Thank you to all our line dance instructors. We are aware of all the time and effort you put into teaching us the latest fun dances. We are also aware of your extreme patience when teaching us. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for what you do. Thank you for all your hard work - it is "much" appreciated.
Susi Akers
Val BraggVal moved to The Villages in 2016 after her retired, avid golfer husband fell in love with The Villages. She continued working full time until retiring in 2018. In 2019, Val was introduced to line dancing and attended various classes. In October 2021, she began honing her instructor skills as a guest instructor. After listening to many students’ comments, she put her teacher skills to work developing a specialized 3-month steps program for dancers struggling with transitioning from Absolute Beginner to Beginner Level dances, entitled AB Plus. Val teaches this class on Thursdays at Burnsed Recreation Center as well as guest instructing for other instructors, and supporting organized AB/B line dancing on the squares.
Jean Brewer
My husband of 64 years (Richard) and I have three sons. For 27 years I was a stay at home Mom running the family grocery store business at Lake Carey, PA. The year our youngest son graduated college I went to college and graduated 3 years later with a B.S and B. A. in Education and History. After retirement, we moved to The Villages in 1998. I had no idea what I’d do all the time my husband would be golfing. The second night here he suggested we go down to check out the nightly dancing at Spanish Springs (that is all there was in 1998). That night I met Claire TUCCI (she is still going strong) and she tried to help me Line Dance. At Church on The Square that Sunday a “Gal” wrote the days and times of the 3 weekly Line Dance classes (now how many? 40+) on my Church Program. Twenty-five years later the rest is History !! After college I was a first grade teacher and as with my passion for teaching Line Dance became another passion. From day one I loved teaching the “Newbies” and seeing the happy looks on their faces when they “got it.” In 2015 our youngest son faced a very serious illness and we sold our home here and moved to Hendersonville, NC to be there for Pete and his family. When God healed him we started coming back to The Villages for seven months of the year. I started an AB/Beginner Class at Canal Street on Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 until 3:00. During the summer while I was gone Sue HELLER and Val BRAGG covered the class for which I am very Thankful. THANKS Ladies!! Other than my loving husband, Line Dance and Genealogical Research are the other two loves of my life. I want to THANK all the Instructors here in The Villages for all the time and energy they so generously give to teaching others to Line Dance. They can never get enough THANKS.
Teresa Bucciarelli
Line dance instructor since 1997. Taught at Renegades Country Western Dance and Nightclub in West Palm Beach, JR’s Buckwild in Palm Beach Gardens and various other venues. Originally from South Jersey, Florida resident for 38 years. Moved to The Villages full time in October 2022. “As music and dance are my passions, I look forward to sharing them with others in my classes. I am sincerely thankful for this opportunity”.
Darlene Burdin
My husband, Carl, and I moved to The Villages from Maine in Sept. of 2011. Initially we returned to Maine for the summer months, but after three years decided to make this our full-time home. In my "Pre-Villages/Pre-Retirement" life, I enjoyed a 33-year career in education serving in two Main school districts in roles as classroom teacher, school principal, and superintendent of schools. Once here, I began taking line dance classes and have been “hooked” ever since. I initially started subbing for other teachers, and then took over the Lake Miona class on a regular basis from another instructor in 2016. I currently teach 4 classes weekly ranging from beginner through intermediate levels. When not dancing, I enjoy playing cards, doing puzzles, shopping, traveling, and spending time with Carl and our golden retriever, Brinkley.
Diane and Chris moved here full-time in 2018, where she continued to work, remotely, as a grant writer for an inner-city school in Providence, R.I. She retired in December 2020. She enjoys pickleball, bicycling, Texas Hold ‘Em poker, and golfing with Chris.
Sue EnzmannI'm originally from Long Island New York, we moved to Colorado in 1991. My husband Doug and I retired to The Villages in 2012 and I started taking Line Dance Classes. As the years went by and I moved along with different instructors I found myself going back to the AB levels to help others.
During Covid, while practicing with friends in my garage, I started inviting my neighbors. Our little group kept growing. We danced in the street all summer long and in September I was able to reserve a room at Water Lily Recreation Center and opened the class to others. I teach AB Level 1 Monday at Water Lily from 8:30 - 9:45. Tuesday at Lake Miona from 12:00 - 1:00.
Helen Hamlett
Sue Heller
Sue Heller grew up in Maryland and moved to Indiana as an Adult. She and her husband moved to The Villages In 2013. Sue retired from a 44 year nursing career working in a variety of positions including Medical/Surgery, Oncology, Hospice, and working with computers and teaching people how to design and use medical software in hospitals. Sue and her husband have 7 children and 13 grandchildren. Sue started teaching line dance classes in 2017 right after retiring. She teaches an Absolute Beginner through Improver at Canal Street Recreation Center on Wednesdays and Beginner through Improver at Truman Recreation Center Fridays.Silvia High
My husband Scot and I retired to The Villages in March of 2017 from Illinois where we owned our own business. My introduction to line dancing was at the town squares where I frequently went to watch the bands playing. Then in July of 2018, I went to my 1st line dance class and fell in love with it. I was all in as I explored the higher levels being taught and began dancing at the squares. I
stepped into another instructors time slot on Fridays at Canal in
October, 2020 for the intermediate level. Then I added a new
beginner/improver class at Aviary on Mondays in March, 2021. I
try to incorporate dances with unique steps and offer a wide variety of
music. My teaches are at a bit faster pace than the norm.Jan Hilgenfeld
Sherry Kemp
Details available soon.
Bob Mast
Lisa McCammon
I attended my first line dance class in 2002. I started writing dances and competed my first choreography at a UCWDC event in Dallas, where it won first place in its category and best dance overall. My dances also won 2nd and 3rd place at the UCWDC World Championships, and Don't Stay, co-choreographed with Brenda Shatto, won first place at the Las Vegas Dance Explosion. At last count I have published more than 100 dances, some of which have been taught at events by prominent instructors and in classes locally and internationally. I saw a need and began posting simple tutorial videos, which now number more than 300. Peter and I moved to The Villages in July, 2010, and I began teaching two 3-hour mixed (AB through I-A) classes in August. As of August 2021, my only line dance class is through the Enrichment Academy. Throughout my eleven years of teaching rec department classes in The Villages, I always emphasized the “dance” in line dance. Late in 2020 I also began teaching a class in cardio drumming. Click here to view Lisa’s website.
Sandy McDonald
Darlene Miller
My husband Jeff and I moved to The Villages in1999 from Rochester New York. In my life before. The Villages, I was Postmaster in Marion New York. I fell in love with line dancing when I moved here and started taking classes. By 2002 I was subbing for instructors, and from 2004-2018 taught with the Villages Lifestyle Program (recreation dept). I have taught at workshops, on cruises, for senior programs and in other retirement communities. I currently teach for Prestige 55, the senior program for Advent Health (formerly Munroe Regional Medical Center). I am now teaching classes with The Enrichment Academy. My philosophy is that it doesn’t matter what level you dance at, just as long as you dance. It is all good. Dancing makes your feet smile.Lola Miller
Lola teaches a beginner/beginner plus class on Monday’s at Captiva Recreation Center and a Beginner Plus/Improver class on Saturday’s at Truman Recreation Center.
Dean Ouellette
Bonnie Schnelle
Carol Simmons
Carol Hails from UK her mom an American has Lived in UK & Orlando. She danced ballroom/Latin/ jive/tap/ etc. She’s a Certified member of BWDA (Best Western Dance Academy ) and UKA (United Kingdom Alliance (Dance Drama Exercise). She first started teaching line dancing some 30+ yrs ago– in their community in Orlando. When her mom was sick and Carol covered the Class and after a few sessions realized she enjoyed it and opened a few classes. Carol moved to the Villages when there were just 3 other instructors who taught through the college. She Applied for a room –and was given Southside pool. After a while the group grew too big for the room and she was given Pimlico where she teaches Wednesdays starting 6.30 pm 1 hr beginners & progresses to Improver/intermediate. A short time after that she was asked to teach Mondays at Hibiscus same format. She also hosts (DJs’) Fridays socials mainly at Pimlico. When not dancing Carol likes to play Golf/Bowls /socialize/ & eating out! Carol spends November to May here in Villages and May to November in the UK where she has classes and hosts Monthly socials.
Ruth Ann Strickland
Ruth Ann Strickland was a teacher of public administration, American national government and state and local government at University of South Carolina and later Appalachian State University. Teaching traditional and adult learners how to pursue public service careers was the joy of her life, until she found line dancing. After moving to the Villages with her husband in October of 2015, she looked for clubs and activities, and her lifetime love of dancing made line dance a natural choice. She learned everything she knows about line dancing from the wonderful instructors at The villages. She offers an Absolute Beginner/Beginner class every Saturday at Rohan Recreation Center from 1:00 pm until 3:20 pm (beginning June 15th, 2019).
Jim & Mary Stuart
Jim and Mary Stuart retired in March 2018 and moved from Anderson, Indiana to the Village of Fenney. Jim retired as a Trust Investment officer at First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors. Mary retired from Medical Technology from Point of Care Lab Oversight at St Vincent Anderson and four satellite labs. Jim and Mary met at DePauw University in Indiana. They married while Jim was at the University of Illinois in law school. They have two sons, Phillip a reporter with The Villages Daily Sun and Jeff. Phill graduated from Ball State University then spent 5 years in the Navy. Jeff and his wife Ash are PhD graduates from Purdue and work at the Jet Propulsion Lab for NASA. Jim and Mary started Line Dancing soon after their move to The Villages. Both are thankful for the training they received from Fran Whitman. When Fran was unable to teach she reached out to us. Our class has been very supportive and are glad that the Beginner Wednesday AM class at the Fenney Recreation Center is continuing. Like all who line dance each step, sequence of steps, and dance is a learning experience. Our goal is to make it fun and enjoyable to all who come.
Jan Walter
Jan Walter grew up a cowgirl in Colorado Springs, where she danced country and western dances. She and her husband Jim moved to The Villages from Denver in 2005. Jan retired from a 35-year career as a global project manager with IBM in 2013. After retirement, she started taking line dance classes four days a week. In 2014, she began hosting an informal practice class. She teaches an absolute Beginner and Beginnerclass and a Beginner Plus / Low Intermediate class at Laurel Manor Recreation Center. From May to November, she teaches Absolute Beginner through Low Intermediate at Pimlico. Jan is a member of NTA (National Teacher’s Association for Country Western Dance) and is certified in Dance Fundamentals 1, 2 & 3. She and Jim have one son and daughter-in-law who live in Colorado.