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“One, two, tri-ple-step,” Leslie Swanson said, as she moved between the dancers.
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Amy Pospichal-Heuvlein, 11, paints an art history mask to resemble a Monet painting Thursday at Winona State University during a College For Kids class. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) |
She passed a pair as they tried to figure out where their hands were supposed to go, leaving the steps behind as they tried to navigate a proper spin.
“Don’t you drop that hand?” Rachel Lozenski, 13, asked her partner.
Confusion stopped the spin before it started.
“No, I drop this one … wait, you’re right,” her dance-mate said.
As the pairs learning the basics of ballroom dance struggled through the mechanics of the fox trot and the cha-cha, their steps and moves progressed from chaos to something resembling dancing.
But the sounds of high heels on the hardwood floor weren’t offset by the clicks of their normal leather counterparts as the one, two, threes were called out. Something was missing.
The boys. Not that the girls cared.
“It’s easier to learn with girls,” Wren Kruse, 12, said. “But it is funny to see the look on the boys’ faces.”
The seven girls kept up the routines, with the help of a volunteer to fill in the pairs, and switched between the roles of leader and follower.
The beginning ballroom class was one of many during the 21st annual Winona State University College for Kids program. About 300 students entering grades four through nine took classes such as photography, mask making and writing for news. The classes were taught by volunteers, community members and WSU faculty over two sessions earlier this month.
A teacher had to vouch for the each student’s ability to handle the range of classes. The program is designed for students who want to try new things and go beyond what they normally learn in school. Many are looking for something new to be passionate about.
“A lot of them just want to try the subjects out,” College for Kids director Traci Rahim said.
They came from places like Lake City, Kellogg and Rushford, Minn., and some came from farther away. Madeline Westberg, 13, and her friend Ellen Albright, 13, made the trip from Madison, Wis.
Westberg, who was in her second year of College for Kids, admitted Swanson’s ballroom class was her first dancing experience.
“I can’t dance at all,” Westberg said.
Few in the room could, save for the teacher, but that didn’t stop the fun. Despite their age — they ranged from 13 to 10 — they had a desire to learn dances generally saved for retirement parties. The waltz was a favorite.
“I like old-fashioned stuff,” 12-year-old Abigail Hall from Kellogg said. “I’m a Civil War freak. They did a lot of balls back then.”
In the absence of 1860s-era galas, Hall’s sister’s wedding will have to do so she can show off her new skills. But even Southern Belles had gents to dance with.
“It can’t be just any guy,” Kruse said. “It has to be a guy who can dance.”
Can you tell a boy who can dance just by looking at him? If you can, that’s a lesson for another day.
