The dangers we face
Who knew that being a dance instructor could be so dangerous? Just look at what this Wisconsin dance teacher went through.
A Baraboo man was accused of repeatedly shocking a male dance instructor with a stun gun, claiming the instructor was a “sinner” who “defiles married women.” A Dane County prosecutor said the suspect, 59, hastily arranged a dance lesson at the instructor’s Madison home and showed up with a stun gun and sledgehammer last Friday. The criminal complaint said the man told a detective that his church does not condone touching while dancing and that he was going to scare the instructor “and tell him to leave the women alone.”
Wow… and ouch!
Partner dancing can be a touchy subject in some religions. In fact, there are many in my own faith that disapprove of dancing. However, over the years, I have seen attitudes change and norms relax as more people see there is a difference between social dancing and… um… things that should be left behind closed doors.
Thanks George for sending this link along!
Hi guys…I am a professional ballroom instructor in the Orlando area. I have had similar issues, although never attacked with a stun-gun! I have had preachers and such show up at dance lessons to scare their church followers away from my dance studio. I have had one preacher who changed his frozen chosen ways that he had once preached to bringing me to his church to teach dance after he experienced the joys himself. His sermon was called Dancing for Jesus and he called me a light that led him to see the goodness in dancing after years of preaching against it. If you ever wondered why I went to college to get a BA in Religious Studies, this is why…to understand the public concerns over dancing and religion. I have had students in tears because they were Southern Baptists and taking dance lessons was very wrong according to their beliefs, but they loved it so much that they saw themselves as sinners and had to overcome years of guilt-brainwashing about learning to dance. (The dance lessons saved their marriage, by the way) Thank you for posting this today…I am glad to see that other dance teachers have similar issues.
Patty Holden
Start dancin!! zap-zap