Richard (Dick) Rogers, BSc, MSc, has enjoyed a long and successful career as a professional entomologist, specializing in crop pest management and honey bee research, in both Canada and the US.
Beyond his expertise in insects, Dick is also deeply passionate about the transformative power of dance. Extensive medical research, combined with his own personal experiences, has revealed the profound benefits of dancing for physical and mental well-being, particularly as we age.
Dick’s dance journey began in 1976, with lessons in ballroom dance technique and social dance etiquette. In 1977, he expanded his repertoire to include traditional square dance and partner round-dance lessons.
Though the 1980s saw a brief pause in his dancing endeavors, Dick’s enthusiasm was reignited when the line dance phenomenon gained momentum in the 1990s. Furthermore, he embraced various dance styles, participating in Irish set dancing, partner round dancing, line dancing, international folk dancing, contra dance, and ballroom events and lessons alongside his wife, Nancy.
Due to work and travel commitments in the early 2000s, Dick took another hiatus from dance. However, after relocating to the US in 2008, he discovered a new passion for dance through Zumba and Latin dance. By 2014, Dick’s dance addiction resurfaced as he delved into ballroom lessons, complemented by country and folk dancing. He even competed in the Jack and Jill novice category at Trilogy Swing 2018 in Durham, and participated in the Pro/Am West Coast Swing division with pro-dancer Joan Caviness.
Until 2020, Dick served as a DJ and dance instructor for a private Sunday event in Greensboro. During the pandemic years, he adapted by offering online dance sessions three times a week, dedicating one session to ballroom/social solo dance, another to country-style dance, and a special session for more advanced routines. In total, he offered over 100 online dance sessions.
Presently, he instructs and DJs at an established gig in Burlington, NC, serves as an assistant DJ for StarDusters at Carrboro Century Center, holds a board membership for StarDusters, and occasionally DJs and instructs at other venues and workshops. Additionally, Dick has choreographed and or co-choreographed 45 published sequence dances, with more creations in progress.
Dick’s appreciation for music spans various genres, and his dance interests include ballroom/social dance, country line/partner dance, Irish set dancing, square dancing, contra and international folk dance. Among his favorites are cha cha cha, nightclub two-step, east coast swing, west coast swing, single swing, shag, 3- and 4-count swing (hustle), rumba, bachata, meringue, salsa, country and cajun two-step, foxtrot, and waltz, among others.
Dick and Nancy remain dedicated to their dance journey, and life-long learning, by regularly attending workshops and training sessions at various locations in the triangle & piedmont regions of North Carolina.