By Dave DeAngelis
So, what does a widely recognized handler of champion dogs of multiple breeds do after meeting her love at a church dance on Valentine’s Day? Why, marry him, and teach him how to show dogs, of course! And what would be the next logical step for them as a team? Well, given their love of dancing, take up line dancing and teach it! Made perfect sense to Chuck and Donna Nelson, who are originally from Kansas and now live in On Top of the World. They’ve been dancing since they met 29 years ago.
In search of their permanent landing spot in Florida, they began their RV treks from Kansas in 2015. Clermont became their home in 2018, where they immediately began teaching line dancing. What lured Chuck and Donna to On Top of the World in 2024? “The Town Square was the main reason,” said Chuck, with Donna adding that their attraction to the abundance of activities offered here was a key decision maker for their move.
Donna explained that line dancing positively affects both cognitive and physical health, as the movements and sequencing exercise the mind and body. “Salsa moves can even be incorporated” into line dancing. Chuck and Donna are passionate about what they do. Their group name is From the Top Line Dancing Group; a name derived from Chuck’s repeated command of “from the top” as an instruction to start the segment over.
They lead line dancing at Boots & Beats on Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, with the event free and open to the public. Between Wednesdays, they also learn new line dances themselves and teach a Tuesday class at The Lodge at Candler Hills. Classes are progressive, with beginner and high beginner/intermediate levels. There is one requirement from Chuck and Donna to attend their sessions. You must be willing to have fun.
Hmmm…we could have used their dog handling experience when Dobbie got loose for 10 days last year, as reported in the World News.