Dancers sharpen up with guest instructor

Go to any club on the Friday night after payday and you’ll find that dancing is alive and well in Belize. But there’s dancing…and there’s dancing. This week the kind that is done on the stage is in the spotlight as a highly regarded teacher from abroad is in town to motivate our often hidden talent. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has more.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Steve Rooks started dancing when he was twenty. Rooks considers it a late start, but it?s a decision that has earned him many accolades. Today this celebrated dancer and college dance instructor from the United States is in Belize to share some of his techniques with local dance teachers and students.

Steve Rooks, Dance Instructor
?Well I think anyone has to be disciplined. I had a teacher who said that if you decide to become a teacher you?ve committed yourself to a life of slavery; just because it demands that much. It?s like a concert pianist has to practice eight hours a day doing scales and what not and their routines. A dancer has to have that kind of commitment.?

The routine is rigorous, but these students managed to get through most of the workout. But do these young men and women have what it takes to make it to the stage? Rooks says although some of the students could not remember steps he had only taught them yesterday, he was encouraged by their interest.

Steve Rooks
?My goal is to say, okay you don?t have that yet, but you got this today and so we always want to build up that way. I think it?s self-defeating to think, well it?s not perfect today…let?s build up on this, let?s work on this. So I?m not at disappointed at all with their work.?

Rooks says some people are just born natural dancers. Others… well they have to rely on sheer willpower and discipline. But as a ten-year principal dancer at the Martha Graham Dance Company and assistant professor of dance at Vassar College, he has seen all types of people accomplish amazing feats of creativity.

Steve Rooks
?I had a friend who said this, and it?s true, that hard work beats raw talent any day. And a lot of times you?ll find someone who maybe doesn?t have all the natural gifts, but they have a sense of focus and commitment. And they may not be the greatest dancer in the world, they may not dance on the larger stages, but they are able to kind of transcend their limitations and really create art.?

Rooks says he has no plans to organise a show at the end of the workshop, but it is definitely something he would consider if he gets the opportunity to return to Belize. Jacqueline Woods for News Five.

Rooks’ visit to Belize was made possible by the Institute of Creative Arts and Dramatic Force International of Belmopan. The dance classes, which are being offered to dance teachers, secondary students, and juniors, ends Wednesday.