.
“It allows new people to The Villages to meet new people and friends.” Jan said. “Many of our good friends even were once some of our students.”
The adaptability of Texas Country allows Villagers to dance in any part of Texas Country. She added, “Nearly any venue, no matter what plays and its fun for everyone.”
Andrea Thorne, who teaches a variety of Enrichment Academy courses for dance aficionados, is a great place to start if you’re looking for a new dance routine.
She plans to teach nightclub two-step and West Coast Swing in the fall semester. Thorne likes to teach couples dancing because she can perform in a more enclosed environment at The Enrichment Academy.
“It’s like concentrated teaching. Almost like a private dance lesson,” Thorne described. Her classes usually include 24 students divided between 12 pairs.
“I teach slow; I repeat everything I do,” Thorne said. “I do not rush anything.”
Students need to go home and practice the moves with their partners to be ready for a night out, according to Thorne, in order to master the dances successfully.
“Everything is practice,” Thorne said.
Visit theenrichmentacademy.org for more information and other courses offered by The Enrichment Academy.
You can register online, in person during business hours at any recreation complex, or by mail.