Memories of Dancing ... especially for a lousy dancer like me ... tied in to Disco, Cajun, Valentines, Big Band, high school, family, other ....
Pic: Keith and Gaylynne Mack (CEO, Big Buddy Program - Baton Rouge) at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 2018.
With all the great local organizations like Big Buddy doing fun fund raisers like "Dancing With Da Stars," I have to chuckle about how this native 'Yat has always been a lousy dancer, as my better half, Maria, can surely attest!
Still, back in dose disco days, I didn't do too bad under the shining glitter balls ... and Maria and i spent a few Saturday nights jamming to Bee Gees, Kool & The Gang and KC and The Sunshine Band in the early 80s on the dance board at da "4141" St. Charles Ave. joint
This was back in the Disco era when it was hip for real celebrities to have been given the privilege to be an invitee to some famous disco clubs in New York known as “boogie woogie wonderlands … I used to love “that tune by Earth, Wind & Fire!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=god7hAPv8f0
Remember that old joke: how do you dance disco? "Dis foot goes here ... and Dat foot goes dere!"
In high school as a freshman at DeLaSalle, this shy dude would only do slow dances - the hardest to mess up and what every pubescent teenager guy hoped for with a gal - such as Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and "Colour My World" by Chicago.
When Cajun Dancin became a craze back during the first part of this century, we had a neighbor whose husband was an dance instructor at the old Mulate's on Bluebonnet Blvd. After a few episodes of stomping on Maria's feet, I finally took the leadership role and we had fun with the Two-Step, Jitterbug and Waltz!
When our oldest child, Maria-Therese became a teen in the late 90s, I had a lot of fun at a few of the the Baton Rouge General Father-Daughter Sweetheart Dances. Sure, she was at first embarrassed to dance with her klutzy dad, but we did have fun to a few “Backstreet Boys” and Whitney Houston tunes.
A great dance that I will never forget is per my professional career from the late 80s. One inter generational venture that I had become involved with in 1986 involved the Junior/Senior Prom Dance. This was not the traditional high school experience. It was a project we helped some juniors from the Academy of Sacred Heart in hosting a '20s style dance for senior adults from around the city. The project was a part of a religion class dealing with social concerns.
I was working at the New Orleans Council on Aging in the mid 1980's and was approached by Br. Gale Condit, a Christian Brother who taught Religion at Sacred Heart Academy, with the idea of bringing together the generations for a fun gathering. As Brother Gale noted at the event, "We're trying to get our students and the elderly to know each other better, to help break down some of the myths and stereotypes."
Prior to the Junior/Senior Prom, I would come to teach some his Religion classes with the Juniors at Sacred Heart about gerontology or the study of aging, since the focus of the curriculum was on social issues. We would discuss demographics, trends in the field of aging and review community resources that can aid the elderly like home health, meals on wheels or the Ombudsman advocate program for nursing home residents.
We developed an list of invitees for the event that was representative of all the diverse populations from the greater New Orleans area per the senior centers that were located there. It was neat to find a way to cross boundaries not only involving age but also ethnicity. I was even able to sneak an invitation to my parents, who were able to attend the function and were even featured in the local paper's coverage of the event!
That evening, as the invited guest were brought to the beautiful entrance "horseshoe" of Sacred Heart Academy on St. Charles Avenue - with the elegant wrought iron fence surrounding the well manicured landscaping, a 1912 Model T was used to escort folks to the school's entrance.
Inside of Sacred Heart, the theme sign that was prominently noted was "Stars Shine Through the Generations!" Silver stars and pink balloons hung from the ceiling, as well as draped posters of Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper. Music was provided by a band and choral group from one of the local assisted living/nursing homes. There was even a Tapper Entertainer on hand who could do as well as the star, Arthur Duncan, from the Lawrence Welk Show!
As I tell my fella St. Francis Xavier parishioner, Gaylynne Mack - CEO, Big Buddy Program - Baton Rouge, who every year sponsors their "Dancing With The Stars" function, for dudes like me, they need to star a "Dancing With Lousy Dancing Stars!" (LOL!)
So whenever you have a chance to dance
Don't you ever miss dat chance
And it will certainly enhance
Your ROMANCE!
Keith Horcasitas, LCSW, MHA, 1133 Knollhaven Dr., BRLA 70810, Updated - March 8, 2020.
For a guy who felt insecure about dancing, you sure have danced the gamut! I especially like how you have encouraged seniors with dance and other things to stay active within the community.
Our Presbyterian Church banned dancing, but our high school church group got together in homes and danced to the latest 45s with their one-hit wonders and the latest dance craze… "Can you do the mash? It is a graveyard smash!"
In my senior year, the local radio announcer/Arthur Murray dance instructor, volunteered on coed Fridays during the lunch hour to teach us dancing in the gym at our high school. I got to dance with all the cheerleaders and especially enjoyed slow dancing the way that our instructor insisted we do it--close.
In college, I attended all the mixers, but never ended up with a permanent dance partner. When I hit the summer of love in the San Francisco area, I found a whole new way of dancing totally free of inhibition and formal dance steps.
In our twentieth high school reunion, I danced with a recently divorced classmate to all the Beatles tunes and she fell in love with me. We married within six months and danced whenever there was music, but divorced amicably three years later.
And then, I met Jeanie, a professional dancer with a dance group that she taught routines like a performance of Thriller with her son doing an amazing imitation of Michael Jackson. Whenever I went out on the dance floor with Jeanie, we got the clap! She was that good at holding me up as I was falling. She is still performing for groups here in Houston. She sings and dances a mean Tina Turner version of Proud Mary! I have encouraged her to enter America's Got Talent, but she's a bit frightened of that television stage at 77… Maybe when she's 80? ;-)
Later, I learned how to dance in an electric wheelchair. It was confining and unsatisfying for me. So, when our university president asked me to dance, I refused. Partly because she had invited all of her opponents to her fabulous parties and she made a habit of dancing with them before she fired them or faced lawsuits from them. To her, it was a form of intimidation.
Re-Release! No longer back-listed. Return to the Olde Ways. The hustle and bustle of modern day life has brought many of us to a quick fix attitude.This book is for those of you who are fed up; have looked at your life and your loved ones and realize
Pic: Keith and Gaylynne Mack (CEO, Big Buddy Program - Baton Rouge) at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 2018.
