Here at The J we recently began offering our members J Dance, a group fitness ballroom dance class that can improve coordination, balance, and stamina — all while making you look great on the dance floor. Don’t have a partner? None required. To participate, simply show up every other Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. starting October 11.*
The class is taught by Irina Donahue, who calls herself “a passionate educator, an experienced scientist, a certified Pilates instructor, a life-long exerciser, and a competitive dancer.” Born and raised in Ukraine, she studied genetics and teaching at Kiev State University before taking on molecular genetics in graduate school. She’s worked at Louisiana State University, Tulane University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Southern Research Institute, and her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals. We recently caught up with her long enough to ask a few questions…
LJCC: How did you get into ballroom dance?
ID: I enjoyed a ballroom class while in college and then years later accidentally signed up to compete in ballroom dancing in Baton Rouge. In 2007 my husband Jerry joined me at the “Gambo” dance competition, which started our ongoing competitive dance journey. In a few weeks we will be competing in Tuscaloosa.
Why should our members try ballroom dance?
They should at least be curious to see how it feels when your body, your mind, and the music come together in beautiful harmony.
Are you looking for a particular type of student?
Yes — adventurers!
What steps do you cover in your class?
All basic moves of the full ballroom dance repertoire will be covered eventually. We will start with five dances and practice for a while before adding more steps and dances as we go. And note that I will run an October special featuring a fun polka routine.
What’s your favorite?
Dancing a waltz always brings my spirit up. But every dance has its unique beauty and I love dancing them all socially with different people.
If you were marooned on an island and had one album you could listen to — with plenty of space for dancing — what would it be?
No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
There are so many: I love having a no-schedule slow morning or sitting with a glass of wine on my front porch in the afternoon.
Dogs or cats?
Whoever comes to my door (or window) in general. However, it will be dogs for some foreseeable future due to one of our dogs being allergic to cats. My husband and I used to have two cats (one rescue, one from a shelter), and now we are sharing the house with two dogs: one rescue and one from a shelter. I actually run with my dogs — it’s so much fun for all!
*Original story edited with new class time