National dance guru at VW dance studio

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

This past weekend, local dancers got a world-class dance education from Stepp Stewart, television personality, talented choreographer and producer, and dance-fitness guru from “The Dr. Oz Show”.

Stewart was in Van Wert primarily to work with dancers selected for one of Stewart’s productions, a musical revue called “Broadway Baby”, being held at the Porter Sanford II Performing Arts Center in Decatur, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, September 27-28.

The session came about, in part, as the result of a decades-long friendship between Stewart and Kim Hohman, owner of the local DanceWorks dance studio.

“Kim and I have known each other since 1996, when she and some students attended a Stepp With Me convention in Cleveland,” Stewart said, adding, “We’ve been friends ever since.”

Hohman added that 1996 was also the year she opened her dance studio in Van Wert, more than 22 years ago.

DanceWorks students also began attending — and winning awards at — Stewart’s annual Dynamite National Talent Competition, while local students have also attended Stewart’s dance camp — Camp Spotlight — in Georgia, and have been selected for other Stewart productions.

Over the years, the friendship between Stewart and Hohman has deepened, with Hohman eventually asking the dancer, an Ohio native from Orrville who earned a degree from The Ohio State University, to come to her studio and teach master classes, which he has done several times.

In fact, in addition to working with four local students — Kaden Hohman of Lincolnview, Finley Foster of Van Wert, Ellie Vining of Crestview, and Alanna Knebel of Delphos Jefferson — who Stewart selected to perform in his “Broadway Baby” production, Stewart also held master classes in music theatre at DanceWorks on Saturday and Sunday.

Stewart said he feels it’s very important for students to know a little about the history of dance, in addition to how to actually dance, because the dance industry is largely the same now as it was decades ago.

“Things really haven’t changed much in the dance world,” Stewart explained. “You still have to work hard, you still have to train, you still have to go through these people and these channels.”

Stewart added that’s also one reason why he still chooses dancers for his productions and “The Dr. Oz Show” in person, rather than from a video, adding that it’s because he really doesn’t trust a video to represent the true capabilities of a dancer or the energy a performer brings to a live performance.

“That may have been a good day for them, or the 17th take,” Stewart said of a video.

The Atlanta dance guru also provided some information about “Broadway Baby”, noting the dance revue would include traditional Broadway tunes, as well as tunes from some modern productions.

“We’re doing songs from Peter Pan to Hamilton, from The Wiz to The Wizard of Oz,” he said.

More information about Stewart’s many professional activities can be found on Twitter at #SteppWithMethesteppstewart.com.