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From Boots 'n' Buckles Dance Club
Chris Kumre is our Choreographer of the Month for September
- 9/5 at PRUMA DJs: Mike & Joyce Shannon
- 9/12 at PRUMA DJ: Gary Clayton
- 9/19 at PRUMA DJs: Diana & Tina
- 9/26 at PRUMA DJ: Neil Hale
PRUMA Center address: 616 E. Street, Union City, CA
[ Map to PRUMA ]
[ Google Map to PRUMA ]
August RenewalsJmighell 00:14, 7 August 2008 (PDT)
August is membership renewal month at Boots 'n' Buckles. All club memberships expire August 31, and I have it on good authority that our membership chairperson will be standing guard at the door at our first dance in September to make sure that nobody sneaks in without renewing. (Just kidding, actually Carol is a pussycat.) Membership costs $18.00 for the year. Benefits of membership include a $2.00 discount at our weekly dances, one free admission during the month of your birth, and eligibility to vote at General Membership Meetings. You can download a membership application/renewal form here, or get one at one of the dances.
In prior years it was possible to join during the year at a prorated rate. If you applied for membership half-way through the year, you paid only half the annual membership fee. But all this required reference to a table for calculating rates, and math skills beyond those found in the typical line dancer, and so the board has elected to simplify things by making the membership fee the same regardless of when you join.
Tina Beare and Jeanette Feinberg have just announced that the First Sunday Dance in September at the San Bruno Center has been rescheduled for September 14, the second Sunday of the month. Apparently the San Bruno Senior Center will be closed for repairs in early September, but the First Sunday Dance will resume its usual and logically scheduled date in October.
We've finally updated the website with changes to our Club Dances page to show our current dance location at PRUMA. Check out the new pictures there, and some pictures taken by Gary Davidson at left. Gary says that he is recovering, slowly but surely, from his back pains, and he was out on the dance floor last Friday. Welcome back, Gary!
An Adventurous Evening at PRUMAJmighell 16:27, 24 June 2008 (PDT)
Jeanette Feinberg, who (with Gina Mello and Helen Davidson) took many of the pictures shown at left, said that "it was a great adventure."
Our evening at PRUMA last Friday night started off quite calmly. About 85 dancers came from all over the Bay Area. The temperature outside was almost 100 degrees, and everyone entering the hall said how nice it was to have a hall with air conditioning. We enjoyed a delicious meal of spaghetti, salad and garlic bread.
And then there was the explosion, as the PG&E transformer, perched on a telephone pole across the street, blew up. Ron Murphy's car, parked directly beneath the transformer, was showered in oil. Quick-thinking neighbors turned their garden hose on the vehicle, possibly preventing burn damage. Two fire trucks arrived on the scene, and the police cordoned off the street. A PG&E bucket truck arrived, and the lineman went up to cut the wire between the transformer and main transmission line. The firemen turned their hose on the telephone pole and put out the last of the fire.
And our dancer's reaction to all this excitement? Many of them were having difficulty... deciding which fireman was cuter than the others. Pete and Norma brought folding seats outside to watch all the activity in comfort. Doris Volz taught a line dance in the hall, using light provided by the open doors. Helen Davidson decided we would have our birthday cake early. Seems that it takes a lot to disconcert line dancers.
The hero of the evening was Tony Pagán, president of PRUMA, who decided without any hesitation at all that it was time for his organization to invest in an electrical generator. Within an hour he had returned from Home Depot, having purchased a 5000 watt generator, fans, heavy-duty extension cords and two arrays of industrial halogen lights. All this was quickly unpacked and assembled with the help of Carole and Glenn Wiegand who read the instructions.
And the dance went on. It may have been just a little bit warm inside the hall, but I was told that the dim lights were rather romantic. Neil Hale, our DJ for the evening, did a great job keeping the floor filled with dancers, many of whom pronounced the spotlessly clean wood floor at PRUMA superior to that at Swiss Park. There was beer and wine at the bar (the proceeds of which go to scholarships), and cold soft drinks sold for $1 for a 12oz can (where can you possibly beat that price?).
All in all, a fun and adventurous evening. The following night at the Quickstepper dance, Anni Wunderlich said that she was just sorry she couldn't think of anything the Quicksteppers could do to top it. But, she asked, whatever would we do for an encore?
Our July ScheduleJmighell 20:35, 18 June 2008 (PDT)
We've scheduled three club dances in July, one at Swiss Park and two at PRUMA Center in Union City. For most club members, the Spaghetti Dinner on June 20th at PRUMA Center will be their first visit to the proposed new venue, and the club's board of directors is looking forward to getting feedback from all the members about this place. We think you'll like it. At this point, no final decision has been made regarding PRUMA; the club has made no long-term commitments of any kind. But it was necessary to finalize the July schedule, well in advance of the June 20 Spaghetti Dinner, so the board went ahead and made arrangements for these additional two dances at PRUMA Center. Besides, it is likely to take more than one night at PRUMA for us to decide if we like the place.
It will be hard for all of us to get used to a new venue, either at PRUMA or some other location. But we can't afford Swiss Park, even with our new, higher dance admission prices, and even if we hold only two dances each month. We can't schedule DJs, without knowing well in advance which Friday nights are available to rent. Newark Swiss Park, Inc. will not give us a lease on the hall, for any period beyond one month. There is not even any assurance it will be available to us at all in future months.
Fortunately for us, PRUMA Center is available, and it is a wonderful venue. It's got a great wood floor. It's affordable and not too distant from Swiss Park. There's a bar, and you can bring your own food and drinks. It will probably be available every Friday night. The people that run the place are friendly and very accommodating. And did I mention the wood floor?
Another John RobinsonJmighell 17:36, 16 June 2008 (PDT)
Elaine found another one, a YouTube video with John Robinson performing one of the dances we do at Boots 'n' Buckles. This one is Irish Spirit. And we've added an extension to our Wiki code that allows us to display YouTube videos within our site. Click on the video once to start it; click twice to display it in a window from the YouTube site.
DOTS WorkshopJmighell 13:20, 15 June 2008 (PDT)
A great workshop, Dances Of The Summer. The hall at Swiss Park was filled with colorful decorations provided by Dolores Meeks, and our DJ Evelyn Khinoo kept the floor crowded with happy dancers.
- Debbie Kachalkin taught Crazy 4 Leaving, choreographed by Gaye Teather. Here's a video of the song She's Crazy For Leaving by Rodney Crowell.
- Millie Dusha taught On Your Marks, also choreographed by Gaye Teather. This one is from the music Five Jeans Jackets (Are Ready to Go) by the Lennerockers (CD: Wild, Wild, Wild). There's a sample of the music on this page.
- Evelyn Khinoo taught White Satin choreographed by Scott Schrank. Scott has provided us with a video teach. The song Nights in White Satin was originally sung by the Moody Blues, but this dance is set to the remix by Dave Ashby.
- Joyce & Mike Shannon taught 29 Days, choreographed by Harlan Curtis. The song is 11 Months & 29 Days by Confederate Railroad (CD: Cheap Thrills). Here's a video demo by Lynne Curtis. Harlan Curtis is also the choreographer of Red Bandana, a favorite in the Bay Area.
A special thanks to Helen Davidson, our club president, who took the pictures at right, and to all members of the board for organizing the wonderful event. Sonny did a particularly good job with the root beer floats (delicious), and Glenda Castain produced the event program. Above all, thanks to all the participants who attended.
Update: 2009 Line Dance Cruise
Millie Dusha is helping to organize the 8th Annual Line Dance Cruise - this one setting off on April 26, 2009 and sailing through the Panama Canal. Everyone I've spoken with who went on this year's cruise to Alaska said it was a wonderful time. Here's the flyer.
Michael and John Make a MemoryJmighell 15:53, 9 June 2008 (PDT)
This video is far too good not to share. Elaine found it on YouTube. It's Michael Barr's recent dance, Make a Memory. A wonderful, wonderful dance, one of my favorites among this year's hits. The video shows Michael demonstrating the dance at a workshop. His styling is incredibly good, the kind of thing I would love to be able to do. The second half of the video shows John Robinson's interpretation of the dance, with his own unique styling. Hilariously fun and funny.
Upcoming Dances & Other NewsJmighell 16:22, 28 May 2008 (PDT)
There wasn't much happening over the Memorial Day Weekend, but we've got a lot of opportunities to dance in the days ahead:
- Thursday, May 29 - Sue 'n' Kathy's Charity Benefit Dance, Cupertino 10:10 am– 12:10pm.
- Friday, May 30 - Boots 'n' Buckles Dance at Swiss Park, with DJs Diana Ward and Tina Beare
- Saturday, May 31 - Country Quicksteppers "What's Your Name?" Dance at Barrett.
- DJ's Mike & Joyce Shannon. Mike will teach Michael Barr's dance "What's Your Name?"
- Sunday, June 1 - First Sunday Dance at the San Bruno Senior Center, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
- Hosts: Jeanette Feinberg and Frank & Tina Beare
- Friday, June 6 - Cactus Corners Dance, 7:30pm at Danville Grange. DJ: Clint Qualls
Our thanks to Jeannette, Frank and Tina for taking over the First Sunday Dances from Diana.
There will be no Boots 'n' Buckles dance on Friday, June 6. But the BnB DOTS Workshop starts at 11:30am on Saturday, June 7.
Lucia Cavini has produced another translation for our site. This one is to the song No Bastara sung by David Civera and used in the dance choreographed by Peter Harkness and Terry Cullinghan. Here's Winnie Yu's YouTube video of the dance. Thanks, Lucia.
Evelyn Khinoo, one of our instructors at the upcoming DOTS workshop, recently retaught her classic dance The Lady & Me. Club member Dorothy Bender produced the YouTube video.
Sue 'n' Kathy recently choreographed a new dance called Read My Mind, with a YouTube video. Their stepsheet and video page is a wonderful guide to recent dances and old favorites in the Bay Area. I particularly liked their video of the new dance Spanish Lullaby.
Finally, here's a great YouTube video of Winnie Yu dancing and walking through the new dance El Mundo Bailando by Peter & Alison. This is one of my favorites among recent dances.
Last Chance for Dances of the SummerJmighell 09:46, 26 May 2008 (PDT)
You still have time to register for the BnB Workshop on Saturday, June 7. The registration deadline has been extended until Friday, May 30. You can submit your registration form at the dance this coming Friday at Swiss Park, or mail it in.
It's sure to be a great time, with instructors Evelyn Khinoo, Debbie Kachalkin, Millie Dusha and Mike & Joyce Shannon. The doors will be open at at 11:30 am, with instruction from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. Dinner will be served at 4pm, followed by an early evening dance from 5:30 to 8:30pm. Don't miss it!
Updated Directions to PRUMAJmighell 09:33, 18 May 2008 (PDT)
Gary and Helen Davidson, our intrepid explorers and pathfinders, have given us a correction on the directions to PRUMA Center. (PRUMA Center is the location of our BnB Spaghetti Dinner and Dance on June 20, and a potential venue for future dances. Read more about PRUMA Center here.)
Traveling east on Decoto Road from 880, you can't make a left turn on 6th street. Instead you should turn left on 7th street and make your way from there. We've updated our map (right), our large printable map and Flyer/Registration Form to take all this into account. Thanks, Helen and Gary.
What I find really cool is the new Street View feature offered by Google Maps. It is an interactive program that allows you to navigate your way through the streets to see what the neighborhood looks like. In full screen mode, the pictures show a lot of detail.
Check it out yourself. Click on the link shown below.
And then click on 'Street view', as shown on the picture at lower-right.
Visit the neighorhood. Find the entrance to PRUMA Center (2 clicks SW on E Street, at the corner of E Street and 7th Street), then go around the corner to see how big the parking lot is. See the guy watering his lawn across the street, and the attractive girl getting into her car a block down the road. It's like a video game, only real life. Very, very cool.
Spaghetti Dinner & Dance at PRUMA June 20Jmighell 08:46, 10 May 2008 (PDT)
Basically, it's free food. You pay the regular admission for a BnB dance ($8 members, $10 non-members), and get both a spaghetti dinner and admission to the dance. Who could resist an offer of free food? It's sure to be a great party.
We're going to be holding it at the PRUMA Center on June 20. It's at 616 E. St., Union City - a short 10 minute drive north of Swiss Park. Here are links to a large printable map and a Google map. A picture of the building is shown at right.
Beer, wine and soda pop at the bar, and a great wood floor. Our DJ for the evening will be Neil Hale. See the Flyer / Registration Form for more details. The deadline for registering is June 13.
Read more about the PRUMA Center here.
Workshop Deadline is May 23Jmighell 08:46, 10 May 2008 (PDT)
The deadline for registering for our June 7 workshop is May 23, a date that is rapidly approaching. There will be only one more dance (on May 16) before the deadline, so if you can't make it to that dance, you'll have to mail in the registration form.
It's going to be a great workshop this year, with DJs Evelyn Khinoo & Denny Harris. Our instructors will be Evelyn Khinoo, Debbie Kachalkin, Millie Dusha and Joyce & Mike Shannon. Don't miss it.
PRUMA CenterJmighell 08:10, 10 May 2008 (PDT)
The deal currently offered by Newark Swiss Park, Inc. (the organization that owns the hall at Swiss Park) is not very attractive. They say we can use the hall only two Friday nights each month. They now charge $300 per night, up from $100 under the old lease. And they are informing us only 2 months in advance of which Friday nights are available to rent, which makes it hard to schedule DJs. The club has a bit of money in the bank, but paying $300 a night will inevitably drain it dry. Even with the new, higher dance admissions rates, our club faces certain, inexorable bankruptcy and extinction if we stay at Swiss Park.
The best alternative location we have found thus far is PRUMA Center in Union City, a short 10 minute drive north of Swiss Park. PRUMA is the Puerto Rican Union of Mutual Aid, a non-profit organization founded in 1937 by a group of Puerto Ricans who had immigrated to the East Bay from Hawaii. The purpose for the organization is to help other Puerto Ricans in the Bay Area; they hold regular dances to raise funds for educational scholarships and other community benefits, and help keep the Puerto Rican culture alive through Jíbaro music and Puerto Rican food. You don't have to be Puerto Rican to join, and are likely to find some great food, music and dancing at their events. Here are links to their website and latest newsletter.
The hall has a very nice wood floor, and can accommodate 210 people. There is a kitchen and a bar, and tables that can be easily moved out of the way to make room for dancing. It may be possible to get the hall every Friday night. And although nothing has been finalized, it appears that the rental rates may be something we can afford.
Last month a motley gang of line dancers attended a sock hop at PRUMA Center. Tony Pagán, their president, and all the other people we met were very friendly. Glenn and Carole Wiegand taught the crowd a beginner line dance, and it was well received. Some of those guys can really dance. We all had a great time, and came away thinking this is a place we want to come back to. Helen Davidson has made arrangements for us to hold a spaghetti feed and dance (Flyer / Registration Form) at PRUMA Center on June 20, so that other club members can see the place for themselves. We think you'll like it.
Final, Final (We Really Mean It This Time) June ScheduleJmighell 19:22, 9 May 2008 (PDT)
Apologies for the confusion; we've been having difficulty getting our June schedule straight. Which dates, and who is the DJ for what dance. We're so used to dancing every Friday night that anything else causes cognitive dissonance. But I think we've finally got it right now, and posted properly in the 'Upcoming Club Events' section of the web site and in the May & June 2008 Flyer on the web site.
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