October 2002 Newsletter

We are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Greater Columbia USABDA.  There are those of us who are learning about ballroom dancing for the first time and a few of us who were fortunate enough to grow up with it.  For some of us, ballroom dancing has been a life long dream since watching the dance team of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  We come from various backgrounds and experiences, but we all share the love of ballroom dancing.

The exact date of our anniversary is October 1st.  Betty Schmidt spearheaded the steering committee to form a local chapter of ballroom dancers in the summer of 1992.  Rolf Achauer, President of the Myrtle Beach chapter of USABDA, served as an advisor in the formation of our chapter.  He also provided tapes of music for our dancing enjoyment.  Officers were elected at the first meeting and some of them are still participating today.  Wolfgang Elfe was elected President, Al Roberson was our Vice-President, Betty Schmidt was our Secretary, and Michael Sherlock was our Treasurer.  The first dance was held after the meeting.  Membership grew to 83 members by the end of June 1993.

Dances have been held at various locations around Columbia; The Big Apple, Arsenal Hill, the US Army Reserve Center at Fort Jackson, Mann Community Center at Fort Jackson and now at our present day location in the Barn.  The dance parties were held once per month in the early years.  Each dance would have a theme such as masquerade party for Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day dance in March or an Autumn Fest dance in September.  The titles of songs were often used as themes, such as "Moonlight Serenade" to set the mood for the evening with a lesson on waltz.  The ladies would work together to decorate and plan refreshments for the dances.  This without a doubt brought everyone closer together as a dancing family.

Once a year, a fundraiser was held to give to a favorite charity such as the American Heart Association.  Performance teams were formed to give dancing exhibitions at public events to expose others to ballroom dancing and to gain their interest. One Christmas, a group of our members performed the Quadrille 85 times in four nights as part of the Candlelight Tour of Homes in the Robert Mills house.  This team consisted of Bonnie Belger, Jean Mader, Mike Verdone, Warren Bussard, Joe Clark, Al Jayne, Barry McDaniel, Al and Kay Roberson, and Rob and Mary Fleming.
 

In the beginning the more experienced members would teach the other members new dance steps.  Later, the teachers of the local dance studios began to teach a lesson at the beginning of each dance.

The benefits of ballroom dancing are numerous.  It is a good aerobic exercise and increases flexibility.  It tones up your muscles and slims you down.  It gives you the pleasure of accomplishment when you have learned to dance new steps.  It teaches you style and grace.  It is a wonderful social skill that can be enjoyed throughout your life.  There are few things that could give you this much pleasure and the company of some very nice people.

---

 

Results of the Election Vice-President Elect - Janet Girard Secretary Elect - Doris Wood Member-at-Large Elect - Tom Savage These newly elected officers will assume office in January of 2003. We congratulate them and look forward to their contributions in their new capacities.

 

USABDA Partners with Tri-City Leisure Center to Offer Dance Classes

The Greater Columbia Chapter has been providing the instructors for a series of dance classes offered by the Tri-City Leisure Center.  The first series will finish up next Thursday, October 17.  The next series, three weeks of salsa and three weeks of swing, will begin on Thursday, October 24 and nun through December 5, with a week off for Thanksgiving.  Classes start at 7:15 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m.  The cost for the six classes is $30 per person or $50 per couple.  The Tri-City Leisure Center is located at 700 Dreher Road in West Columbia.

Not only is this a great way to reach out to the general public and get people interested in ballroom dance, but the chapter also receives a portion of the fees paid for the classes.  For more information, call Steve Smith.

Tips for the Novice Dancer!

Arm tension is especially important when executing turns.  For simplicity’s sake, maintain firm wrist, elbow and shoulder tension for sideward, forward and backward movement.  Up and down arm motion should be free from resistance.  In other words, keep your arms relaxed when they go up or down, in order to easily lead into a turn.  However, once the joined hands pass eyebrow level on a turn, the person performing the turn should begin to provide upward pressure and turn under his or her own bent wrist in order to prevent being clotheslined on their partner’s arm.  Getting knocked in the head is not the goal!

2002 Dance Dates:

October 12 & 26
November 9 & 23
December 14 & 28