Anyone looking to kick up their heels can now do it on campus for credit.

Judy Schneider, adjunct instructor in the kinesiology department, teaches International Folk and Social Dance at 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays in Young Gymnasium and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Mills Anderson Justice Center gymnasium.

She also teaches Rhythmic Form and Analysis, a required class for all kinesiology majors that prepares them to teach dance in an elementary school setting.

“We want them to be able to teach it well,” Schneider said. “It’s a good way to get the kids up and moving.”

Schneider was a tomboy growing up, but was persuaded to take just one dance class with her sister when she was in third grade. She was hooked after the one class, and ended up dancing through high school.

Schneider went on to study dance in college, earning a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in dance from Texas Woman’s University. She then taught for 20 years at a performing arts high school in Dallas, Texas, and eight years at a Dallas elementary school.

Since retiring and moving back to Missouri with her family, Schneider has taught dance class at Southern for two years.

“I love it,” she said, “I feel sorry for people who don’t love their job like I do.”

Currently in the Folk and Social Dance class the students are learning the Texas Two-Step and will be learning the Dallas Shuffle. The class had a country/western unit where students learned line dances like the Electric Slide and Jessie Polka. Before the semester ends, the class will learn slow dances like the Foxtrot and the Waltz and faster ones like the Jitterbug, Swing, and Salsa.

Schneider said it is a very physical class where the students work up a sweat, but she tries to make the class fun. Her primary goal is to get the students out on the dance floor whether it is when they go out to eat, to a wedding or to a club.

Schneider believes there is a lack of dance instruction classes around this area, and hopes to see it continue into the future.