Jefferson City dancers join global swing dance, hope to make video highlights

Couples strike their final pose at the end of Saturday's flash mob dance routine at the Missouri Capitol. The couples performed as a part of the International Flashmob West Coast Swing project. A video will be posted to YouTube in the hope Jefferson City will be featured on the highlight reel for the international project and event.
Couples strike their final pose at the end of Saturday's flash mob dance routine at the Missouri Capitol. The couples performed as a part of the International Flashmob West Coast Swing project. A video will be posted to YouTube in the hope Jefferson City will be featured on the highlight reel for the international project and event.

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Missouri's Capitol turned into a stage Saturday as Mid-Missouri swing dancers showed the world how Jefferson City gets down on the dance floor.

Don Walker and Becky Fredrickson, owners at Steppin' Out Studio, rounded up 20 dancers at the Capitol to be film a routine to be entered into the International Flashmob West Coast Swing 2017 video.

"We just happened to run across the 2016 International Flash Mob West Coast Swing video and thought it would be great to join the movement," Walker said. "It is the single most popular dance right now worldwide, people are doing it all over the country."

Last year, approximately 6,000 dancers in more than 260 cities and 39 countries participated in the video. Now, Jefferson City will have a part in the final composition as well.

The dancers filmed themselves performing to Jason Derulo's "Kiss the Sky" in three different locations both inside and outside of the Capitol. The same song and routine will be used by all International Flashmob West Coast Swing 2017 participants across the globe.

In addition to dancers from Walker and Fredrickson's club, other participants were from Capital Ritz, Jefferson City Swing Dance Club, La Rocha Club in Osage Beach and Grace Studio in Columbia.

Since going into business 13 years ago, Walker and Fredrickson said they continue to enjoy watching their students learn to dance.

"The biggest drive for us is watching people learn to dance," Walker said. "In 13 years, we haven't made a lot of money, but we've made a lot of friends and put a lot of smiles on a lot faces."

Walker became interested in swing dancing in 1995, but the swanky dance style didn't get popular until three or four years ago.

Fredrickson noted West Coast swing dancing is a little more difficult than your typical East Coast style of swing.

She explained East Coast style is danced in a slot and to a higher tempo of music, while West Coast swing dancers typically dance in a circle to a blues-like tempo of music.

"When you think of the jitterbug, that's more of the East Coast style," Fredrickson said.

Chris Walker, video participant and Don's wife, said she has been dancing since 1998 and enjoys any chance she has to do so.

"Our dance dance community is just fabulous and we have a great time," Chris said. "It also has known benefits for helping people with Alzheimer's. Plus you can't be in a bad mood when you're dancing."

Once the video is edited, Walker said it will be sent to the international organizers within the coming weeks. He believes the final international compilation will be available for public view in January 2018.