Line 'em up, and then make them dance ...
By Kirsten Ballard
Published in News on June 23, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Instructor Joy Grant, left, and dancer Janie Ellis laugh together after a group hug to finish off their Monday afternoon line dancing class at Herman Park Center.
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Beaty Dobson gives a kick while trying out some new moves to the song "Cowboy Up" at line dancing class at Herman Park on Monday afternoon. The classes are open to people of all ages and there are different levels depending on whether the dancer is a beginner or an advanced student.
Seventeen women stand in a circle, with their arms looped around one another's backs.
"One, two, three, hug!" called Joy Grant, their teacher.
The circle closes into a large group hug.
This is how they end every line dancing class.
"I love you guys," Joy said.
In the advanced class, the women stand in four lines in the auditorium of the Herman Park Center. They have the air conditioning turned up to keep the room cool once they get moving.
Joy stands at the front of the class.
She instructs them through step-ball-changes and kickball-shuffles.
Sandra Collins has been line dancing for three years.
"I love it," she said. "I am blessed to be able to line dance."
She stands behind Joy in the front row, counting silently along to the music as her feet padded gracefully through the moves.
"I like the brain work, how the brain and body work together," she said.
The coordination causes some problems for some of the members, even in the advance class.
Alice Cox has been dancing for five years, but some of the new moves on Monday sent her to the side for a water break.
"My head can't keep up today," she said, laughing.
Joy makes an effort to check on each of her participants to make sure they're keeping up, mentally and physically. She encourages them to get water and will break down the moves for them to make it easier.
She demonstrates sequences a couple of times before turning on the music.
"I can count it if you can watch my feet," she told them. "It's the hardest thing in the world to tell you what I'm doing while doing it."
The songs are broken down into 8-count moves. The only exception is the waltz, a 6-count song.
"Once you learn the dance, I can switch up the music," Joy said.
This is her second year of teaching.
"I'm not very good, but they say I make it so much fun," she said.
She teaches in Snow Hill and Kinston on Wednesday, and two Herman Park Center classes on Monday at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. She attends Stasia Fields' class as a student on Tuesday nights.
"I'm dancing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday," she said. "Most of them in here are line dancing every day of the week. It's a lot of fun."