Learn To Western Dance

The Western Trail

• Beef and Beer Benefit for Corey Mitchell will be held 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Norco Fire Hall, Route 724, Pottstown. Tickets are $25. Corey, 16, was recently diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and all proceeds from this event will go to The Care For Corey Mitchell.

• International Vulture Awareness Day will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 3 at Hawk Mountain, Hamburg. Vulture-themed activities include a free children’s vulture book and live vulture programs at noon and 3 p.m. Trail fees apply. For more information, visit www.hawkmountain.org. 

• Wild For Salmon recently returned from their fishing trip in Alaska and will be selling their catch of wild sockeye salmon at the Boyertown Farmer’s Market 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 3. To learn more, visit www.wildforsalmon.com. The event is located at 100 South Walnut Street in the parking lot of The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, two blocks south of the intersection of routes 562 and 73.

• The Amity A.C. Soccer - Fall Season starts Sept. 9. Recreation league coaches are needed for U4, U5, U8-U9. Games are played either Friday night or Saturday morning. Practice night is at the coach's discretion. Email Karen LeBlanc at dogpatch676@dejazzd.com.

• Amity A.C. Lacrosse needs coaches for all age levels for the Spring 2011 season. Experience is not required, just enthusiasm! E-mail Lea Pajakinas at leapsj@dejazzd.com.

• It’s apple picking time at Hopewell Furnace historic apple orchards.  The orchard includes over 30 varieties of apples. Cost is $1 per pound regardless of the variety. No pesticides are used. Stop by the park’s visitor center to pick up a map, picking pole and bucket. Park hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wed. through Sun. including holidays.

• Get Funky Fitness Zumba: classes are returning to the Birdsboro Memorial Community Center beginning 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6.  Classes will be held in the dance studio at the community center. The September 6 class is a free introductory class.

Dancing Queen | airdrielife

Story by Anne Beaty

photo by Kurtis Kriustianson

By day she’s a corporate leader; by night she trips the light fantastic.

Jana Jaeger, City of Airdrie director of corporate services, is not only a highly successful executive; she’s also an outstanding country western dancer on the pro-am circuit. Introduced to the fine art of dance by former colleague Richard Tymko, who was at one time the City’s webmaster, Jaeger has been kicking up her heels – literally – for the past year-and-a-half.

“It was just something for fun,” she says of how she got started. “It was a great way to get out and get some exercise.”

From the beginning Jaeger has immersed herself in the new activity. When it was suggested she try dancing competitively, though, she had to think long and hard about whether or not she really wanted to dedicate the time necessary in order to become proficient enough to compete.

But the answer was never really in doubt.

“For me it’s kind of always about that challenge,” she says. “You’re not going to know unless you try.”

Although Jaeger took tap and highland dance lessons as a girl, she hadn’t done anything quite as specialized since, so the opportunity to learn something completely new was exciting. She couldn’t have started with better teachers – Tymko and wife Cindy are at the top of their field as professional dance instructors.

“They’re very good,” says Jaeger, who began taking private lessons with Richard, the pro half of their pro-am dancing partnership, when she decided to dance in competition. “That in itself is a skill – to be a really good dance instructor.”

She had her doubts at first, but she stepped out of her comfort zone and persevered. It didn’t take long before she was having fun.

“That’s been really cool,” she says.

One of the first things Jaeger realized when she began dancing was that although the dancers on TV make it look effortless, it is incredibly hard work.

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