TodayDancing dogs prepare to go for the gold
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Jennie Masland and her collie, Booker, work on their dance routine during the Canine Freestyle class. Six owners and their dogs participate in the weekly program. (Jay Basinger/Special to The Sentinel)
Deb Wimer of Carlisle has discovered that a sense of humor is a must in order to participate in Canine Freestyle.
When training for this new sport, the unexpected is expected in addition to a lot of patience and treats.
But most importantly don't forget to smile.
"Some of us don't have as great of a dancing ability as others," says Wimer. "But, we are getting better."
She along with her Welsh corgis, Oliver and Maggie, take part in a weekly Canine Freestyle class offered at the Fieldwood Dog Training Center in West Pennsboro Township.
The class, The Dancing Dogs of Fieldwood, currently consists of six owners and their dogs. Included is class instructor Bridget McAlister and director Mary Kutulakis accompanied by their two Australian shepherds - 4-year-old Canyon and 6-year-old Dixie.
Developed in the late 1980s in British Columbia and introduced into the United States in the 1990s, Canine Freestyle is a new class of dog competition that is judged like figure skating with technical merit and artistic impression according to divisions and levels.
Music suits style of dog
Presentations are accompanied by music selected to suit the rhythmic style of each dog.
Routines are developed with teams or individual performances.
McAlister's interest in the sport began three years ago.
"I am a self-taught dancer," she says. "So, I heard about it and began buying books and videos to teach myself how to do this."
This led to her later demonstrating the sport to classes at Kutulakis' training center and eventually enough interested canine owners signed up to start the class a year ago.
Now the class travels to area nursing homes and nurseries to entertain.
"We are starting to get gigs," jokes Kutulakis.
The group is currently working on a performance titled "Easter Parade" where the six owners and their dogs dance in one large circle combining side steps, jumps and spins in unison.
Individual performances cater to the canine's stronger abilities.
For example, Wimer's Welsh corgis do around a two-minute performance to "Zippidy Do Da," which allows them to do lots of spins.
Oliver spins during the lyric "zippidy-do-da" while Maggie spins to "zippidy-yay."
Debut performance
"Maggie usually watches from the sidelines while Oliver performs," Wimer adds. "So, this was her debut performance."
Performing to the Van Halen song "Jump" is perfect for Mary Johnson's dog.
Royale Moonshadow, a 2-year-old gray Standard poodle, loves to jump high in the air and spin during every performance.
"I had been dancing with her at home prior to attending the classes," Johnson says. "But I wanted to put some sort of routine with it."
And, Booker, Jennie Masland's 4-year-old collie, dances to "All That Jazz."
"He has to keep moving," she says. "So songs with up-beat tempos are perfect."
Participants in McAlister's class must all have completed a preliminary training course before they can begin in freestyle dancing.
