DOBSON — Cultures merged Friday night at Surry Community College with the Corporate and Continuing Education program’s dance showcase.

From ballroom dancing to country line dancing to belly dancing, participants in those programs strutted their stuff in front of family and friends as they showed off what they had learned.

Faye Haas has been taking ballroom dance lessons for about a year and a half and participated in last year’s showcase as well as this year’s.

“I love it. I love to dance. I like the waltz, because it’s so elegant,” she said. “I was in last year’s beginner’s showcase. I dance better than I did last year. It was nerve-wracking then.”

Bep Zonneveld moved to Surry County from the Netherlands where dancing begins at a young age. She began taking ballroom dance lessons to get back into dancing and to give her something to do.

“I love it,” she said. “In the Netherlands, you start at a younger age to dance. Since I came here, I didn’t dance for a long time. I did learn years ago. I’m glad I did, and I love it.”

Beginners and more advanced ballroom dance students performed the waltz, fox trot, tango and others for the audience. Even though there were several different skill levels present, they all took to the floor and braved a performance in front of an audience.

The country line dance students took to the floor of the gym at SCC in groups, performing several line dances to popular music from “I’m Feeling Lucky” to “Walk It Out.”

“It’s fun when there’s not a bunch of people watching,” said Fran Sechrist, one of the country line dance students.

“I enjoy it, and you get exercise,” said Tara Sechrist of the lessons.

The showcase not only allowed friends and family to see what the students have learned, but for the students to see what other classes have to offer and to watch some of the returning students to see how they have improved from last year’s showcase.

“I can see improvement in them, too,” said Haas of the students in other classes. “I always like to see what the community college is doing in continuing education.”

Friends and family showed up for the event, filling about one-third of the gym’s bleachers. Whether it was there to see a wife or a neighbor, they were able to see a variety of talents.

“It probably makes them work harder in class,” said Hazel Hodges of the showcase.

“We love to see dancing, and we do some ourselves,” added Ewuel Hodges, who had come to see friends in the showcase.

“I came to watch my momma. She takes (country line dancing) every time,” said LaDonna Childress, who was at her first showcase. “She loves it.”

Peggy Comer went to the showcase to see a neighbor perform.

“I’m envious and jealous I can’t do this,” she said of the belly dancing groups.

Surry Community College offers beginner and advanced sections of the classes and is open to the possibility of offering different classes. A new beginner’s ballroom dance class will begin on Monday, and there is a possibility of a five-week belly dance class soon. A new country line dancing class will start in the fall.

Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.