RAPID CITY, S.D. — Dance is an activity for all ages to enjoy that boasts many benefits.
Niki Hughes, Board of Directors with the Black Hills Dance Festival, says, “Your memory is triggered with a lot of dance, so you’ve got stress relief, you’ve got memory, you have cognitive thinking and then you also have coordination – like you can’t loose in the process of dance – and smiles.”
Cutting a rug is also great for exercise and your social calendar. It’s a skill that can be enjoyed your whole life.
Debbie Ellerton, the Director of the Board of Directors with the Black Hills Dance Festival, says, “At my grandpas 98th birthday party, he was dancing, so that is proof to me that it is a lifetime activity.”
Debbie owns Heartland Dancing, which offers dance instruction throughout the year.
The Black Hills Dance Festival has been bringing professional dance instructors to the Black Hills for 25 years, offering an array of workshops for all ages and levels during the day and a time to practice your new moves with open dancing in the evening.
Hughes says, “You’re really gonna learn the basics, you’re going to be able to do your intermediates – you’re gonna learn your pattern dances and then also kind of that specialty, having that professional feel to kind of fine tune your movements.”
You can get your groove on with classes in Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Shag, Salsa, Line Dance, Country Two-Step and more.
This year’s theme is Latin Nights; participants are encouraged to dress the part during the evening dancing events.
There are also student discounts.
In part to try and get more families involved in the dance community, Rapid Rhythms Dance Club is offering a dance every month for all genres of dance and all ages and levels. The dances are held at the Moose Lodge in Rapid City. The next dance is May 8 at 7 p.m. and costs five dollars.
The Dance Festival will be hosting a Thursday kick off party open to public, with a free Latin dance party from 9 p.m. – 10:30pm Thursday evening, April 22.
Click here to register for the Dance Festival or see the schedule.
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