Joe Majerus

If you've ever attended a local wedding or fundraiser and there's been a polka band or polka music playing, there's a good chance you've seen Joe Majerus hitting the dance floor.

In fact, Majerus' skillful polka moves appear to be what landed him a spot in the final Movers & Shakers Gala.

"We were at another fundraiser having a great time dancing the night away," said the president of Landmark Landscapes.

Landmark is located only about six miles south of Lakeland's main campus, and Majerus said he admires the work their neighbor to the north does for the area.

"Education is important to me and my family," Majerus said. "Lakeland is a special school and community, and we feel fortunate we can help support its students in reaching their goals."

Landmark Landscapes is a family-owned and operated, full service, residential and commercial landscaping enterprise that's in its second generation now that Joe and his brother have begun assuming ownership from their parents.

This region is filled with many of Landmark's national award-winning residential and commercial landscapes. And, after nearly 30 years, Landmark continues to grow by recruiting high quality talent and helping them improve their skills.

When Majerus takes the Weill stage for the Movers & Shakers Gala, the skills he uses as an award-winning designer will come in handy.

"Landscaping is both an art and a science – Landmark Landscapes' mantra is to create 'art through ecology'," Majerus said. "We find subtle ways to incorporate rhythm, repetition, balance, symmetry and tension into a framework of natural constraints to create something beautiful. Dancing is similar in that we are using the same principles of design applied to the framework of the music. At the end of the day people know good dancing and good landscapes when they see it even if they don't know why it looks good."

Majerus doesn't have any formal dance background, unless you count learning the polka when he was four while standing on his grandmother's feet. And when you consider Lakeland's rich German heritage, this has the makings for a memorable Gala performance.

"No spoilers," Majerus said. "But I've been looking for a good reason to buy a pair of Lederhosen."

Joe's professional dance partner is Angela Gillitzer.

Joe is dancing to support RonniJo Nigro.