by Marketing Intern Rachael Appold
Joy of Motion Dance Center has a new addition to our family; Megan Taylor Morrison,
founder of Dance Adventures and renowned Swing Dance instructor! With such an accomplished dancer/instructor joining us, JOMDC couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get an exclusive interview with Megan Morrison, herself!
Megan! Welcome to the JOMDC family! How did you find us? What are your first impressions about us?
I couldn’t be more excited about joining the faculty at JOMDC! I’ve always been impressed with the diversity of classes offered, and I love the philosophy that “Dance is For Everyone.” This really resonates with my philosophy as an instructor and as the founder of Dance Adventures – a company that leads trips abroad for dancers of all levels.
Blues Dancing and Lindy Hop are brand new on our schedule – what can we expect to learn in class? What should we wear to class?
These are both dances of the swing era, and they are a total blast! Blues is more relaxed, while Lindy Hop is more high energy. Also, blues is done to blues music, while Lindy Hop is done to swing music. 
You can expect to learn everything you’ll need to have a great night of social dancing: basic steps, turns, connection with your partner and more. I suggest you wear shoes and clothes that are comfortable. You don’t need anything fancy, and ladies can wear flats.
Why is social dance a passion for you?
I fell in love with lindy hop and blues when I first laid eyes on it. I immediately started taking two private lessons a week, all the dance classes I could, and traveling around the world to study with various instructors. These dances have given me an amazing community–both at home and in many other places. When you travel to another city for lindy hop and blues events, it’s customary to stay with other dancers! People you’ve never met take you in, and you make friends. I still connect regularly with dancers I met in cities across the United States, as well as in Australia, France, Sweden, Spain and other countries. Also, social dance gave me a brand new relationship to my body. I learned how to find the rhythm, create shapes, and express myself through movement. Blues dancing and lindy hop are my favorite forms of play!
Do we need a partner to take your class?
Nope! We will rotate a lot in class, so you’ll have a chance to work with many other partners.
Let’s say someone hasn’t done a lot of lindy hopping in a while – how would a beginner do in your Intro to Lindy Hop class?
A beginner would do great. We will be going through six-count, eight-count and Charleston over the course of our 13 weeks together. It would be a great refresher, and you’ll probably learn some new things too!
Interested in seeing Blues dancing and Lindy Hop in action? Check out some of these videos:
(Above) Blues Dancing
(Above) Lindy Hop
There you have it, Folks! Don’t miss out on your chance to take a class with Megan Morrison!
You can sign up for her Intro to Lindy Hop class here and her Intro to Blues Dancing class here.
