Line Dancing on the Plaza

Photo courtesy of Downtown Akron Partnership

By Roger Riddle

You know how when you are cleaning up around the house and there's music playing, sometimes you dance while you are getting your work done? Have you ever broken into the Hustle, Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, or the Boot Scootin' Boogie when the right song comes on? Do you ever think to count that as part of your exercise for the day?

But dancing is fun! How can that be considered exercise?

According to a 2017 National Library of Medicine journal publication, line dancing regularly increases our physical activity enough to be considered moderate exercise, which can be associated with a decrease in risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer.

You're moving. You're getting your heart pumping. And even better, you are having a good time! Next time you go to the gym, look around. How many people look like they are having a good time? When you are dancing, you can't help but smile, laugh, and have fun!

That's the same type of energy and movement the JustUs Line Dancing Crew is bringing to Cascade Plaza this summer.

Every Thursday and Sunday from June 2nd to September 25th, the JustUs Line Dancing Crew and Downtown Akron Partnership will host Line Dancing On the Plaza. The event sneakily encourages Akron residents to get their heart rate up and get in their steps for the day, all while having a good time outside, in the heart of downtown at Cascade Plaza.

We got a chance to talk with Carmen Payne. She founded the JustUs Line Dancing Crew in Akron, along with her husband Terrence Payne, in 2012. Since then, they have had community centers as far away as Oberlin ask them to teach classes, and now this is their third year hosting these outdoor classes during the summer with Downtown Akron Partnership at Cascade Plaza.

Photos courtesy of Downtown Akron Partnership

Akron Civic Commons: How did you get started line dancing?

Carmen Payne: I was a ballroom and hand dance instructor and I got bored because you know, you can learn to follow everybody and then where's your next step? I said, well, you know what, let me try line dancing because line dancing, you don't need a partner. In 2006, I started line dancing with another group. And then I met my husband through another event that they used to host here in Akron. I was watching him dance and I said, “Oh, that guy, he thinks he can dance. But, he can't do what I do.” So I invited him to come to a line dancing class with me while I was in another group. And he got bit by the bug and he hasn't stopped line dancing since. But the leader of that other group ended up getting sick and he couldn't continue it anymore. So we asked for his blessings for us to start our own group. And they gave us their blessing in 2012. It was just me and my husband. We was like, well, what are we gonna do? It's just us, me and you. We said, well, there's the name of the group right there.

Akron Civic Commons: Who would you say should come to this event? For example, does age matter? Or should some people be concerned about movement limitations or anything like that?

Carmen Payne: The classes that we have downtown are all beginner dances so they are from age five to eighty. We have thirty-nine regular members in our group right now. The youngest is twenty-three and the oldest is seventy-four.

Akron Civic Commons: Wow, okay! What suggestions do you have for people who want to come to the event but are just getting started in line dancing? What should they bring with them? Do they need any special type of equipment or how should they dress?

Carmen Payne: They should dress comfortably and wear tennis shoes. We're on concrete, so I suggest that they get a big cardboard box, cut it open, you know, so they can fit it in their car. So in case they don't wanna dance on the concrete, they can dance on that cardboard box. That makes it a little bit easier for them to move and do some of the turns so it doesn't bother their knees.

Akron Civic Commons: I know you said you've done classes at community centers, so is there something special about being able to put on a class outside and in the heart of downtown?

Carmen Payne: You've got fresh air, first off. Sometimes it can get stuffy inside and in general, people would just rather be outside where they can enjoy the scenery than be stuck inside a building somewhere.

Akron Civic Commons: What does it mean for you and your organization when an organization like Downtown Akron Partnership reaches out to ask if you can do a class like this for the community in downtown?

Carmen Payne: It's a tremendous honor, because that means that we are doing something positive to the point where groups like Downtown Akron Partnership have heard of us. And that, to me, speaks volume because it means that we are doing something that people enjoy. People trust us to do what it is that we do, which is get them on the dance floor. So they're able to do some of these line dances that they do when they go to weddings and to family reunions and stuff like that.

Akron Civic Commons: I know that a big piece of line dancing is socializing and having fun, but also getting that movement in on a regular basis is good for your health. Can you talk a little bit about the health benefits of line dancing?

Carmen Payne: When I met my husband, he was 400 and something pounds, and he could dance! He has since lost a hundred pounds, basically just line dancing. We try to make sure we stress to our class, if you can't get the move, just keep moving. When people keep their heart rate up, get their heart pumping, your blood moving, it keeps you healthy because it's real easy to get stiff. Like I said, our oldest member is 74 and she dances every dance just like we do. And there's a cheat for every move. So we always make sure that we show the way the dance was choreographed and a modified version in case a person is having a hard time, so that they can keep moving.

If you are looking to have some fun, meet new people, and get your exercise in for the day, you should head to Line Dancing on the Plaza with the JustUs Line Dancing Crew. The event is part of the “Workout on the Plaza” series of free fitness classes hosted by Downtown Akron Partnership and supported by the Ohio Arts Council and Knight Foundation. The series offers line dancing, pilates, yoga, kickboxing, and Zumba classes all led by licensed, trained instructors from the Akron Community.

To learn more about this event and the other events in the series, please visit downtownakron.com.