Hobart and William Smith Colleges

1 May 2008 Jump, Jive andWait! Thats My Professor

First-Ever Dancing with the Faculty is a Hit! What happens when students pair up with professors in a dance-off for a great cause? Answer: one of the liveliest events of the year. Sponsored by the William Smith Congress, the first-ever Dancing with the Faculty held on April 30 in Albright Auditorium was designed to raise money for the William Smith Centennial. Dean Gunter and I had talked about doing a faculty-student dance contest for a couple of years, said William Smith Congress Vice President Ashley Snyder 08, the event organizer. We wanted the event to take off, so we decided that this was a great opportunity to do it and to raise money for the Centennial in the process. Raising hundreds of dollars through its one dollar votes, Dancing with the Faculty was as much fun for the dancers as it was for the audience. Those in attendance were able to watch the student-faculty pairs perform as well as learn their dance. Thanks to Assistant Professor of Dance Missy Smith, the dancers got a quick crash course in twirls, dips and other swing dance moves. After a hilarious practice session, the dancers exited rear and the stage was set for competition. One after the other, the student and faculty couples showed the rowdy crowd all the moves they had. The couples included: Chaplain Lesley Adams and Manuel Duran 08, Assistant Professor of Russian Kristen Welsh and Neil Wakeman 08, Associate Professor of Political Science DeWayne Lucas and Shanelle France 11, Professor of Economics Scott McKinney and Lindsey Farrell 08, Professor of French and Francophone Studies Catherine Gallout and Felipe Estefan 08, Karen Baer, wife of Dean Eugen Baer, and Adam Croglia 10, Professor of Sociology Dunbar Moodie and Kelly Stephens 09, and Associate Professor of Education Jim MaKinster and Jaclyn Wagner 08. Although all of the couples soon showed their audience that they knew how to swing, some riled up the crowd a little more than others. When Baer played hard-to-get before letting Croglia take her hand to dance, the crowd went wild, cheering them on as they added a ballroom flare to the swing style. Likewise, when MaKinster snagged a book that Wagner was reading in their opening skit and slammed it on the floor, taking her into a dance of swing with a tango twist, the crowd couldnt help but yell in applause. A group of William Smith Russian area studies students gave Welsh and Wakeman a boisterous shout-out in Russian, showing support for their professor. And, of course, the crowd couldnt control itself when Estefan sauntered toward Gallout, popping the collar of his leather jacket and switching his glasses for a pair of aviators. But France and Lucas The Legend were nearly in a competition all their own. With whole sections of shouting fans, the pair stirred applause with almost every swinging move they made. They were strong competition, said Nichole Geary 11. Lucas has got that swing, said first-year Kevin Grogan. My favorite was definitely Shanelle and Lucas, said Veronica Mora 08. They had rhythm and passion. They also had a legion of fans, which led to a unanimous victory. So how did Lucas become Lucas the Legend? Simple: I advertised, said Lucas. My students asked me if I would participate early in the semester, and I said that I would do it for them as a late-semester break. Butthey had to come out in force and vote for me and Shanelle. After all the votes were tabulated, second place went to MaKinster and Wagner and third went to Moodie and Stephens. Regardless of who took what place, all of the performers had a blast. It was a complete hootI loved it, said Gallout. Its just good, plain fun. I miss this kind of contact with the students that goes beyond the seriousness of the classroom. This is the kind of event that I wanted to say I had participated in before I left William Smith, said Wagner. I feel like Im leaving the Centennial something important. The whole event was such a success, said Snyder. We hope it continues for years to come. In the first photo, Professor of French and Francophone Studies Catherine Gallout and Felipe Estefan 08 are inspired by the 1950s. In the second, Professor of Economics Scott McKinney and Lindsey Farrell 08 practice their jazz hands. Third, Professor of Sociology Dunbar Moodie and Kelly Stephens 09 let loose. Finally, Assistant Professor of Political Science DeWayne Lucas The Legend hams for the crowd while partner Shanelle France 11 gets her groove on.