News Archives Jan 2009 - Dec 2009

Our Christmas Dinner Dance

Jmighell 20:31, 23 December 2009 (PST)

It was a great Christmas dinner dance at Centerville last Friday. We had about 65 dancers attending, and a lot of fun. The roast chicken dinner was delicious, and the beer and wine flowed in abundance. It was great to see some club members who don't come that often to our regular dances. Denny and Evelyn did a wonderful job of keeping the floor filled all night long.

As is our tradition at these Christmas dances, the retiring board introduced the incoming board members:

Have a merry Christmas and happy New Year!!

Congratulations!

Jmighell 13:37, 23 November 2009 (PST)

A hearty congratulations! The winners of the 2009 Dancer's Choice Awards have just been announced, and Sue & Kathy (pictured at left with Diana Ward) won the Regional Dance Instructors Award! The dance they taught at Boots 'n' Buckles last August, Tango Tonight, won 2nd place in the choreography competition.

I was also delighted to find that Michael Barr was named Male Instructor of the Year. At BnB dances recently, we've been enjoying Michael's latest dances Rain Against My Window and Fiona, as well as Michele Perron and Michele Burton's Rumba Breeze.

This year the registration for Michael and Michelle's Boogie Til The Cows Come Home event will open at 8am on December 1. Click here for the registration form, and sign up soon; the event is sure to be sold out almost instantly.

Michael and Michelle will also be cruising the Caribbean with Scooter Lee and Jo Thompson between March 28 and April 4 next year. Learn more about that here.

Doris Volz has been keeping us up to date on the Las Vegas Line Dance Explosion with postings on LineDanceFun.com. Many thanks, Doris!

Holiday Dances

Jmighell 13:38, 19 November 2009 (PST)

There will be a Thanksgiving Dance Dance at Centerville on November 20. For a while it was not clear if we could get the hall that night; but we've now confirmed it, and the dance will be held. There is liable to be only a few board members present, but I know that everyone who shows up to dance off the Thanksgiving feast will help out.

Our Christmas Dinner Dance is scheduled for December 18. There will be a happy half-hour starting at 6:30pm, with wine and beer to enliven holiday spirits, followed by a delicious roast chicken dinner. The dance starts as usual at 8pm, with DJs Evelyn and Denny. The cost of the dinner is $25, which includes admission to the dance. Be sure to submit your Dinner Reservation Form, either by mail or at one of the dances, before the deadline of December 11. For those who can't attend the dinner, the evening dance will have the standard admission price. We expect to announce the new board members that night.

Amy 'n' Friends will be holding a Christmas Line Dance Party on Wednesday, December 9, from 10:30am to 1:30pm in Milpitas. Evelyn Khinoo & Denny Harris are hosting their 18th Annual Holiday Party on December 15, 7-9pm at the Lucie Stern Center in Palo Alto. Sue and Kathy are going to have a Christmas Party on Saturday, December 12, 7:30-10pm. On Saturday, December 19 there will be a Christmas Potluck Dance at Cactus Corners. And the Quicksteppers will be holding a Christmas Dinner Dance on December 19, and a Glitz at the Ritz New Years Dance on December 31. (If I've missed anything, shoot me an email and I'll post it.)

Sue and Kathy Nominated for Regional Instructors Award

Jmighell 12:35, 15 November 2009 (PST)

I was delighted to learn that Sue and Kathy have been nominated for the Regional Instructor Award at the 2009 Dancers Choice Awards.

This award is part of the annual Las Vegas Line Dance Explosion organized by Doug and Jackie Miranda. The event, which extends from November 18 through the 22nd this year, is always a marvelous time, and I know a number of line dancers from the Bay Area will be attending. This year, Michael Barr and Michele Burton will be among the event instructors.

At Boots 'n' Buckles, it was a great pleasure and privilege when Sue and Kathy came out to teach their new dance Tango Tonight last August. We had a big crowd and a lot of fun that night; many of our dancers made a point of telling me how much they enjoyed it. Sue and Kathy's latest dance Under the Sun will be published in the prestigious Linedancer magazine in December, and Jackie Miranda will be teaching it at the Las Vegas Explosion.

You can vote online for the Dancer's Choice Awards here: http://www.djdancing.com/dancerschoice2009.html. The category for Regional Instructor of the Year is at the very bottom of the page. Voting is free this year; voting ends November 20; the awards will be announced on November 22.

I personally think Sue and Kathy deserve the award, many times over. I and many other dancers all over the world enjoy their instructional dance videos; like everything they do, the videos are top-notch quality; and even if you've never seen one yourself, you've probably benefited from them because your dance instructor can view them to help decide what dances to teach.

I'm also delighted by the resurgence of interest in line dancing that we have seen in the Bay Area over the past few years, a good part of which I attribute to the enthusiasm and energy and sheer good fun you find at Sue and Kathy's classes and social dances.

Don't forget to vote.

THANK YOU

Jmighell 10:28, 14 November 2009 (PST)

Things were looking pretty damn bleak last week. I and other members of the BnB board were convinced that we would have to close down the club after our Christmas Dance on December 18. Without anyone willing to step up to take responsibility for leadership, the club would fold. A quarter century of tradition would come to an end. I was torn between misery and grief during the week as I started to research the IRS regulations that govern the dissolution of a non-profit organization.

And then last night, it turned around. Club members, who lead busy lives that are filled with other responsibilities, nonetheless stepped forward and said they would not let our organization fail. I, and everyone else in the club, and in our dance community, owe a debt of gratitude to these people, who have volunteered to served on the board next year:

• Rob Lynch
• Hong Ying Wang
• Leslie Brazelton
• Susan Van Wambeck
• Bill Parrish
• Marie Parrish
• Tom Garcia
• John Mighell
• Kathy Menzies
• Jim Cromie
• Belinda Cheng
• Glenn Wiegand

Thank you!

Dissolving the Boots 'n' Buckles Dance Club in December

23:43, 9 November 2009 (PST)

Everybody likes to dance, but it seems that no one is willing to take responsibility for the work needed to keep the dance club going. The club has over 80 members, but Tom Garcia and I are the only members who have volunteered to serve on the board next year. We need at least 6 board members; after weeks of twisting arms, I find that we have only 2 volunteers.

It is really this simple: unless we get enough club members who are willing to serve on the board, we'll have to close down the club.

Being a board member isn't that hard. You do not have to show up for every dance. It requires only a few hours each month. Board members can expect a lot of help from other club members for things like door duty, and stacking chairs at the end of the evening. All that is really required is a willingness to take on the responsibility for a few, simple tasks. Helping to run a small social club is not rocket science.

If you want the club to continue, please contact one of the current board members to volunteer. Do it before the board nomination period closes, at the end of the dance this coming Friday night, Nov. 13.

If no one else volunteers, we'll simply close down the club in late December or early January. The Christmas Dinner Dance on December 18 will be our last club function, and then we'll file the paperwork to formally dissolve the organization. In accordance with our bylaws and IRS regulations, we'll give all the money remaining in our treasury to charity. The only real question will be: what charity should we donate it to?

Catching Up on the News

Jmighell 19:03, 29 October 2009 (PDT)

There will be no BnB dance tomorrow (October 30), because we could not rent the hall at Centerville that night. Looking forward to seeing everyone the following week, November 6, with DJs Diana Ward and Tina Beare.

The club's Silent Auction last week was a great success, with 47 dancers attending. The club realized net proceeds of $280. Lee did a wonderful job organizing the event, along with her helpers: Joanne, Dolores, Francis, Sonny, Helen and Gary. Our thanks for the many nice donations that encouraged dancers to buy tickets, and to everyone who attended or supported the event.

Our thanks also to Amy and Friends, many of whom have joined the club, for a generous donation.

Nominations for the club's board of directors are open, and club members are strongly encouraged to volunteer. It requires only a few hours each month (doing work such as door duty at the Friday night dances) for the tasks needed to keep the club going. If you have been enjoying the club's social dances, you might consider 'giving back' just a bit. Talk with any of the current board members and they will be happy to tell you more about it. The nominations will be officially closed at the end of the dance on November 13, and there will be an opportunity for club members to vote at the dances on each of the following 3 Friday nights.

Johanna Wise has had some interesting guests on TagLines, her line dance radio program that airs from 1pm to 3pm each Tuesday. There was Mike and Joyce Shannon on October 6, and Neil Hale and Hedy McAdams appeared on her show last Tuesday, October 27. You can listen to TagLines on the radio at 90.1FM, or over the internet at http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/.

The club's board is currently making arrangements for the Christmas Dinner Dance on December 18 at Centerville. Evelyn and Denny will be our DJs, and Helen is arranging for a delicious Christmas dinner before the dance. Tickets will be available soon. Don't miss it!

TagLines will feature Evelyn Khinoo on Tuesday

Jmighell 17:02, 5 September 2009 (PDT)

Evelyn Khinoo will make a guest appearance on Johanna Wise's radio show Taglines next Tuesday, September 8th. TagLines airs every Tuesday from noon to 3pm Pacific Time on KZSU, a radio station owned by Stanford University. You can listen to it on the radio at 90.1FM, or over the internet at http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ (press the play button on the radio console). Johanna Wise (pictured at left) is the DJ, and the show is devoted to line dance music and conversation. You can contribute to the conversation by calling in during the show at 650-723-9010. Don't miss it!

Update September 11
Anyone who missed the program, or who just wants to hear it again, can download an MP3 recording here. Warning: it's about 159MB in size.

Learn Tango Tonight, Friday Night

Jmighell 21:43, 26 August 2009 (PDT)

I've just learned that Sue & Kathy will be teaching their new dance Tango Tonight at the lesson this coming Friday night. From the video below, it looks like a lot of fun.

Upcoming Events

Jmighell 13:21, 15 August 2009 (PDT)

Your friendly neighborhood webmaster has been missing in action for the past few weeks, just a tad bit too busy with work to dance. But I've finally got the calendar updated, and here are a few quick notes on upcoming events:

We're in for a special treat next week, with Gary Clayton as guest DJ. It is always great to see Gary and hear a little about what is happening in the East Bay. East Bay dancers often find some great new dances, and it is fun to see what they are up to.

On August 28 Sue and Kathy will be teaching a line dance lesson at our Friday night social. Sue & Kathy have also been missing in action, off on vacation I hear. They are holding no classes between August 10 through 21, except in Mountain View. But it sounds like their classes will resume in late August and September; see their website for more information.

Can you believe that it has been almost three years now, since Sue and Kathy started teaching line dances? They are going to be holding their Third Anniversary Party on September 5 at 7:30 to 10:20pm. It will be held at the CPAA Arts Center (6148 Bollinger Road, San Jose, CA 95129). It sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, with dancing, a show and prizes. Here's the flyer

On September 11 Mike and Joyce will be our DJs and we'll be holding a Pot Luck Night. Watch this space for more information on that.

And on October 23 there will be a Silent Auction. I think Lee Sollecito is helping with the organization for this event, and she is urging everyone to think ahead and plan for it: "If you don't want your treasures, save them for that night."

Finally: a reminder to renew your membership. All current memberships expire on August 31. You can get a copy of the membership renewal form here, or ask for one at the Friday night social dance.

Our Thanks to Debbie for a Great Lesson Last Friday Night

Jmighell 11:41, 27 July 2009 (PDT)

The original idea for a watermelon feast was that it would be perfect refreshment for a hot summer night. The weather didn't cooperate completely, and last Friday night it was actually a little bit chilly outside, at least by California standards. But things got hot and heavy on the dance floor, and the watermelon was delicious. We had about 70 dancers in attendance, including Amy & Friends, Anni, Richard and Jan and a number of other Quicksteppers, as well as dancers from the Country Hustlers and Cactus Corners.

Debbie Kachalkin's teach of Fools Fall (step sheet, video) was very well received; almost everyone in the hall was lined up to learn the dance. Debbie teaches line dance classes every Thursday at the Fremont Adult School ( 4700 Calaveras Ave., Fremont CA). The beginner class is from 6:30pm to 7:15pm, with advanced beginner lessons from 7:15pm to 8:00pm and intermediate lessons from 8:00pm to 9:00pm. (There is a $2 charge per class levied by the school. There will be no classes during August, but they will resume September 17. Also, the fee is subject to change by Fremont Adult School.)

Our DJs Evelyn and Denny kept the floor filled with happy dancers, playing a very nice mix of dances that appealed to all. Among the newer dances were Cuban Kiss, Spanish Love, Coochie Bang Bang, Poker Face, Man Chang Fei, 2 of Us and The Way You Make Me Feel.

We danced a lot of old favorites as well, including: All My X's, Boot Scootin' Boogie, Cha Cha Lengua, Cowboys Don't Cry, Hot Tamales, It Hurts and Jambalaya. Lorraine was there to lead Yes Sir, That's My Baby. And of course, the night wouldn't have been complete without the Watermelon Crawl. Here's the full playlist.

Update July 28
I've just learned that Debbie's classes at the Fremont Adult School are no longer free; there's a $2 charge per class required by the school. Also, there are no classes during August, but they will resume September 17. The article above has been changed to reflect these corrections.

A Lesson with Debbie and a Watermelon Feast

Jmighell 14:42, 22 July 2009 (PDT)

Be sure to be on time this coming Friday night at the Boots 'n' Buckles dance: Debbie Kachalkin will be teaching Fools Fall (step sheet). It's a great beginner dance choreographed by Lois Lightfoot, who also did Irish Stew. The music is Fools Fall in Love by the Drifters (not to be confused with Why do Fools Fall in Love), a hit from 1957 that reached 69 on the pop charts and 10 on the R&B charts. The Drifters, a doo wop/R&B vocal group, are famous for a number of songs including Under the Boardwalk, This Magic Moment, There Goes My Baby and Save The Last Dance For Me.

Here's a link to a demo of the dance. Evelyn and Denny will be our DJ's. Debbie's lesson starts at 8pm, and we'll be serving watermelon all night long.

Dance with Jamie Hogan Next Friday at Centerville

Jmighell 11:05, 12 July 2009 (PDT)

We are in for a special treat next Friday, July 17: Jamie Hogan will be our DJ. Jamie is well-known throughout the Bay Area as an extremely popular DJ for parties, weddings and other special events. She is a dance and aerobics instructor, and hosts line dance socials on the Second Friday of every month in Belmont at Barrett. Her events are always filled with energy and fun. It will be a pleasure seeing her at Centerville.

The Aloha Party for John and Gina

Jmighell 11:36, 27 June 2009 (PDT)

It was a great party for John and Gina last night, featuring cake and a slide show. I was asking John about his place in Kauai, wondering out loud if it was equipped with a comfortable couch, TV and well-stocked refrigerator. John considered this question for a long moment, and then admitted that he has all these things; I soon learned that he also has a ladder and paint brush.

The slide show was impressive; Gary developed it using his new toy: Apple software called iPhoto '09 that does facial recognition. Gary can highlight a face in a group picture, and then instruct the software to search through his massive library of club pictures to display all the other pictures with that same face. It is amazing how effective, and how fast, this works. You can watch a demo of iPhoto '09 here, or ask Gary for a live demonstration. Very cool.

And speaking of cool technology, last night we were joined by Sallie, the webmaster for Cactus Corners (Sallie is second from left in the picture at bottom). Sallie is using Word Press blog software for the Cactus Corner site, and it is an outstanding piece of work. I like the clean, simple and elegant styling. The Country Hustlers site is also remarkable. It is a wiki, like our own site, but highly developed with custom skins and a very nice calendar of line dance lessons and events.

Don't forget, there will be no Boots 'n' Buckles dance next Friday, July 3. But there is a Cactus Corners dance that night at the Danville Grange Hall (see details here), and a lot of BnB die-hards are planning to attend.

An Aloha Party for John and Gina, Friday June 26 at Centerville

Jmighell 23:05, 23 June 2009 (PDT)

This time they really, really mean it. John Bowen and Gina Mello are off to paradise. But we can't possibly let them go without a party, and that is what Helen is planning for this coming Friday night. I think they're organizing a cake and slide show. I know we're all going to miss dancing with John and Gina. But they have promised to visit often. And of course, we'll be gaining hospitable friends with a couch in Kauai. Join us on Friday for their Aloha party.

Wonderful News

Jmighell 16:51, 17 June 2009 (PDT)

From Carole Wiegand:

Lost Thermos

Jmighell 15:24, 13 June 2009 (PDT)

This thermos was left by one of the dancers at Centerville Community Center on June 5. Claim it by sending an email to Helen Davidson at bucklesdance@pacbell.net.

Opening Night at Centerville

Jmighell 22:18, 8 June 2009 (PDT)

It was a wonderful opening night last Friday at Centerville Community Center. The place was filled with a swarm of line dancers from all over the Bay Area. We had people there from as far north as San Francisco, and as far south as Santa Cruz. (And then, of course, there was Fran Varaday, who seems to call the world her home.) In all, there were about 85 dancers kicking up a storm. Click here for a larger version of the group picture at top left.

One great thing about Centerville is that it is big enough to accommodate a crowd this size. There was room enough for people to practice dances in the back, and for others to couple dance around the floor. The ceiling is high enough even for Rob. And there is air conditioning for warm summer nights (though the city has it programmed so that we can't set it for arctic-like temperatures).

I particularly liked the root beer floats. Sonny tells me the secret lies in getting exactly the right proportion of ice cream to soda. But I think it is partly the brand of ice cream. Sonny and Lee buy it by the tub at Smart and Final, and I'm going to have to stop by that place to pick some up.

Evelyn and Denny played a great mix of dances. There were old favorites (Fly Like a Bird, Beer for my Horses, Tush Push, Zydeco Lady, Cha Cha Lengua and Jambalaya) and newer dances (Jesse James, Whiter Than White, Mojo Rhythm and Marry For Money). There were also some dances from the recent JG Line Dance Marathon (La Secret, Coochie Bang Bang, Bad Influence). See the entire playlist here, and other recent playlists on this page.

It was a pleasure to see local choreographer Henry Costa there, as well as Claudio and Cathy Dacumos who are on a break from their usual ballroom dancing on Friday nights. Anni, Jan, Mike and Joyce and a number of other Quicksteppers joined us. Lorraine Kurtela arrived just in time to lead us in her latest dance On The Sunny Side Of The Street (here is the revised step sheet, courtesy of Doris Volz at Line Dance Fun; thanks, Doris). And it was a lot of fun doing Sue and Kathy's It Hurts, with Sue and Kathy leading from the front row.

Sue and Kathy are now holding social dances every Sunday from 2pm to 4:30pm in Cupertino. The first Sunday each month will be geared toward beginners. See their flyer for more information. Here is the playlist for their next Sunday social dance on June 14. Last Friday we did Here's Looking at You Kid and Poker Face; Sue and Kathy have produced videos for both dances. Sue, Kathy and some of their instructors and students are shown together with Doris in the picture at bottom left.

This coming Friday at Centerville, Mike and Joyce Shannon will be our DJs. Don't miss their Fourth Saturday social dance at Hyde School.

Even Homer Nods: Centerville is Just 2.1 Miles from the Highway

Jmighell 08:02, 20 May 2009 (PDT)

In just the last 5 days, no fewer than 4 people have questioned my assertion that Centerville Community Center in Fremont (our new dance venue starting June 5) is 3.1 miles from the Mowry exit of 880. One of these people offered to bet a thousand dollars, but in the end settled for a more gentlemanly wager of $1. In search of vindication and a quick buck, I did some precise measurements using Google satellite images and Photoshop's pixel measurement tools (see picture at left).

I hate it when I'm wrong (fortunately it is a rare event). But the actual distance is 2.1 miles. I'll have to correct the map and flyers, pay up and hope that my buddy won't gloat too much.

And just in case you've never heard the expression 'Even Homer nods', you can read about it here and here.

Plea for Asian-Caucasian Bone Marrow Donor

Jmighell 14:12, 18 May 2009 (PDT)

Carole Wiegand's son Nick Glasgow, age 28, is suffering from Acute Leukemia and is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. The problem is that the donor must be an HLA match, and this kind of match is likely only for someone of mixed Asian (Sino-Asian, rather than Indo-Asian) and Caucasian descent. We're asking that anyone fitting this profile, who is between the ages of 18 and 60, to have their HLA type tested to see if they if they are a potential donor.

Determining HLA type is easy. Fill out the online form at the AADP (Asian American Donor Program) web site, at http://www.aadp.org/pages/register.php Where the form asks for 'Additional notes', enter "Request expedited processing for Nick Glasgow". The organization will send you a home test kit (swabs used for taking a saliva sample), with a package to return the kit by mail.

Alternatively (and better still, because time is critical), you can call AADP at 1-800-59-DONOR and make an appointment to visit one of their offices in Alameda or Oakland. There are also special registration drives in the cities throughout California. See this web page for details: http://www.aadp.org/pages/page.php?pageid=8. Registration with AADP is free for those of mixed race. When registering, please say that you are testing for Nick Glasgow.

Anyone outside California can go to this site to find out where they can be tested.

Having registered, your HLA type will be determined and recorded in the AADP database. If you are a match for Nick (or another individual in need of this life-saving treatment), the donation process is relatively easy. There will be further testing to make sure you are a good match and to make sure that donation will not pose any special risks to you or the patient. There are TWO ways of actually giving your adult stem cells - 70% of the time, you are asked to give stem cells through your blood. Only 30% of the time are you asked to give stem cells through your bone marrow.

If you or someone you know is a potential donor for Nick, please do the HLA type testing

Update May 18, 11:40pm
If you get tested, it is important that you expedite the process by sending an email to all three people listed below:

    Carole Wiegand (wiegand_carole@emc.com), Nick's mother
    Stacy Morales (morales_stacy@emc.com), Nick's friend and colleague who is helping to coordinate all this, and
    Carol Gillespie (carol@aadp.org) at the Asian American Donor Program

In the email, include your registration ID number, the location where you were tested, and testing date. The reason for this is that the national database usually takes a few weeks to be updated with a new potential donor's test results. For Nick, time is of the essence. They will be expediting these samples for Nick so his doctors will be able to urgently retrieve possible matches.

Update May 19, 9am
We have a Flyer containing the information shown above. Why not print and distribute it? You can also add a link to the flyer, in your emails or anything you post on the web, by copying and pasting the following internet address:

    http://www.bootsnbucklesdanceclub.com/images/PleaForAsianCaucasianBoneMarrowDonor.pdf

Update May 21, 10:30pm
It turns out that someone who is an HLA match for Nick might need only to make a simple blood donation. We have updated the information presented above, and in the flyer, to indicate this.

Root Beer Floats June 5 at Centerville, our New Venue

Jmighell 19:16, 17 May 2009 (PDT)

Starting June 5, the club will be holding its dances at Centerville Community Center in Fremont. It's a wonderful venue, located just 2.1 miles from the Mowry Avenue exit of 880. The center is nestled amid pine trees, a picnic area and a baseball diamond. There is a kitchen and plenty of off-street parking. The hall has a high ceiling, a hard wood floor, and is as big as a basketball court. It will be available to us every Friday night, at a cost comparable to what we are currently paying. The address is:

   Centerville Community Center
   3355 Country Drive
   Fremont, CA 94536

Prior to finalizing an agreement with Centerville, the board approached Swiss Park to see if something could be arranged there. We devoted a lot of time and effort to make that work, but it just wouldn't fly.

In some ways it is actually a shame to be leaving PRUMA, because the people there have been extremely good. It has been a great pleasure to work with current president Peggy Pacheco, past president Tony Pagán, Rena Geil and Annie Morales.

We'll be celebrating our first night at Centerville with root beer floats. Evelyn and Denny will be our DJs, and we're likely to have a lot of dancers turn out that evening to look the place over. We think you'll like it very much.

A Great Night With Gary

Jmighell 19:11, 17 May 2009 (PDT)

It was a great dance last Friday with Gary Clayton as our DJ. We celebrated May birthdays for club members (left to right, in the top picture at left) Helen, Helen, Evelyn, John and Ricky.

There may have been occasions that night in which the dances were not performed with all the precision of a well-rehearsed military marching band (see the third picture down), and Gary remarked that he knew when we were doing a four-wall dance because he could see us facing all four walls at once. I particularly like the picture at bottom, where Dolores confronts Bill, clearly giving voice to much-needed dance instruction. And in the picture directly above that, one can almost see a dancer's thought process, the idea slowly taking shape that this is the part where one raises the right knee. This dancer reminds me of me.

During the announcements, Gary Davidson presented the Treasurer's Report: at present our club has Unrestricted Funds (Equity) of $7,136. Our YTD loss through April 30, the first third of the year, was $1,495. However, our Attendance Challenge/Fund Raiser on May 8 yielded a surplus of $466. The board is currently considering various measures to increase attendance and reduce our losses in the weeks ahead. See the full report and financial statements here.

Our President, Helen Davidson, announced that club dances will be held at Centerville Community Center starting June 5. See more information about that here.

For some of our dancers, the night ended with a wild midnight ride through the streets of San Francisco in desperate search of a key to access a car's trunk that held purses containing keys these dancers needed to get into their homes and apartments. I heard this story at third hand, and still haven't got it straight. But what impressed me most was the surprising knowledge exhibited by some of the people listening to this story, other dancers who offered solutions to the problem, showing strange familiarity with devices such as "slim jims", "lock pullers", RFID microreaders and other tools available at "chop shops". One almost wishes that some of this expertise could be applied to the problem of our club's operating deficit.

Next week we're in for a special treat: Clint Qualls will be our DJ. Wonder how handy he is with a slim jim.

A Blowout Evening for Boots 'n' Buckles

Jmighell 14:37, 12 May 2009 (PDT)

I missed the dance due to illness, but by all accounts it was a blow out event: a wonderful evening filled with fun, dancing and friends. Evelyn Khinoo had issued a challenge to the club, saying that she would donate her DJ fees for the evening if there were more than 65 paying to attend. The word spread out, and the dancers converged. Friends and relations were pressed into service. Some dancers were able to attend only by proxy, their places filled by pictures, puppets and pets. Kermit the frog seems have graced us with his presence that night, and I heard that Carole and Glenn were particularly light-footed and ethereal as they danced 'Hold Your Horses'. All throughout the first half of the dance everyone was looking around, counting heads and wondering if we had made it.

And we did. I heard the final attendance count consisted of 72 paying to attend, including at least one refugee from the Cartoon Chanel. Helen Davidson has asked that I thank everyone in the dance community for supporting us that evening, with special thanks to our generous and good-hearted DJs Evelyn and Denny.

Gary took some great pictures, at left. One that I particularly like shows Leslie, her arm and finger in a cast. With an expression of fierce determination on her face, she takes aim with a remote control, clearly intent upon switching the channel to anything other than Sesame Street. Helen looks on with a contented smile on her face, while Jeannette stifles a yawn. Lee, Bill and Marie confer about the expected yields for GM debentures.

A special thanks also to Amy and Friends, shown in the second picture from the bottom (that's Amy at Evelyn's right). Amy is organizing some line dance classes and social dance events in the East Bay. Watch this space for more news about Amy and Friends, our new neighbors in the line dance community.

A Challenge from Evelyn and Denny for May 8

Jmighell 19:10, 16 April 2009 (PDT)

Evelyn and Denny have issued a challenge to our club: if we can get 65 dancers to attend on May 8, they’ll donate their DJ fees for the night to the club. I love a good challenge, and Helen has decided to take them up on it. Please pass the word around; tell your dancing friends, and get ready for a great night of dancing and fun!

All the News

Jmighell 12:27, 7 April 2009 (PDT)

Our silent auction in February was a great success. The proceeds exceeded $200; our thanks to everyone who donated prizes.

We all had a great time at the St. Patrick's Day Dance with DJ's Mike and Joyce Shannon. Visit the Shannon's web site to see a YouTube video of them dancing Yankee Doodle Dandy; you're likely to recognize many of the performers.

Our St. Patrick's Day Dance featured a game, in which everyone tried to guess the number of green mints packed into a sealed jar. Everyone seemed to approach this puzzle in a different way. We had dancers who tried to count them all, and others who tried to count a single layer and then extrapolate by guessing the number of layers. Someone else adopted the polling approach, basing his guess on what others had guessed already. Most guesses were low; it was surprising that Gary was able to fit so many mints into that little jar. The winner was Marie Parrish, who seemed to have arrived at her guess by basing it on numbers that have been fortunate for her in the past. There is a moral somewhere in this story about scientific methodology and the precision of direct observation: sometimes it is best just to be lucky.

Here's another puzzle: guess the name of the dance in pictures A and B at left. Both pictures were taken at the BnB St. Patrick's Day Dance. There are no prizes for this one, only bragging rights.

Gary Clayton has recovered quite nicely from knee surgury; titanium may have even improved his dancing. He'll be our DJ at PRUMA this coming Friday night (April 10), and it will be a pleasure to see him again.

Boogie with Michael, Michelle and Lorraine

Jmighell 15:03, 7 April 2009 (PDT)

By all accounts, it was a great Boogie this year. Our club's ambassadors to the United Nations of Bovine included Pete, Norma and Lorraine who joined Claudio and Kathy and other very talented dancers in the video below. Michael and Michele have posted other fun videos and pictures on their web site.

One of the dances they did at Boogie was Ease on Down, choreographed by Rachael McEnaney and JP & Bracken Ellis Potter. The song, Ease On Down the Road is from the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz, which was adapted from The Wizard of Oz. Several local instructors have taught this dance, and we've been doing it lately at PRUMA. Below is a video of Rachel teaching the dance.

We've also been enjoying Yes Sir That's My Baby by Lorraine Kurtela. Below, a video of Lorraine dancing it at a recent Quickstepper's dance.

Looking at You Kid, LDanceAngles

Jmighell 15:01, 7 April 2009 (PDT)

A new dance we've been enjoying at PRUMA is Here's Looking at You Kid, choreographed by Steve Lescarbeau. The music is Key Largo sung by Bertie Higgins, and the reference is to the old Bogart movies Casablanca and Key Largo. Below, a video of the dance by LDanceAngels, who have many videos of line dances that are popular in the Bay Area on their web sites at Youtube and Dailymotion.

This One's For Yew

Jmighell 14:56, 7 April 2009 (PDT)

Some members of our dance community seem to have developed a fascination for Winston Yew, an instructor in Singapore, and one has sent me a set of links to YouTube videos of some of Winston's dances with these comments:

Sue 'n' Kathy Charity Dance April 18

Jmighell 06:53, 2 April 2009 (PDT)

Sue and Kathy will be holding a line dance social on Saturday, April 18th, with all proceeds going to local charities. See details in their flyer at left, or click here to see a larger version of the flyer. The location is Cupertino, just off the junction of highway 280 and 85 (Google Map). They've posted the playlist on their web site, and it includes a number of old Bay Area favorites such as:

as well as many popular newer dances.

Sue and Kathy have also been making more movies and uploading them to DailyMotion. At last count, they've got about 60 videos, spread between two DailyMotion accounts: SueNKathy and SnKDance. It's a wonderful resource for dancers here in the Bay Area, and also very popular throughout the line dancing world.

St. Patrick's Day Dance, March 13

Jmighell 14:44, 11 March 2009 (PDT)

There will be a St. Patrick's Day Dance this coming Friday at PRUMA Center. Mike & Joyce Shannon will be our DJ's for the evening. Wear something green, and bring food and drink to share. Helen is organizing a contest, in which you guess the number green mints contained in a jar. Everyone attending will be entitled to one guess, and the winner will receive a $25 gift certificate good for dinner at the Olive Garden restaurant. Hope to see everyone there!

JJ's Cha, a New Dance by JV and Jan Hanway

Jmighell 15:05, 26 February 2009 (PST)

At her Thursday night class this evening, Evelyn Khinoo will be teaching JJ's Cha, a new dance by JV and Jan Hanway. It's a 64 count, 2 wall, intermediate dance done to Tim McGraw's song She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart. Haven't seen the dance yet, but looking forward to it. JV and Jan (can't be a coincidence they call the dance JJ's Cha) are the guys who recently did Tell Me 'Bout It, a great local favorite.

Sue 'n' Kathy were having some problems with the folks at YouTube, but didn't miss a beat setting up a replacement web page for their videos at Dailymotion.com. YouTube's loss is Dailymotion's gain. We just added a display here for Sue & Kathy's video of JV dancing Tell Me 'Bout It.

Sue & Kathy have also choreographed a couple of new dances: Longing For You and You Are The Best. The videos for these dances are no longer available on YouTube, but below is a great video of Sue & Kathy and their students dancing Daniel Whittaker's Saturday Feelin!.

Raise Me Up

Jmighell 14:34, 20 February 2009 (PST)

Evelyn Khinoo has choreographed a wonderful new dance called Raise Me Up (here's the Yipee page). It's a 32-count, 2-wall, intermediate line dance for the song You Raise Me Up sung by Josh Groban. Evelyn introduced the dance at the 13th Annual Palm Springs Line Dance Festival (a CJ Video is available), and she taught it at her Tuesday night class last week. Diana Ward has also taught the dance, and it's been listed on Big Dave's Website. We had a lot of fun dancing it at Boots 'n' Buckles last Friday night.

If the song sounds familiar, it should. It's based on an old Irish folk tune called Londonderry Air. Over the years, this tune has been set to lyrics many times, most famously as the song Danny Boy (video) in 1910. A few years ago the melody was adapted by Rolf Løvland to lyrics by Brenda Graham for the inspirational song You Raise Me Up, performed by Brian Kennedy of the group Secret Garden. The song proved to be immensely popular, and has been covered more than 125 times, with over 80 versions available in the USA alone. Josh Groban included his recording of You Raise Me Up in Closer, his second album, which reached number one on the Billboard charts.

Below are YouTube videos of Evelyn teaching Raise Me Up, and Josh Groban in concert. Evelyn's video was recorded and uploaded to YouTube by a fellow called GolfNutDenny. Wonder who that could be.

Update Feb 22  Already we've got another demo of the dance (below left), a lovely performance by Mandy from Malaysia.

Correction Feb 24  I've just been informed by Frances that the dance was introduced at the 13th Annual Palm Springs Line Dance Festival, rather than the recent Phoenix Line Dance Festival as originally reported. Thanks for the correction, Frances!

Update Feb 26  Sue 'n' Kathy have a demo of the dance on their new web page at Dailymotion.com. See the video below; their entire class does this challenging dance very gracefully.

Valentine's Day Dance on February 13

Jmighell 14:00, 24 January 2009 (PST)

At the BnB board meeting last Saturday, returning board members welcomed Tom and Rita Garcia to their midst... and immediately put them to work. Rita will serve as Vice President, and Tom will be assuming responsibility for membership and insurance. Lee's efforts to persuade anyone else to take over secretarial duties came to naught, and so (with typical good humor) she agreed to continue that work. I was particularly delighted that we were able to persuade Helen to take on the presidency of the club again this year.

Helen was ill, and unable to attend the dance last night, but Rita stepped right up and did the club announcements as if she'd been doing it for years. I know everyone joins me in wishing Helen a speedy recovery.

One of the first orders of business for the new board will be to organize a Valentine's Day Dance on February 13, with Lee taking charge of the event. There will be a silent auction, and already a number of prizes have been arranged. But anyone with gifts they are able to donate for the auction should contact Lee (or any other board member). Diana Ward and Tina Beare will be our DJ's that evening, and it will be a pleasure to see them again.

The board also decided to forgo the June workshop this year, and instead hold several smaller events or theme dances throughout the year. All of the planning for this is still very much up in the air, but I'm personally hoping for food at some of these events, as fuel for dancing.

Tell Me 'Bout It

Jmighell 10:59, 17 January 2009 (PST)

It was a great dance at PRUMA last night, with birthday celebrations for (from left to right in the picture) Frances Lind, Doris Volz, Jan Hanway and Michael Benes. The cake was delicious.

We also enjoyed a fun new dance, Tell Me 'Bout It, choreographed by JV and Jan Hanway (pictured below). It's a 64 count, 2 wall intermediate dance done to the song of the same name by Joss Stone. And although we haven't got a video of the dance just yet, there is a YouTube music video shown at bottom. Very nice work, Jan and JV!

Update Feb 26  Below the music video is Sue 'n' Kathy's video demo on their new web page at Dailymotion.com. You can see JV in this video; he's the quiet, shy and retiring fellow dancing front and center.

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