By Clay Merrill
clay@newsroom.byu.edu
More than just 'book-learning' classes are taught during Education Week.
The dance classes offered during Education Week provide a physical and entertaining outlet from sitting down for hours on end.
Classes offered include ballroom dance, aerobic dance, and recreational folk dance.
Duane Hiatt, the director of editorial and media production for the Continuing Education department, said the dance classes help to create a well-rounded curriculum for Education Week.
'We want to have a broad sweep of subjects that will appeal to all interests. Dance is one of those,' Hiatt said.
Folk dance Division Administrator Susanne Davis said the folk dance classes attract a wide variety of people.
'We have on average about 300 people who attend. They vary from youth, folk dance alumni and teachers who come to get information about different cultures and traditions. The classes are very popular and are an excellent recreational and social outlet,' Davis said.
The folk dance classes teach more than just dancing, he said.
'Whenever you teach folk dance, you teach about music, costumes, customs, traditions and people. People enjoy the class because they realize they are portraying another culture and it gives them an opportunity to learn about another group of people,' Davis said.
The ballroom dance classes are also very popular with Education Week participants.
Claudia Hill, a BYU Faculty Dance Instructor, is teaching the ballroom dance classes with her husband, Bard. Hill says the classes are especially popular among the teens.
'The kids normally start lining up an hour before the class starts. We feel bad that we actually have to turn some away because there is not enough room,' Hill said.
Besides ballroom dancing for youth, there is a class offered for adults and another class for the 'young at heart.'
Hill said it is particularly fun to teach the adults.
'My husband and I met on the Ballroom Dance Company so it is fun for us to teach married couples how to dance with each other,' Hill said.
For the 'early birds,' aerobic dance classes are held every morning at 7 a.m. Hill and her husband are also teaching those classes.
'This class is for the fitness buffs. We will be teaching the hooked-on-aerobics series that will help the participants be awake and alert for their other classes,' she said.
Hiatt said the LDS faith is different from other backgrounds in which dance was considered taboo.
Hiatt said, 'Church leaders such as Brigham Young used to dance to buoy up the spirits of the Saints. We have a rich tradition of dance in the church and we feel that teaching good modest dance is important.'
The aerobic dance class is every morning at 7 a.m. in 270-278 RB.
Ballroom dancing for teens is every day at 5:50 p.m. in 270-278 RB.
Ballroom dancing is every day at 7:10 p.m. in 270-278 RB.
Ballroom dancing for adults is every day at 8:30 p.m. in 270-278 RB.
Recreational folk dance is every day at 9:50 a.m., 1:50 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. in 270-278 RB.