Jake Haning

Ballroom – Latin – Swing – Country Western – Wedding

Full Time Instructor

 

 When the swing craze began at the end of the 90’s, I knew nothing about dance other than the brief ballet training I received as a kid, and the music theater I studied in high school.  I was still living in Lubbock (where I grew up) when I got tired of hearing people talk about dancing and decided to try it.  So I found a place in town that was giving a free lesson, tried it out, and haven’t stopped since.  I immediately fell in love with the connection that you develop with the person that you’re dancing with; the opportunity to have that type of conversation and interrelatedness, and the self-expression.  Besides that, it just feels good to get out and dance.  The first dances I learned were Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing.  And you know what they say – you never forget your first love; they remain my favorite dances to this day.  They embody freedom and flexibility, and really give you the chance to be and express yourself.  You can have your own styles and interpretations, and are expected to do so.  My competitive focus at the moment is on West Coast Swing.   In the last year, I have placed 1^st in the Int./Adv. Classic and 2^nd in the Int./Adv. Strictly at the Lone Star Country Dance Invitational, and 1^st in the Novice Traditional Division at Dallas Dance.

 Dancing aside, you could say that I’m a pretty eclectic, artistic person.  Back in the day, I did wheel throwing (pottery) and glass blowing.  These days I spend most of my free time participating in a company called Landmark Education.  My taste in music, like my life, tends to be pretty varied.  I own a lot of Lindy and West Coast Swing music, as well as Green Day, Cher, and even Lords of Acid.  But in the end, dance is my true love.  Even if I wasn’t teaching it, I’d find some way to be doing it every day.