Dance instructor Kara Morkert still remembers the mother who walked into the studio crying.

The teary eyed woman may have never been so happy.

“She was thanking me for bringing the love of dance back to her daughter,’” Morkert said. “Her daughter had become disenchanted.”

Dedicating her life to dance, Morkert has instructed thousands of people since she opened the Gallery School of Music and Dance in the 1990s in Port Orchard and expanded to Silverdale four years ago.

Her clients include lawyers, students and stay-at-home-mothers, businesspeople and nurses. They are community members who share a passion for dance, or at least an eagerness to learn.

Some call it a sport, others say it’s an art. Perhaps it’s both. Dancing is a hobby for some and a profession for a few.

Even as it’s glorified on reality television shows and new genres emerge, this much remains clear: Dancing is healthy entertainment — good for the body, better for the soul.

“It’s more fun than running on a treadmill,” Morkert said.

There are many ways to get involved in Kitsap County.

OVERCOMING NERVES

Becky Burch worried about falling.

She spent five years on the side of the dance floor, watching her 9-year-old daughter participate in the youth hip hop classes. Burch was envious of the laughs, smiles and what appeared to be a fun time.

But she never participated — until Tuesday.

That’s when the 38-year-old mother of two made her dancing debut at an adult hip hop class at the Gallery School of Music and Dance in Silverdale.

“I kept walking away from my daughter’s classes and wanting to try it,” the Silverdale resident said. “I finally did it.”

For many, showing up is the hardest part.

Some worry about image, making mistakes. Others don’t feel comfortable in their own skin, preferring to shimmy and shake only in private. Many are afraid to fail, or even try something new.

“It’s easy to get frustrated, and some people learn faster than others,” Morkert said. “But I’ve seen the most timid people walk out of dance class as a whole new person, even the way they walk down the street.”

Unless a class is geared toward experts, many instructors don’t place a large emphasis on skill and technique, at least not on the first day of class.

It’s important to improve, those instructors say, but having fun is the top priority.

Devin Hanson, 20, who teaches adults and children as young as 3 in Silverdale and Port Orchard, believes laughter is the best measure of success. She said novices, no matter the genre, can’t expect to perfect every twist, turn or pivot on day one.

Expect a care-free environment in her class, she says.

“As long as they are leaving with a smile on their face, then it’s a good day,” said Hanson, a junior at the University of Oregon and a member of the school’s dance team, which performs at football games and in competitive meets. “If they aren’t enjoying it, there is no reason for me to be there.”

BODY WORKS

Bari Udell enrolled in dance class because she wants to be fit.

On Tuesday, the Silverdale resident was among nine people who participated in a 30-minute warm-up before attempting any hip hop moves. The students completed crunches and squats, and stretched their backs and hamstrings and necks.

“I would like to try to get my body reclaimed a little bit,” said Udell. “I want to get better abs, get my arms back a little.”

She chose the right activity.

Although hip hop is more frenetic than many genres, all forms of dance require at least some physical exertion. Whether it’s waltzing across a stage with a partner or weaving and bobbing to rap beats, dancers are constantly on the move.

“Dancing works everything — your cardio, your breathing, toning your muscles,” Morkert said. “We work a lot of with core muscles, so everything is coming from the inside out.”

Morkert said her 8-year-old son, who plays many sports, has improved his balance and muscle control through dance. With his body not yet fully developed, Morkert said the stretching and movements of dance have made her son strong and flexible.

Even his coaches wonder where the athleticism comes from.

“They’ll ask, ‘Where did he learn to do that?’” Morkert said.

EASE OF MIND

Rachel Watson keeps returning for the company — and jokes.

The 25-year-old teacher from Bremerton spends most of her time in a classroom, so she’s ready to cut loose when she enters the dance studio.

“From eight in the morning until three in the afternoon, I have to be politically correct all the way,” said Watson, who’s been dancing for about 10 years. “When I come here, I can let it all out.”

Let it all out she did during hip hop Tuesday, moving to the tunes of Usher and Janet Jackson and exchanging laughs with her classmates and instructors during water breaks.

“Get it, girl!” Watson said more than once.

The camaraderie between classmates helps many people overcome the apprehension of dancing. Most classes, regardless of genre, are structured so that participants are placed alongside dancers of similar skill sets and experience.

And in most cases, Morkert said, people lighten up in time, partly because newcomers are so focused on learning they don’t have time to judge each other.

“I always tell my students, ‘Don’t worry, they aren’t looking at you because they are worried about themselves,’” Morkert said. “And if they are looking, it’s because you look great.”

Dan Snow, 20, of Bremerton, broke out of his shell after what his instructor said was a quiet first two weeks of class.

Dressed in a black “KISS” T-shirt to go with white socks and black pants, the shaggy haired dancer traded some good-natured ribbing with his instructor, Hanson.

“Check that out!” he yelled from the back of the studio following one 360-degree turn.

“Dan, I thought you were the quiet type?” Hanson laughed.