"I've always been interested in dance," said Patterson. "I never could play any type of ball. I could always dance, although I was too shy to dance in high school."
But when the Olustee graduate went on to college, he began to dance as much as possible.
"People say 'you'd rather dance than eat'...Almost literally," said Patterson. "To me, it's all about balance, timing and coordination."
Patterson attends dances regularly - everything from country and western to ballroom dancing.
"Sometimes you'll find a lady - a total stranger out of a crowd and you literally just float," he said. "It's as close to flying as you're going to get, that's the way I look at it. When everything's just right, it's just like flying. I really enjoy it, I always have."
Patterson said that when he goes away to a workshop or convention in a big city, the motel room gets pretty boring after a day or to. Instead of going to a bar (because he doesn't like drinking or cigarettes), he'll call a dance studio and see if he can join in for an afternoon session.
His talent shows in his dancing, even if he's never had a regular course. He's participated in every type of dancing - country and western, ballroom, Latin, clog, swing, and he says he likes it all. He says he really can't pick out a favorite and he tends to combine some of the dancing, he said.
"I dance a lot of foxtrot at country and western dances and my partner doesn't even realize what she's actually doing is a foxtrot," Patterson said. "It's more of a gliding step - a little bit smoother than a basic two-step."
This was Patterson's fourth year to attend the OAI's dance workshop. The instructors of the workshop were four-time National Ballroom Dancing Champions, John Swick and Amanda Campbell. Swick, an Oklahoma City native, and Campbell, originally from England but now living in Ada, met in Miami, Fla., and decided to become dancing partners. They are currently working with the World Arts Foundation, which is working in conjunction with OAI.
OAI is trying to incorporate Dance Sport in the schools. It will be an official Olympic event in 2008. Oklahoma School Superintendent Sandy Garrett, gave the World Arts Foundation the permission to put this in as a curriculum in Oklahoma schools. Teachers and principals who are interested in the program can actually get scholarships to pay for these workshops and only have to pay a $25 application fee.
Donna Tucker, the music teacher at Rivers Elementary, also attended the Dance Sport workshop this weekend.
"I like to participate in all of the arts because it helps me as a music teacher," said Tucker.
This is Tucker's third year to attend OAI workshops. She says she wants to incorporate all the arts into what she is teaching, because it all works together. She currently teaches folk dance to her students, but she wants to broaden her horizons. She plans on incorporating more of the ballroom dancing into her teaching, as well.
Also attending the workshop was Duke-raised Cindy (Bustos) Swearingen. Swearingen formerly taught first grade at Sunset Elementary in Altus and was also the counselor for Sunset and Washington Elementary. She is now the middle school principal in Beggs (south of Tulsa).
This was Swearingen's first year to attend the fall OAI.
"It's awesome," she said. "I'm going to encourage all my teachers to come for anything. I also plan on coming again next year."
Unlike the summer Arts Institute for kids, adults do have to be accepted or take any tests. They are on a first come first serve basis, according to Annina Collier, Public Relations for OAI.
OAI offers all different kinds of fall workshops. Some of those include Visual Arts, Writing, Performing Arts, Arts Integration for Educators, Photography, Printmaking. All of the OAI workshops are held at the beautiful and scenic Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center, which provides the perfect setting for artistic performance. The only workshop left this year will be photography and printmaking which will be held in the middle of November. Although space is limited, there is room left. Interested people can sign up online at www.okartinst.org or call (405) 319-9019.
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