Vance youth enjoy exercise, fun at dance camp

  • Published
  • By Jessica Gibson
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Loud music fills the Youth Center gym this week as kids and teens practice their dancing skills with the Total Dance Experience Camp, a four-day camp that teaches kids different dance styles and the importance of good exercise. This is the first year Vance has offered the camp, and so far, said Kim Winfield, the School Age Program director at the Youth Center, it has been a success.

Mrs. Winfield was impressed at how much the kids had learned after only the first day. "The children really enjoy dancing," she said. "(The camp) helps them realize that they can accomplish something in a short amount of time if they put their head to it."

Here to help the kids learn is Mechel Miller, a dance instructor from I-Can Studios in Atlanta, Ga. She said that so far, the kids were having a blast learning the styles of dance the program offered, including country line dancing, salsa, and hip hop. "We may even touch on ballroom," Ms. Miller added with a laugh.

The camp falls in line with the Get Fit program, she said, helping kids to get moving, fight obesity and learn teamwork and discipline.

The camp is divided into two groups. The younger group, ages 7 to 11, meets from 9:30 a.m. to noon, while teens ages 12 to 18 meet in the afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. Lizzie Forman, daughter of Chaplin (Capt.) Dan Forman, is in the older group of the camp, and said she had enjoyed the camp so far. She said she was excited about expanding her knowledge of the different types of dance offered by the program.

The campers will perform a recital of their dances at 12:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 6, in the Fitness Center gym, Bldg. 316. Both groups will perform and family and friends are all welcome to attend. For more information, stop by the Youth Center or call 213-7474.