REPORT-LET-THE-GOOD-TIMES-ROLL-2012

Who would have believed that here we were ten years later still having fun with LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL .....! "It can't be!" said Eddie, "Yes, it is", I responded, "It's our 10th anniversary!" And we had anniversary cake at the event to celebrate!!

We reminisced about our years in the Church. We had lots of fun with the dancers but the "behind the scenes" were rather gruelling! We had to do the total set-up ourselves, lugging tables and chairs up and down steep stairs, trying to stick decorations and lights onto cement walls only to turn our backs to find them flopped on the floor! There was the time that the heating was left on and the windows wouldn't open! When the oven broke down well before the dinner was ready! When the fuse went and all our sound equipment ground to a halt and fortunately Lizzie Clarke's husband was en electrician and was able to get us going again -- what would we have done without him! When the toilet stall fell off its hinges and on and so forth!! I kept looking for other space but with no luck .... I wanted to keep this event close to public transport in the east end and, of course, we wanted a decent size dancefloor. However, finally when my sons and Fred & Eddie's were no longer available to help us we decided that we would not be able to run the event another year, so it was find somewhere or "goodbye" to LTGTR.

Lo and behold along came an email from Geri about a Legion hall that she went to for a party. " I'm sure it's big enough for your event", she told me. It was indeed although the parquet floor was rather rough. Regardless, it was a great size, lovely big windows, air conditioning, a high stage, and very helpful people. So I signed the contract and just a few weeks before our event the Legion people sanded and refinished the floor -- it was indeed a sign of good things to come!

So the Baron Byng Beaches Legion is where we celebrated our Anniversary with 100 dancers on the floor, quite a few who danced with us the first time around and many who have supported us through most of our events. We are so grateful to you all, we couldn't do it without you. Everyone comes with such a positive outlook and there is always lots of laughter and joking around which we delight in.

This year we had a special guest from Florida, Larry Bass, who fitted right in like a glove. We have danced Larry's dances for many years and he has always been one of my favourite choreographers going right back to Rumba Ride and Kick 'n Drag. Anyway, I worked with Larry at the Vegas Dance Explosion and reckoned that the Ontario Dancers would really enjoy him. Thankfully he was happy to come and join us. He did not disappointed. If he wasn't teachin', he was chattin' or he was dancin' always with a ready smile on his face. "What a delightful man", I heard, "A terrific instructor, so easy to follow" "His dances flowed" ."He was such much fun" "It was so nice to have him dance right in the middle with all of us" and so on it went. Larry started off teaching a selection of nice 'n easy dances to get everyone moving on the floor ... "Bayou Dreams", "Mambo Moves", and "When You're Lonely". He threw in a teach of 'Kick 'n Drag' which is one of my all-time favourites. A little later he gave us a bit more of a challenge with "Feel The Samba". We were the first group he had taught this dance to so we felt very privileged. During the afternoon and again in the evening we had the honour of dancing many of Larry's dances with the choreographer himself. How often does that happen? We were fortunate indeed.

In between time Larry, Fred and I demoed the dance we wrote together for the event called 'Home Sweet Home'. Larry and Fred then taught the dance while I was ordered from pillar to post racing around the dance floor! Fred was highly delighted as he reckoned it was the only opportunity he had ever had to tell me what to do!! Eddie just raised her eyebrows at that!

I then took to the stage to teach 'More Of You'. It included a Dj, an Otzi, a Homer (with a wonky line) and a traditional David. All these steps taken, of course, from the Choreographers' Handbook! I wrote the dance for the Linedancer Magazine's 'First In Line' and it was the first time of teaching it, the dancers were very patient!!

Pat Pallas from Sauble Beach challenged us with Kate Sala's 'Dancing With Cupid'. It was a tricky dance but Pat is a very experienced instructor and was very patient with us and clear in her instruction and we all got it. Many thanks Pat for coming to teach for us.

Time for the dinner break and the legion ladies did us proud with a very tasty salad (a number of the dancers were after Marg for the recipe!) followed by a roast beef dinner and ice cream with fresh fruit. Time then to certify our guest, a LTGTR tradition. Then to draw for the gift baskets. Dale does such a wonderful job of the baskets and this year $400 was raised for Sick Kids Hospital. The 50/50 with a second prize of a complimentary pass to Dancin' For Miracles 2012 (thanks to Valarie Keller) raised $145 for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Back to the dancefloor we raced and stayed right there until past our 11 p.m. cinderella hour!! Many thanks Fred for making sure everyone got a chance at one of their favoruties. Also many thanks to the dancers who helped with the clean-up and our friends who volunteered again with set-up on the Friday and who helped out filling water jugs, chip bowls and so on all during the day. And thanks of course to the dancers who came to support us yet again and to the newbies who came to try us out, we appreciate one and all. Until next year ....... #11!!!

Click here for Larry's Biography Click here for Pat's Biography

POEM TO CELEBRATE

LTGTR.....

10TH ANNIVERSARY

It was a long time ago, in fact a decade has gone by,

When their poor friends started wailing "Oh My Oh My'

As Fred, Eddie and Vivienne began on their plot

To get their mates workin' as well as dancin' a lot!

They needed electricians, interior designers & folk at the door

Help in the church basement when the lights fell on the floor.

Patience when the oven stopped working at the crucial hour

Moving tables & chairs around needed muscles with power.