Frank Hancock’s Ballroom Dance classes are back again this fall semester! For almost 15 years, the Luhrs Center has hosted dancers, young and experienced, from all over the Cumberland Valley area to learn all things ballroom.

Hancock welcomed a large group of dancers of various expertise levels, from seasoned ballroom enthusiasts to first-time university students. Whether you come with a partner or alone, you will be sure to have a ball.

The ladies and the gentlemen are separated on either side of the stage, as Hancock dually instructed each for their differentiating steps. Even though the “women got the rhythm rib” from the story of Adam and Eve, Hancock instructed the men to lead through the basic swing steps. With each step, he led with a feisty attitude and a humorous bit, encouraging all nonetheless. Switching quickly between group instruction to pairing up for the real deal, these lessons fly by.

Friends and couples alike laughed through the lesson, as they learned the five-count tango and practiced the first steps of spinning in the foxtrot. The cha-cha brought lots of giggles, as Hancock boldly pronounced the women’s natural given ability to do this dance. “Women get this instinctively – they come out of the birth canal and proclaim,” he said as he points to the stage lights above, “Mama! And cha, cha, cha!” If there’s anyone who can capture the “cheeky but sexy” style of cha cha and teach it in less than 15 minutes to a first-time dancer, it is Hancock.

However, he did not start off as a cha cha enthusiast. Hancock has been a dance instructor since 1998, but before that, served over 30 years in the U.S. Army. He rose through the ranks, and most notably served in Operation Desert Storm as a Battalion Commander in the 101st Airborne Division. In addition, he became an author with the recent publication of his book, “Operation Desert Storm: How Two Young Intelligence Analysts and an Infantry Battalion Changed the War in Iraq.” On or off the dancefloor, Hancock practices what he preaches - “give it your all!”

The remaining five lessons are held every Monday, the 5:30 p.m. class for beginners and the 6:30 p.m. class for experienced dancers. For more information, visit www.hancockdance.com or contact the Luhrs Performing Arts Center.

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