Dancing Fools

Country music was first paired with the jitterbug more than sixty years ago, and it continues to be a popular dance in rural America. If you’ve ever been to a rodeo dance in Brookings, you know South Dakota State University students caught the bug, too, and every fall, Farmhouse fraternity offers a night of free lessons to anyone who wants to give the jitterbug a try.
Kyle Sommers will tell you, it's not as easy as it looks. "Not knowing what to do is hard."

Scott Wagner agrees. "Some of the twists--it's kind of confusing for someone who's never done it before."
Dozens of men and women—in almost equal numbers—come to the Volstorff Ballroom at South Dakota State University to learn a few basic moves. No matter how much experience a dancer has under their belt, each has their own reason for mastering the moves.
"Mostly, my girlfriend was pressuring me,” says Sommers.
"I want to be one of those guys dancing, not the one sitting down when one of those songs comes on,” says Wagner.
"Thought it'd be fun, get to know people I didn’t know,” says Andy Walker.

In one night of lessons, these guys have gone from watching the action to making it happen. But, they're not dancing kings yet.
"She won't let me flip--I really want to, but she won't let me. She thinks I'm going to drop her,” says Sommers.

Can you really blame her? This is his first lesson, after all.

The Piano Man

Growing up, you probably had to memorize speeches, algebra equations, and the Pledge of Allegience. As adults, may of us probably try to avoid that kind of work, but John Walker of Brookings chooses to spend his free time memorizing masterpieces.
As the director of keyboard studies at South Dakota State University, most of his time is spent in the classroom. But when other teachers leave campus for their homes, Walker stays late, spending an extra hour each day working towards a dream few piano players try.
He is performing all 32 of Beethoven’s sonatas—from memory.
“It’s really the big goal of a lot of pianists to do this,” says Walker. “I think the only worry is, will I still like it? And so far I do.”
He spends six months learning, practicing, and committing to memory the works of one of music's greatest masters. Twice a year, Walker performs what he's perfected for the public. And for him, each concert wears him out.
“The brain gets really tired of concentrating in front of people after a certain amount of time," says Walker. "I’m exhausted afterward. I just want to eat a full meal.”
And while he's passionate about his work, Walker knows some people might question his sanity.
“My wife is a pianist, so she doesn’t think I’m crazy…Oh, wait—that’s the reason she does," Walkers says, laughing.
What will he do when his five year project is finally over?
“I’m not going to Disneyland, but I’ll do something like that," says Walker. "Maybe I'll go to a ballgame--just, something different.”
But with just seven sonatas down and 25 more to go, Walker has plenty of time to figure out what that something will be.