Beyond the glitz and glitter of ballroom dancing, this wildly popular pastime offers a great opportunity for getting both mentally and physically fit, and no one knows this better than Longview resident Joy Haugh. She's been strapping on her dancing shoes for only eight months and has fallen head over heels for each and every dance -- from tango to cha-cha, foxtrot to waltz.
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Joy Haugh wears her wedding band along with her husband's band as a daily reminder of their love for one another. Her husband, Briggs, passed away shortly after they were married.
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Joy cha-chas across the dance floor with her partner. The cha-cha is her favorite dance because it's fast, fun and she can really get into character.
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Mark and Brenda Judkins
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When she's not working for Aerosmith Aviation, another of her life's passions, she's wearing one of her many different hats — hammering away for Habitat for Humanity, leading youth through Bible study, hosting a discipleship class at her home and even playing softball for a local church. Her favorite hat, she admits, is working on the board of East Texas Ballroom Dance Association, a local non-profit organization.
Life before dance
Joy, a Missouri native, moved to East Texas to attend LeTourneau University with lofty goals and for Joy the sky wasn't the limit.
"When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut, so I figured before I went to space I needed to learn how to fly," she said. She graduated from LeTourneau's aviation program as a licensed pilot and mechanic alongside her fiance, Briggs, who she met in the program.
"We were each other's world," Joy said. "We loved each other incredibly. We became pilots together, we got married and we set out to build our home."
Six months after their marriage, Joy and Briggs completed their home sweet home by the airport; however, they only enjoyed their cozy space together for a short time.
"Briggs died in an aircraft crash just three months after we finished our place," Joy said. "We had no children together, so in a way that house was our baby. My parents wanted me to move 'back home' immediately but, to me, this was my home. I couldn't see myself selling our baby."
The introduction
Although Joy's family lives on the east coast now, she has great friends and a church family right here in East Texas.
"Something unique about this area is that people really grab onto you and love you like family," Joy said. "After Brigg's death, I joined my friends Allison and Jason for 'family night' once a week. It centered around a hot meal, good conversation and ABC's 'Dancing with the Stars.' I fell in love with dancing after I watched my first episode."
Eager to learn how to dance like Season 3's stars Emmitt Smith and Tatyana Ali, Joy began attending free monthly classes hosted by the East Texas Ballroom Dance Association. It was love at first waltz.
"It's so unique to Longview — it's classy, it's cultured, but in a non-snobby, non-pretentious kind of way," she said. "Any single gal can go to a free class on her own. For me, I talked my good friend Jason into being my partner, and he's been such a good sport!"
The first steps
When she first stepped onto the dance floor as a beginner, she had no idea what she was doing. Like most, she was afraid of looking like a fool. But, she said, that fear subsided once she did, in fact, look like a fool.
"The first time Jason and I danced together was a mess. We entered a contest at the end of a free dance lesson, and I had my eyes on the prize ... a trophy! I just knew we could win it!" Joy said. "The first 15 seconds of our dance went really well, but then ... we got off beat, and my strappy shoes kept falling off!"
The two finished their awkward dance. As they walked off the floor, they were mortified.
"Right then, with all eyes on us, I just decided that every person has to embarrass herself really good at least once in her ballroom dance career," she said. "So, get the embarrassment over with, then go out there and have a good time!"
Dancing through life
From that first dance, Joy has come far. Only eight months after her horrifying experience, Joy is now dancing at an advanced level.
"Ballroom dancing has changed my life. I love the structure of the art. The progession of going from a complete novice where my dance moves were chaotic and clumsy to now being on an advanced level and doing something beautiful on the floor is amazing to me," Joy said. "I also correlate dancing with my relationship with God. Dances can be chaos if I don't listen to my partner and follow direction well on the floor; in turn, life can be a mess if I don't listen to God, my partner, and follow his direction and his path He has set for my life. When I listen and follow Him, life is full of grace and beauty."
Eyes on the prize
Another beauty of dance is that anyone can do it.
"There are 10-year-old kids that look like they're having the time of their lives dancing circles around me," Joy said. "Then there are the much older couples that may have been dancing together forever — it seems like each dance they do takes them back to 1936 when they were doing those dances for the first time. It's sweet."
As for herself, Joy still has her determined eyes on the prize.
"I haven't won a trophy yet, but I will!" She said. "I'll get a trophy one day, even if I have to buy it myself! I'm certain this is a hobby that won't go away."
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Mark Judkins and wife Brenda work hard to bring the beauty of ballroom dance to all of East Texas. As artistic directors at East Texas Ballroom Dance Association, the pair want to provide ballroom dance opportunities to all adults, students and children interested in this amazing activity.
Mark and Brenda have been dancing together for years, and are international theater art champions. They are passionate about what they do and are more than generous with their time in promoting ballroom dance within the community by hosting free ballroom dance nights, instruction included.
It's something free. It doesn't cost a penny, Mark said. It's clean, it's moral, it's a wonderful atmosphere, and it brings people together for a good time.
People are hungry for wholesomeness and clean music, and there just aren't many places to turn to for that in East Texas, Brenda added. Moms, sons, fathers, daughters, grandparents, kids ... every age group you can think of comes out to enjoy this wonderful activity.
