Put on your dance shoes and make your way to the Glenloch Recreation Center for a fun way to stay fit and active. The Peachtree City Recreation Department offers a wide variety of dance classes at the center throughout the week, with something for all ages and styles.
Tuesday evenings at 6:30, instructor Carolina Isabel Fernandez leads all levels of dancers, ages 15 and up, in the new Flamenco class. A powerful and highly-expressive dance style born in Spain, Flamenco is a 75-minute class teaching basic footwork, arm and hand technique, body posture, listening skills, and short combinations.
A drop-in Adult Line Dancing class is offered Thursday afternoons at 2:45. Instructor Rachel Ferguson makes each dance easy to learn by breaking the routine down step by step. Participants have the opportunity to practice the line dances at each class, and new routines are introduced periodically. Each class costs just $3, payable by cash or check at the door.
Tweens and teens, ages 8 to 16, can learn to express themselves through music and dance in the Hip Hop Dance class offered on Thursday afternoons at 3:00. Instructor Beverly Ferguson leads the group in high energy dance sequences that are fun and funky, with a focus on hip hop technique, style, and choreography blocks. No previous dance experience is necessary as each movement is taught step by step.
A Clog Dance class is also offered Thursday afternoons at 4. Rachel Ferguson leads children, ages 4 and up, in a style of dance in which performers strike their heels, toes, or both against the floor to create unique percussive rhythms. Today’s clog dancing is performed not only to country music, but also to upbeat pop music with intricate fast patterns. Students progress at their own pace and may advance to the performing team.
Saturday evenings at 7, instructor James Stone and partner Charlyn Harms lead a beginner Ballroom Dance class. Participants, ages 8 and up, learn dances such as the East Coast Swing, Rhumba, Three Count Hustle, and Six Count Hustle. In addition to beginners, this class also offers the perfect opportunity for those who have learned to dance in the past and would like to review and learn new steps. Each six week session offers a party during the last class to allow students the opportunity to practice what they have learned.
Ballroom Dance classes for ages 15 and up are led by instructor Rachel Ferguson on Sunday afternoons, beginning at 4:00. New and experienced dancers alike learn dances such as the Basic Shag, Waltz, Foxtrot, Hustle, and Night Club Two Step. Review and practice is offered in each class to help participants gain the confidence needed to step out on the dance floor at social events and truly enjoy themselves.
Sunday evenings at 6, Beverly Ferguson teaches a Belly Dance class for ages 13 and up. Belly Dance, one of the most ancient forms of exercise, is believed to provide many physical and mental benefits. Participants may experience an increase in endurance and muscle control while decreasing stress levels.
Additional information about dance and other classes available through the Peachtree City Recreation Department is available in the online catalog at www.peachtree-city.org/recreation.
