Hello Friends,
Have you danced lately? Many dancers have been having a grand time! At the 2nd Friday Ichabod Squares dance, Buddy Weaver put calls to 5 squares. Boys’ n Berry Greg was a participant in the Poodle Skirt theme. His Happy Days appearance made everyone smile when they saw his denim, white t-shirt, leather jacket, and slicked-back hair. Greg was not alone; there were more denim-wearing men: Fritz, Ron, Rick, and Louis were among several Fonzie look-alikes. And 1950s go-round-wearing women like Faith, Koa, Audrey, and Valarie kept every Ladies Chain on the floor busy with skirt work. Dan’s letterman sweater was a hit, as was Sandi’s pink cheerleader jacket.
Fritz took photos of everyone in a Cadillac. It was pink too. Pizza pies were not delivered in the Cadillac – they were swooped in by a left-position dancer wearing rolled-up denims.
Dan and Sandi contributed plenty of creativity and decorations to support the theme too. A red guitar was staged on the water table. Decorations included record album look-alikes, bright red music notes, pink tablecloths, and a jukebox that made dancers beam when they passed it. Smiles were shared during stories and tidbits of conversation sparked by the decorations and theme. Fond remembrances were abundant and grins plentiful. Hugs happened and dancers ended the evening with “See you tomorrow” waves.
And now, tomorrow. On the 3rd Saturday evening, 6 squares started the Church Mice event. Dancers braved the cold, wet evening of rain and near-rain to fill the hall with laughter, plenty of chatter, twirls, whoops, hollers…. and more laughter.
Breakdowns happened, as they did Friday night also. Some are small and easy to recover from; others put squares into lines waiting for caller Mike Sikorsky to bring them back into dance flow again. Even so, smiles were in abundance and helpful hands were all around.
Sandi and Dan Finch also decorated this hall fittingly for the Getting Ready for Mardi Gras theme. Tables were green, beads were plentiful, and cheerful masks were available for those willing to get more festive. Many dancers participated in the theme and a flood of green, purple, and gold streamed around the hall. Food flowed all night. Mardi Gras tradition was also acknowledged and more than 5 dancers found “babies” somewhere in the yummy treats they carefully munched on. The babies they found are signs said to ensure their Good Luck throughout the year.
You may have received alerts about traffic construction impeding the route to the 4th Saturday Ramblin’ Rogues dance. Well, instructions that were followed saved bundles of red tail-light sitting frustration. This means travel was smooth and right on! Only the dark evening and poor placement of addresses on buildings by construction teams made it difficult to tell if we were getting close to the dance hall; however, the signage at the dance location was well-lit.
The new location for the Rogues’ dances is at the Laguna Woods Country United Methodist Church and they share a parking lot with the Temple next door. Stitch-up-a-storm Carol bridged the gap between arrival and movement to the gate for all those wanting to see what the fuss was about this new location.
Charlie Fagan called the evening to a starting tip of at least 12 squares. He also put squares through weird, wild ways to………Allemande left? Yes, make these other eight formations, and then Allemande left. Much surprise on faces, and some annoyance probably because we only got an allemande left out of all our efforts. We were all anticipating what would be next and didn’t expect “just” going left. Funny!
David did enjoy the event with Dawn, and when she wasn’t cueing rounds, she and David danced in various squares. David also called Lord of The Dance for us and laughter, singing and delight roared through the hall.
The Rogues don’t typically have themes for their dances, however, this evening they did: Football Mania. Many participants appeared in sports jerseys with large numbers and names on them, themed aprons, sports-related shirts, umpire wear, and more! All of our Orange County clubs had a presence at this event, and there were dancers enjoying the evening that had driven in from the Riverside area.
If you were not able to attend these events, more opportunities are coming! Check the club’s Visitation line-up and ink in dates on your calendar to join in the fun. Think about getting together with your friends and Church Mice, Boys ‘n Berries, Shirts and Skirts, Rogues and Lariat square-sharers and enjoy ….
…. Happy Days and Good Times!
Belinda
Ichabod Square Dance Club, Orange County, California 