Ballroom Dance Camp!
May 13, 2019 | by savannah traywick
This summer, Ballroom Dancing is a fun way for kids to stay healthy, build confidence, and learn important social skills. In this Billings Parks & Recreation-offered camp, taught by professional instructor Arica Lipp, your child will learn the basics of Swing, Foxtrot, Cha Cha Cha, and Waltz. They will also learn basic social etiquette.
CAMP SESSIONS:
- Session I: Monday to Friday, June 10-June 14 | Ages 6-9: 1-2pm; Ages 10-12: 2-3pm; Ages 13-15: 3-4pm | Comfortable, lightweight clothing and tennis shoes are recommended to dance in.
- Session II: Monday to Friday, July 29-August 2 | Ages 6-9: 1-2pm; Ages 10-12: 2-3pm; Ages 13-15: 3-4pm | Comfortable, lightweight clothing and tennis shoes are recommended to dance in.
Both camps are located at The Beat Dance Studio at 1212 Grand Avenue, and cost $70 per student. The camp is put on by Billings Parks and Recreation and Arica Lipp. You can register for the camp at www.billingsparks.org, or at www.thebeatballroom.com/kids-ballroom.
The three key components of Arica Lipp’s Ballroom Dance classes are social dancing, showmanship, and service. Social dancing focuses on learning the basics of different dance styles and provides basic etiquette lessons such as how to ask a partner to dance. Showmanship is about creating a fun, challenging routine that expresses their talent and creativity. It teaches dance as a routine and an art form that is made better and better by having fun and practicing often. The service aspect is about dancers going out into the community and performing to bless the lives of others; it is all about seeing dance as something to be shared. The dancers perform at local schools to encourage other students to dance, at charity events, as well as retirement communities.
Dancing is a fun way for kids of all ages to be active, learn how to work together, and experience something new. Dancing can improve their confidence, and provide an easy way to make friends. Dance is creative and expressive, and will open kids up to new cultures and styles of movement. Keeping movement fun is exactly what Arica Lipp is all about. Arica has been teaching ballroom dancing for over 15 years. Her passion for dance and experience equips her to teach both professional dancers, and the most timid of beginners. Arica says, “There are life changing results in people’s lives that if you’re not paying attention you might miss. There is the 6-year-old boy who will never know the fear of asking a girl to dance because I taught him how to ask respectfully. Now that he knows how, he will grow into a teenager and later a man who will not hesitate to engage on the dance floor. Then there is a 16-year-old girl who never had a reason to think of herself positively. I teach her to move with grace and confidence. I teach her that being herself isn’t just ok, it’s awesome to express yourself through movement.”
Arica’s goal for teaching in Billings is to establish a place where people can go to dance not just learn how to dance. “I want to make the world I live in better, brighter, and more beautiful with every foxtrot, salsa, and two-step class I teach. No matter the age, no matter his or her level, I am here to serve everyone.”
