Denise Steele has been dancing all her life. Her grandmother taught her the flapper dance, and her mother taught her swing. As a child, she recalls dancing in her kitchen, but at the time, she didn’t know dancing would soon become her passion and profession.
In her 16 years of teaching, Steele has taught internationally in England, Sweden and Italy, and was the resident swing dance teacher at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland for four years. However, Springfield is where she holds her new dance studio called The Joint is Jumpin,’ and it’s open to eager dancers.
Flamenco jazz, modern, tap, swing, ballet and tango are all specialties of Steele’s,
influenced by the legendary Frankie Manning, the “Father of Swing.”Steele said that after meeting Manning in 1990, she was inspired.
“I am influenced by Frankie Manning. He grew up in Harlem during the black renaissance and he became the influence for swing; he created most of the steps that exist today,” Steele said. “When I met him in the ’90s, it was like coming home; I fell in love with indie pop. He was my teacher and he later motivated me to teach.”
Aside from being an avid dancer herself, Steele said that she posses certain
qualities that make her a dedicated dance instructor.
“A lot of dance teachers are just performers, and they don’t know how to teach,” Steele said. “I can see when a student doesn’t get it, and I can break it down into logical simple steps; this builds students confidence and their abilities.”
Steele uses several techniques in her 7 p.m. ballroom dancing class that she said help her students learn and succeed. When she teaches her students the foxtrot, which is a form of swing, they start out practicing with invisible partners and focus on footwork and balance. One important tip that Steele offers her students is to keep a tight frame, as it keeps you from stepping on your partner’s toes – an infamous dance faux pas.
“Your frame is like the frame of a car. It holds everything together and believe it or not, this is what will keep you from stepping on your partner,” Steele said.
A few of the students in attendance at Steele’s class were Nicole Brezel and Eric Lawrence of Eugene. The recently engaged couple began attending classes with Lawrence’s parents, Mike and Nancy Lawrence, to learn some dance moves for their
upcoming wedding in May.
Mike Lawrence said he and his wife attended class because they plan to hit the dance floor at their son’s wedding and have something to show. Although Mike Lawrence, a dancing beginner, found himself stumbling and losing count during class, he says he still plans to come back.
“I just feel really silly sometimes, and I also realized I can’t count to two twice in a row,” Mike Lawrence said. “The purpose of taking this class is to be able to do more than just stumble around at the wedding.”
Steele said beginners like Mike are just in need of some good instruction, and that there is nothing wrong with making mistakes.
“I don’t think of beginners as making mistakes; I think they just don’t know how to dance yet. It is my job to teach them,” Steele said. “All they need is a good teacher, and they will learn quickly and enjoy the time spent learning.”
After rehearsing the foxtrot steps several times with invisible partners, the students were able to pair up and get a feel for the real thing. Brezel and Eric Lawrence, the soon-to-be-married couple, rarely slipped up on their steps, and Steele said while most dance partners watch their feet or the floor, this couple kept eye contact.
“I can tell you two are getting married,” Steele said. “You both never look at the floor; you just gaze into each others’ eyes.”
After practicing with partners, the group was ready to add the music. Any mistakes made were quickly corrected by Steele, and she often jumped in with dancers so that she could fully understand where mistakes were being made.
“I like to make sure I make good dancers,” Steele said. “Once you get the foxtrot
going, it begins to just float; it is really a beautiful thing.”
Brezel said she and Eric Lawrence plan on coming back to class and will continue to prepare for their big day this spring.
“The wedding is in May, so we still have time for practice,” Brezel said.
Steele said with all of her students, the most important thing is just to try. She is willing to help anyone who has a desire to dance. “All it takes is a good teacher who is patient, encouraging and good with beginners,” Steele said.
“Anyone who really wants to learn can learn to dance. The desire is more important than the talent. The skill can be learned and it is so worth it.”
 
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