Thom Fielder teaching the line dance
PARAGOULD, AR. Dec. 9–On Friday, November 13, 2020, Thom Fielder, fine arts instructor at BRTC Paragould, taught Leadership Paragould Class XXIV line dancing.
The class met at the Collins Theatre in downtown Paragould. The focus of the November session was the “History of Paragould & Greene County & The Arts.” During the arts portion of the session, the class heard from Joy Robinson, Collins Theater manager, and then the class was divided into groups where they participated in “speed arts”; each group painted, danced, and sang.
Thom Fielder taught the class a line dance to “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus. Fielder has been volunteering at this session for more than 10 years. In previous years, he taught classes the waltz; however, due to COVID-19 concerns, he adapted his session and taught a line dance to comply with the social distancing guidelines.
During the history portions of the session, the class enjoyed a lecture by historian Bob Branch followed by guided tour of downtown led by historian Erik Wright. The class also heard from Kimberly Dale of the Greene County Future Fund, Teddi Martin of the Rhine Building, and Mary Buchman of Crowley’s Ridge State Park.
For more information about Fine Arts courses offered at BRTC, contact Donna Statler, Dean for General Studies, at donnas@blackrivertech.edu or (870) 248-4000, ext. 4183 or visit https://blackrivertech.org/academics.