Delving into dance

Story and photos by

Dawn DeBusk

Aug. 14, 2005

Rose Engeln, a Wasilla resident who for five years has been teaching women how to belly dance, snaked a veil through the air, swinging the silky material around her face and performing a series of isolated neck movements.

"It's like old-fashioned street theater," she said. "It's trickery to balance swords on your head, or to create illusions with veils. It helps to be a theatrical type of person. You've got to have a little bit of ham in you."

Her three students laughed, their coin-covered belts jingling.Engeln teaches not only belly dancing, but African dance and yoga classes as one of many contracted instructors who teach different styles of dance at Sonja's Studio of Dance, on Pilgrim Court, off the Palmer-Wasilla Highway.

Students pay $40 per month for weekly classes, which range from clogging and tap dancing to classical ballet and jazz.

Engeln, whose dance background began in San Francisco, says her classes are about liking who you are, supporting other women, and working up a sweat at the same time.

"In classes like this, you deal with self-esteem. So, you're healing," she said.

Wasilla resident Karen Hufstetler agreed that dancing strengthens the ego.

"In my 20s or 30s, I wouldn't have worn something like this," Hufstetler said. Her black harem pants shimmered with silver and the costume exposed her midriff. She said at 50 years old, she's more comfortable with her body.

Long before Impressionist artist Edward Degas immortalized ballerinas tying their toe shoes in preparation for class, and etched into history women in tutus, young girls have wanted to learn the art of ballet. And it's still hip now.

At Sonja's, instructors introduce boys and girls as young as 3 years old to different forms of dance.

In Brenda Hansen's jazz ballet class Friday, the number of young men was about even with the number of women.

Ballet and jazz often become lifelong disciplines, sometimes leading to college scholarships or a position in a professional dance troupe.

Hansen offers classes in jazz ballet, classical ballet, tap dance and hip hop.

Lynette Henderson teaches clogging, which is most popular with the 8- to 13-year-old group. Although some 4- and 5-year-old children have expressed interest in learning the energetic, fast-on-your-feet form of dance, there haven't been enough kids in that age group to warrant a class.

"I used to have three classes, but all my teens left and went to college," Henderson said. This summer, she's instructing two classes -- pre-teens and adults.

Adults also enjoy taking on the challenge of hip hop, according to Nam Jeffries, who runs 1-2-3 Look At Me Dance Boutique in the basement of Sonja's.

She sells dance clothing and accessories, saving Valley residents a trip to Anchorage for dance supplies. She offers some dance wear on consignment for people with a tight budget. Jeffries does Bush mail orders, too.

She says jazz shoes, tap shoes and leotards top this list of most-purchased items.

"Costumes are popular for recitals. I just ordered some costumes for the fair," Jeffries said.

Entrepreneur Jeffries, who's also a contracted instructor, teaches creative movement and pre-tap classes to the 3- to 5-year-old age group.

In two weeks, she'll teach tap and ballet to kindergartners through second-graders who home school or attend charter schools, she said.

"In the dance world, I cater to everyone," she said.

Engeln said she's found this year's street fashion to be suitable for belly-dancing costumes, but that isn't always the case.

"Most people sew their own costumes. That way they can express themselves with their costumery," she said.

Dawn De Busk can be reached at 352-2252, or dawn.debusk@frontiersman.com.