Western swing dancing originated in the early 1930s and peaked in the 1940s, but due to a tax on any clubs that advertised dancing, it declined shortly after World War 2. Rebecca Curtis, a senior at Bear River High School has been swing dancing for over 2 years. “I love dips, lifts, and the really fun, cute basics. I don’t necessarily have a specific favorite move, but I love the lifts best of all.” Swing dancing spans a wide level of skill. The moves range from basic turns to complex stunts.
Although Rebecca’s passion now lies in the more extreme stunts she didn’t always feel so comfortable in her dancing shoes. “I wanted to dance for a while, but I felt like I couldn’t because I didn’t know how. There were a few years where I wouldn’t really go to dances or join in because I felt like you had to know how to dance to dance.” Many people feel that dancing is a “natural talent” that some people are gifted with while others are not. Rebecca didn’t let this common conception stop her. “One year I had a friend who got me into dancing and taught me some new stuff. I learned a few things and that made me more confident and I learned that dancing is a learn-as-you-go kind of thing, and that it’s ok to not know exactly what you need to do.” Rebecca worked hard, learning new moves, attending the USU swing nights, and even teaching her friends. She has been dancing with Ben Hone for about a year and a half. “He isn’t necessarily my best friend, but we just are able to dance the same. We understand each other's cues the best.” Learning to stunt with a partner can be scary, especially when they are flipping their partner, spinning them upside down, or throwing them up in the air. “There definitely is a level of trust there, in which I trust him to do bigger lifts with me because I know his abilities. Because the trust was built over time, he’s the one I’m the most comfortable doing moves with.” While Rebecca has enjoyed the complex side of swing dancing, she remembers how overwhelming it was to her at the beginning. Her advice to a beginner is “Try it out. Don’t be scared because that's what held me back for several years. Don’t let your fears control you. I don't believe in making everyone dance, but I do believe it’s important for those who want to do it and have a passion for it. [They ] should do it and not hold back because of their fears.” Dancing has become less common in society today, and many, fearing failure, don’t learn. Rebecca has found joy not only in her dancing, but also in the reward of facing her fears. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear” and that is exactly what Rebecca has done. Article by Felicity Michaelis Photo by Rachel Epling
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February 2024
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