DANCEWELL NEWS Linda Springstead

NOVEMBER 9, 2006

Just a quick note that our FRIDAY BEGINNER SOCIALS 101 will move to Thursday nights for the holiday season this year beginning the last week of November. Come on in and practice for all the holiday functions from 7:30-9:30 on Thursday nights!

And we'll still be having our Wednesday night Social as well on November 22nd as well as our Friday night party. See you there!

NOVEMBER 7, 2006

Our Saturday night party was lots of fun for everyone on November 4th. It's so funny since when we started the evening there were so many more men that we were worrying. It was thanks to the wonderful fantastic feast that Rene Selander put out for us that they all stayed and ate early Thanksgiving dinner long enough for all the ladies to appear on the scene! It's so funny how that all works sometimes -- just have turkey, rolls, gourmet salads, several sour cream pies and cakes and it becomes the men's social until the ladies all appear -- they were just a little late during all the bad weather!

We're glad to announce that Roy Aveling and Lori Friedman and John and Rene Selander will be competing this weekend in Canada, we'll let you know about the results. Roy and Lori also competed at Seattle's Quest for the Best last weekend for their first time out, where they did well.

Classes are well-attended and remember we'll be adding new ones in December too.

OCTOBER 8, 2006

Where does it go, the time? It seems I just wrote up something but that's just not so as we can all see. And there's so much to talk about this time!

First, the changes to the program. After discussions and requests from students here are the changes. Newcomer Class will now be called Newcomers 101. Same format as before, just a new name to reduce confusion. The Basic Class will now be called Beginner Class, again to simplify matters. The format for this class will change to a 2-month class; this to allow for finishing the full Basic Bronze Level for each dance taught. Intermediate Class will remain 1 month long, and Advanced Class will also be 1-month long

Our weekly practice parties will also have a new name and a new format! BEGINNER DANCE SOCIALS 101 are now more like our Wednesday parties -- a great place for the Beginning and Intermediate dancer to learn basic steps during an evening, plus have a dance lesson/mixer and other mixers as well. Meet a few new people, practice your steps, learn a few new ones.... A place where it's okay not to know it all -- your first introduction to dance socials. They are also still FREE to students currently in group class series.

AUGUST 9, 2006

Note: So if you're wondering about the weird September schedule, it's because I'm moving (homes that is) and am taking some extra time off so the class instruction quality stays up. Schedule will be back to normal in October.

The Santana dance was just great and lots of people loved the music! There were about 60 people at the dance, with lots of old and new friends joining us as I turned 25 for one more year. Maybe we'll do that again!

We had two demonstration dances, one by Steve and Kathy Baker, a beautiful Waltz first shown at the HCM Fundraiser the week before. And a Nightclub Two Step danced by Rich and Irina Peterson. Thanks to all for the fun times!

Have a great month!

JULY 31, 2006

DON'T FORGET TO PUT MY BIRTHDAY PARTY ON YOUR CALENDAR: AUGUST 5TH. CHA CHA LESSON -- SANTANA MUSIC plus others of my favorite old and new groups. I now have it cut down to 450 minutes of my favorite music. Can someone figure out how long a dance we need to hear that much? Just kidding...but paring it down is really hard! They each either mean something, remind me of something, lift my spirits or I just plain like to listen to em! And this is just the danceable stuff!

FUNDRAISER NOTES:

WOW! WE HAD 120 PEOPLE IN THE STUDIO WATCHING THE HCM "DANCE WITH THE STARS" COMPETITION SATURDAY NIGHT! IT WAS SOOO FUN! In fact, everyone liked it so much we're going to do another Showcase Dance soon.

My thanks to DanceWell student Rod Roth and to Tami Rockholt, owner of Health Cost Management, for inviting me to join them in their fundraiser for Independent Contractor Edison Montiel. I can empathize with Edison, caught unexpectedly with no insurance coverage since I've been there myself before when my sound system was stolen last year. Another thank you to the PDX dance community who I guess decided they wanted a happy Linda to keep on keeping on -- and now I've got a fantastic sound system with even video capabilities!

I also love the challenge of helping to pull people together for a worthwhile cause, even when it's not world-shaking but just a person. When all is said and done it's people and friends who ARE important. And this fundraiser has reminded me just how much fun it is for students to have opportunity to perform for their fellow students. There's a giant learning curve... especially for our STARS, who had never danced before 5 weeks ago: Christina Schroeder, Dymitri Kizim, Jesus Montiel, Miguel Montiel & Yulia Nakshina were in a form of competition. They each teamed up with experienced DanceWell students: Jana Hirst, Linda Meiwes, Richard Brezizinski, Rick Davis, & Susan Bertrand.

Except the "competition" was in each dancer, including every dancer that evening. The personal challenge is what matters -- what was the improvement from beginning to finish? What was the attitude toward the process? The team effort? What was learned from this experience in this lifetime? Each person had their own moments of challenge when rehearsing and when performing. It's truly a good experience for us all. We all help each other out with encouragement. And everyone can be very proud of their efforts.

Special thanks go to all the HCM co-workers, Rod Roth and John & Renee Selander for their attention to the details of putting a function together, along with the silent auction and food preparation, (VERY important) and to these DanceWell students:

DANCE ROUTINES: West Coast Swing by Rod Roth & Kim Alford; Jive by Rob Boutin & Mary Smith; Foxtrot by Roy Aveling & myself; Hip Hop by Nse Esuk; Waltz by Steve & Kathy Baker.

DANCE DEMOS: (1 minute segments) Nightclub Two Step by Rich and Irina Peterson (yes, they are to be congratulated on their wedding!); Rumba by Mike Fossey & Tami Rockholt (owners of HCM, non-dancers in their first ever performance); Hustle & Rumba by Rod Roth and Kim Alford; Salsa by Rick Davis & myself; Samba by Rick Davis & Kim Alford; Cha Cha by Rick Davis & Karynn MacPherson; Quickstep by John Selander & Renee Johnson; Viennese Waltz by Eron Rouse & Leilani Nakagawa; Tango by Roy Aveling & myself.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO ALL WHO JOINED US, AUDIENCE AND PERFORMERS

FRIDAY NIGHT PRACTICE PARTIES

The Chinese Ballroom Dance Club has now moved into downtown Portland and will no longer host our DanceWell Friday Night Parties. Friday night parties will now be hosted by DanceWell, as of the first week of August 2006. We'll look forward to seeing you on the 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th. AND ON THE 11TH WE HAVE A SURPRISE. Italian champion Giacomo Agrello will be teaching a BASIC WALTZ CLASS for us on that one night. He has a fun, easy manner and will help our beginners learn well from the start. The other classes for August will be WEST COAST SWING. Everyone welcome.

COMPS & COACHING

I met Giocomo Argrello and Alexandria Hawkins at USADance's Spring Fling in May, where I was invited to emcee for the competition (and that was a really fun thing to do too!). Afterr having some coaching with Giocomo and Alexandria here in Portland, I and some of my students decided to continue. A small group of DanceWell students went to Seattle for coaching with them on July 21st. That was a fun trip, with great instruction as the pay off. Both Giocomo and Alexandria are fun to work with and we learned lots! We're planning for another trip soon!

John Selander and Renee Johnson have just started their competitive dancing, entering in the NorthWest Regionals in Seattle just this month. They enjoyed their efforts and are ready to work hard to improve their dancing more and more.

MORE EVENTS

I had lots of fun at Larry Welding's pancake feed on August 26th out in the wilds of Washington! I brought the fam with me, and we all had a great breakfast (of course it lasted all day but you can only eat just so long, ya know). Boy was that a hot day too! Lots of sunshine! There were lots of friends there, I got to see Miriam do a belly dance, had my picture taken with several lady friends in the sunflower patch, and had a Nightclub Two Step dance with Victor Locke. What more can you ask of a beautiful summer Sunday? Friends and sunshine!

REMINDERS

I'm told I should remind everyone that all DanceWell class series now include our LAST WEDNESDAY SOCIAL and each of our FRIDAY DANCES every month. Get your practice with fellow students and socialize too. And I should mention too that we now have Newcomer Classes on both Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Another reminder about our new rotation schedule. Each month we have 3 different BASIC classes weekly. Each class has a different dance being taught, and each month the dance changes in a REGULAR ORDER. The basic dance classes rotate in this order: Waltz; Hustle; Foxtrot, Samba; East Coast Swing; Viennese Waltz; Cha Cha; Intro to International Latin dancing: International Rumba; Tango; Nightclub Two Step; Merengue; West Coast Swing; Intro to International Standard dancing: Quickstep, Rumba; Salsa (Mambo). You can figure out when each dance will be taught that way for the whole year. Remember every 4 months is a Review of the previous dance steps taught. (Or make it easy on yourself and check online to see 2006 & 2007 classes listed)

We're planning for another performance group to start this Fall, end of September. Dance planned so far is Hustle/Samba, but we're open to suggestion too. Those interested should contact me at linda@dancewellballroom.com

And a Hip Hop/Jazz Workshop will be offered in September. Let your young-hearted friends know about that one. Anyone who dances freestyle on the dance scene would do well with this class.

Classes are going great for the summertime and we're looking forward to Fall!

JULY 2, 2006

YOU ARE INVITED TO MY BIRTHDAY BASH ON SATURDAY AUGUST 5

WHAT TIME? 7-11p or ? WHERE? at the studio HOW MUCH? potluck dish and/or donation MUSIC? a little out of the ordinary but all the regular dance styles will be represented as always) LESSON? Cha Cha WHO'S INVITED? EVERYBODY

I missed a Portland concert last year by my ALL-TIME FAVORITE GROUP -- SANTANA -- so as DJ Linda I'm putting on my own birthday concert liberally laced with Santana and others of my old and new favorites WARNING! This party will include some rock and multi-generational eclectic music not always "dancer-perfect" But join us for the event anyway! Oh, no presents please, just for fun.

If you need your music to be "strictly ballroom" then this may not be your favorite party of the year. But then again it might be!

JUNE 16, 2006

FYI: The Dance With The Stars Fund Raiser on Saturday, July 29th, 2006 is being put on at Tigard Dance Center by Health Cost Management, and will include a potluck dinner, a silent auction and general dancing after the "Dance With The Stars" performances and demos. It is actually a benefit for Edison Montiel.

Edison Montiel is an Independent Contractor with HCM (owned by Tami Rockholt and Rod Roth). Edison fell off of his roof, broke his foot in several places and was without insurance. All proceeds of the fundraiser will go to Edison's high medical costs.

The fundraiser is for Edison Montiel, a contract employee at Health Cost Management. He fell and broke his ankle badly, and was not covered by medical insurance. All funds from this dance will go to his medical bills.

The Montiel family came to America (legally) about 6 years ago to provide a better education for their three children. They are from Venezuela where Edison’s wife, Nancy, was a nurse and he was a banker. Their two sons both are attending Portland Community College and their daughter is in middle school in Beaverton. HCM has adopted this family with one of the sons, Miguel, doing customer service for HCM and the other, Jesus, doing administrative work in the office.

They are very hard working and loved by all. This Fund Raiser is something Tami and Rod, along with HCM, is doing to help them.

All of the "Stars" are Health Cost Mangement employees, while all of the dancers are regulars at DANCEWELL. Both sons, Miguel and Jesus, are dancing as “Stars”. Owner Tami and her husband Mike will be dancing in public for the first time at this event, as well as DanceWell student Rod Roth and partners, and including DanceWell students. This is designed as a fun event for everyone, and only Edison won’t be dancing.

You will be entertained by the "Stars" who have been practicing feverishly for the last four weeks (all non-dancers before this). You will also get to see some of DanceWell’s better students dancing performance and demonstration dances. (I’ll be dancing a couple of dances myself too).

There will be a potluck dinner afterwards with general dancing up to 11:00. If you stay for the dinner, we would appreciate you bringing a potluck dish of some kind.

A donation of $10 for the dinner, show and dance party would be appreciated. Please make the check out to "Edison Montiel" and leave it at the sign in table.

MARCH 28, 2006

Join us for 2006 BEACH BALL which is slated for Saturday, May 13th at Chinook Winds Casino & Convention Center, on the beach in Lincoln City, Oregon! The event proceeds go to the Lincoln County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

Dance to the music of Brad Davis and The Kansas City Rhythm Kings. (I understand the band is a recreation of the Let's Dance Band, so will play all kinds of music)

And don’t forget the Friday night “Welcome to the Beach” Party & Dance and Saturday morning Dance Workshops! See the brochure at the studio for details or go to their website. The Friday dance party is $10 per person and the 4 workshop sessions with Linda Springstead (moi) are $35 per person for all. Both of these events and the BEACH BALL can be purchased in a special package at $80 per person or $150 per couple. For the whole week-end mind you! Seating is limited so register early!

Registration form is included in the brochure.
The 2006 BEACH BALL at Chinook Winds is $40 per person, $70 per couple or $280 per table (8 people).
COME HAVE A BALL AT THE BEACH!

For Information:
email: beachball1@charter.net
Phone: 541-265-3116
Visit our website at http://webpages.charter.net/casabeachball/

At DanceWell we're getting plans set for this year's Beach Ball 2006 too!. Make your reservations early, we'd enjoy seeing you al at the beach for some great fun!

What a big turnout for our Newcomer Classes this month! However... 67 is just too many to be effective for learning purposes... at least for the elements I'd like to have the class retain. (Even with some creative problem-solving ideas!) The March class will remain as is, with our review workshop on the 29th at 6:30p and Beginner Party, which is open to the public, at 7:30p. However, next month in APRILI need to limit the class size to 40, so please send your payment in early for the class you'd like to join!

We will also temporarily add another Newcomer class on Saturday mornings until deciding whether to permanently put one on Monday nights or Saturday mornings, Please send us an email if you have a preference.. Send email We'll also add a Saturday Beginner Class as well. Cha Cha

Field Trips: Salsa on two nights (March 24th and 25th)! And Ballroom at USADance too on Saturday! Fun! I'm looking forward to next month, with Sesame Club on the 7th, USADance on the 15th (for all our general classes)and Portland Swing Dance Club on the 22nd (for our West Coast Swing and Nightclub Two Step classes)! It's nice to go as a group to some functions.

And it's nice to be kind of "at home" too. Wednesday March 28th at our Beginner party, Rod Roth and his partner Kim Alford will be dancing a Waltz demo for the party. And coming the first week-end in May, Steve and Kathy Baker will dance a Waltz Routine for us too at our Saturday party!

MARCH 18, 2006

Lots of fun lately, with a visit to Sesame Club at the Norse Hall the first Friday (I always enjoy that dance!), and our Salsa Field Trip on the 25th. We were quite a group and had so much fun! At least I know I did! Kim, Jamey, Bonnie, Rod, Kim, Ginger, Larry, Jim, Joseph, Dennis, Roy, Susan, Nathan & Michelle, Mariam, Richard, and Penny, thanks so much for joining us and making our night out even more fun! In fact, we'll do it again the end of this month. TWICE! For our next field trips we'll visit H2O (2nd & SW Yamhill) on Friday the 24th and Aztec Willy's (15th & NE Broadway) on Saturday the 25th AS WELL AS the USADance the 25th earlier in the evening. Salsa clubs are late so plan for 9:30 or 10p both nights, and join us whichever night works. Busy times, huh?

This next month I'll be sooo busy! Teaching for the Sesame Club dance on the first Friday (a Foxtrot lesson), my own dance on the First Saturday (a Samba lesson), teaching for the USA Dance Club on April 15 (Mambo), and for the Portland Swing Dance Club on the 22nd (West Coast Swing, of course!)! Guess that'll keep me out of trouble for April! I hope to make these field trips as well, so please join me at any of these functions.

I just returned from workshops this week-end, the tail-end of the City of Roses Ballroom Dance Competition here in town. I'm always so pumped when I get to learn more "dance stuff". Doesn't really matter just what, I love it all anyway. That's why I got into dance instruction. I'm one of the lucky ones who've made a business out of a loved hobby. Still hasn't changed either, the love of dance, that is. Or the love of learning. Foxtrot, Mambo, Rumba, Swing, and Cha Cha this time. Thanks to FJ, Eddie and Sandy for some great classes.

We're hoping to have some more updated pics on the website soon, so keep looking, someday it'll happen!

Also, many of you still haven't seen the new sound system, which was made possible through money donated by the whole dance community! It's fantastic! Our next Saturday party is April 1st...and there's a party every Friday...lots of opportunities for practice to get ready for...

FEBRUARY 12, 2006

Salsa Night Out. (this is a change) Our Beginning SALSA CLASS is having a field trip! We're meeting at AZTEC WILLY'S on Saturday, Feb. 25th for an hour or two of Salsa & Merengue dancing (maybe a little Cha Cha and Rumba too if we're lucky). The class is going out for a night of practice in a group atmosphere. Seating may be difficult, so those who get there early, save the rest some seats! 9 or 9:30p is the plan. Phone: 503.280.8900. Cost: $5 cover charge. Beginning lesson at 8:30 or 9p, I don't know who teaches Address: 1501 NE Broadway. Just a fun opportunity, no need to register or anything, just show up.

Sorry, no classes on Thursday, February 23rd, or the week of February 27 through March 2. New classes will begin the week of March 6th.

OCTOBER 25 , 2005

By Diane Goodwin

Studio Party 10/1/05

The studio party on 10/1/05 was fabulous. The cooler, rainy weather put people in the mood for dancing and a crowd of 70-80 people came. There was a hustle lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m., and the dance followed. We enjoyed the buffet and visiting and dancing with many old friends and also with all the new faces who joined us.

10/8 and 10/9 Garage Sale

We had a successful and fun garage sale on 10/8 and 10/9 to help raise money to replace the stolen sound system. We received lots and lots of donated items and a couple of additional anonymous donations. Thanks to Renee Johnson, Sandy Sallee, Roy Aveling, Bonnie Pascow, Linda Springstead, Melissa Springstead, Diane Goodwin, and all our other helpers and donators for your expertise and hard work in pulling off this successful fund raiser.

OREGON FALL FESTIVAL

Friday Night, Oct. 14

The Friday night competition took place with an enthusiastic crowd of onlookers and competitors. Diane Goodwin and Roy Aveling competed in the International Standard Waltz and Quickstep events (borrowed cufflinks – thank you, Gerald Cosby, and forgotten bowtie and all). They were inserted into the pro am heats as the only am-am couple but managed to stay out of the way and have a good time, too. The performance by Andre and Natalie Paramonov were electrifying. They performed a number of latin routines to the enjoyment of the crowd.

Saturday Night, Oct. 15

There were a lot of people at the Saturday night session – maybe due to the emerging interest in ballroom dancing. Seemed like everyone had a great time. The competition was moved along swiftly to make up for the late start. Roy Aveling and Diane Goodwin performed their international waltz and quickstep again, joining one other couple on the floor each time but being judged at the novice level. Congratulations to Roy and Diane on a job well done. The competition was topped off with a performance by Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed. They received standing ovations after each dance and well deserved, too, for they were out of this world.

Join us for any of the classes coming up in November and don't forget the next studio dance Saturday, November 5, 2005. The lesson will be rumba at 7:00 p.m., following by general dancing. As always, there will be a light buffet.

In case you hadn't noticed, there are ballroom dances in the studio every Friday night now hosted by the Chinese Dance Club. The dance starts at 7:30 p.m. with a lesson by Apel. It is $5 per person. Join the rest of the ballroom dancers for a fun night.

The Grand Ball - 11/11/05 through 11/13/05 - Vancouver, B.C. (Richmond) CANADA

Roy Aveling and Diane Goodwin competed in the The Grand Ball International Amateur and ProAm Dancesport Competition hosted by Andy and Wendy Wong at their ballroom, The Grand Ballroom, in Richmond, CANADA, November 11 through 13, 2005. Their first heat was on Friday in the Senior Amateur Bronze Standard. There were 10 couples and Roy and Diane were disappointed in their performance, just missing the finals. With a day off to get acclimated and catch the fever again, Roy and Diane competed again Sunday in the Adult Bronze Standard group. The ages are lower in the Adult group and usually present more of a challenge than the Senior group. Again, there were 10 couples competing in the division. With only one or two exceptions, they were competing against the same couples who beat them on Friday. Things were looking stacked against them, but they danced well and were called back for the final round Sunday evening. The final round consisted of 7 couples. All the training and practicing came together for them and they came in 1st! They received medals on blue and white ribbons and were given a beautiful gigantic trophy. Come by the studio and see the picture of them with their medals and trophy on the bulletin board or go www.grandballroom.com for results and pictures (Web site results are posted but photos are still under construction as of this writing).. Congratulations to Roy and Diane on a job well done. And thanks to Rex Betz and Carol Scherer for their kind e-mail. They traveled to The Grand Ball and watched Diane and Roy snag their big win.

AUGUST 15 MONDAY, 2005

Hello Dancers,

By Diane Goodwin & Linda Springstead

Competition News Roy Aveling and Diane Goodwin went to Seattle to compete at the USA Dance – Northwest DanceSport Championships on July 2-3, 2005, at the Sea-Tac Hilton. They competed in the Adult Bronze Standard (age 19+) and came in 9th/10th and also in the Senior I Bronze Standard (age 50+) and came in 4^th. Good job for only dancing together a couple of months with no experience in competing or dancing International Standard on Diane's part. The rewards went beyond the yellow ribbons they brought home as they gained experience and confidence in their dancing. Congratulations to them! Next for them is Quest for the Best in October!

Showcase at Senior Center On July 28, 2005, Roy Aveling and Diane Goodwin did a showcase for the seniors at the Luepke Senior Center in Vancouver, Washington, for the senior's last Friday of the month theme dance -- 4^th of July. The band was the John Bennett Band, who plays for the seniors three times each week. Roy and Diane showcased routines in rumba, nightclub two-step, and quickstep with a surprise which made it a hit routine. And on the other side, Roy and Diane were amazed at the seniors and enjoyed watching them show off some of their hot moves.

Studio Party August 6, 2005 The studio party of August 6, 2005 was a great success. There was a nightclub two-step lesson to start things off. There was a nice crowd and tasty food. Lots of old dance friends came out of the woodwork, so there were plenty of people to catch up with and dance with. (There was an abundance of men for a change – to the delight of the ladies). The evening was lots of fun and the dance went longer than scheduled to indulge those not ready to give it up for the evening. A special “Thank-you” to Monty Harmon for the loan of his equipment on both our Wedneday Night Beginner Party and for our Saturday Dance Social. Next month's dance is again on the first Saturday and falls on September 3, 2005. There will be a rumba lesson from 7-8 pm and a light buffet. See you there.

As many of you know, the studio was robbed of Linda’s sound system last month. We would like to thank those of you who have offered financial support to replace the system. You are great!

MAY 27 FRIDAY, 2005

Hello Dancers,

DanceWell's May 7, 2005 Studio Party

By Diane Goodwin & Linda Springstead

With the piñatas, hula hoops, and dance demos, it seemed like a special occasion at DanceWell's May 7 studio party, but there was no special reason for it, just to have a lot of fun. The evening started with a samba lesson which progressed nicely from bare beginning to a bota foga turn and voltas. Even those who had never taken samba before enjoyed the lesson and had fun trying it out on the dance floor.

Believe it or not there were brave volunteers to compete in the hula hoop contest. Participants were Carl (his first time ever to hula & he did great!) and Kathy Meininger, John Hastings, Ginger Edwards, Ginger Remy, Heidi Hanzlick, Bonnie McCabe, Grace Amos, Myron Robinson, and Roy Aveling. After several heats to determine the finalists and by applause and whistles, Grace and Bonnie were announced the winners, but prizes were given to all the enthusiastic participants.

Not one but two demos were performed during the dance, a samba routine by students of the current Samba Group Class and Phil & Susan Bertrand performed a lovely waltz to Moon River. The samba gave the performance a chance to show off their 3 months of training and came off well. Susan & Phil's waltz routine had a matching beginning and ending where the couple bowed their heads together in a lovely embrace. The story of how they met in DanceWell classes and are now celebrating their two-year marriage anniversary made it a very touching performance.

Dance socials are always on the first Saturday of the month, so our next dance social will be Saturday, June 4, with a cha cha lesson at 7:00 p.m. There will be CD music and light buffet. All are welcome to come and enjoy the evening with a great group of dancers. See you there!

Our next Mix and Mingle Social for Beginning to Intermediate dancers will be on Wednesday, June 1^st . Where you’re NOT supposed to know it all… Join us for fun, CD music, refreshments, mixers… $5p/p. There’s also a beginning Cha Cha class prior to the dance party too.

3^rd Annual Beach Ball

We attended the 3^rd Annual Beach Ball in Lincoln City May 20-22, 2005 to benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). There was a welcome dance party Friday night, dance workshops, and a Saturday night dance to Chicago's Own Burgie Crandall and the Let's Dance Band. Dinner was catered by Mo's on Friday night, Saturday's meals include a continental breakfast, Mo's lunch, and "A Taste of Oregon Coast" buffet with no host bars for dinner. There were dance exhibitions and a silent auction Saturday night. All of this for the unbelievable price of $35 or $60 for a couple. Details on the trip follow.

It wasn't Maui, but the 3^rd Annual Beach Ball on May 20-21 was a fabulously good time. All proceeds benefited Lincoln County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), whose mission is to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court. The organizers of this event came into their own this year, learning AND IMPROVING EACH YEAR, they put on a wonderful event. Unless you had seen it for yourself, you wouldn't have believed the program put on by this group (for an unbelievable $35). The Friday night welcome party at the Gleneden Beach Community Center was well attended. We were treated to a fox trot performance by my DanceWell Studio performance team (Stephanie Yang, Lucy Yelizarova, Sandy Sallee, Rich Peterson, Paul Webster, and Monte Harmon) and to a medley of dances consisting of Balboa, East Coast, Lindy Hop, and West Coast from Bonnie Prater's team (Andy L., Vern and Betty S., George D., Beverly P., Michele S., Cathy P., and Nancy and Jerry R.) from her Two to Tango studio. There was plenty of time for dancing and eating the wonderful dinner catered by Mo's.

The workshops on Saturday had so many sign-ups they had to be moved to the Masonic Hall in south Lincoln City, where we did our best to accommodate the approximately 80 people who came to learn fox trot, cha cha, and west coast swing. There was also a fourth workshop for questions and answers about the dances taught. The enthusiasm of this crowd was incredible. Although we were a little crowded, we had a lot of fun with everyone smiling and having a good time learning the dance steps which covered from basics all the way up to more challenging patterns for the more advanced dancers. Breakfast and lunch were included – they kept us well-fed.

To Re-Cap: We enjoyed dinner on Friday, a great breakfast on Saturday morning, 4 hours of workshops, box lunches of tuna or shrimp salad or chicken wraps for Saturday lunch, dinner on Saturday night, PLUS two full dance parties, one with a live band! The unbelievable part is the cost – we had all that for $35! Boy did we get our money’s worth!

The main event was the ball at Chinook Winds Casino Saturday night. The dance featured Chicago's Own Burgie Crandall and His Let's Dance Band, "A Taste of the Oregon Coast" Buffet, No Host Bars, an exciting Silent Auction, dance exhibitions, Reflections Photography, Glass Slipper Shoes, and a wonderful crowd of people. Bonnie Prater's group performed their medley of dances and Phil and Susan Bertrand from DanceWell Studio performed their beautiful waltz to Moon River.

Some comments about the Beach Ball weekend:

"The sign in the kitchen at the Gleneden Beach Community Center that says 'No roller skating in the kitchen.'" (The Gleneden Beach Community Center where we had Friday Night’s Welcome Dance doubles as a roller rink)	…Melissa Springstead of Tigard
"Loved the lessons – they were for all levels of dancers. We’re impressed with Linda's teaching ability."	Dr. Ed and Faye of Bandon
"The food was great!" “The lessons were wonderful”.	Rob and Mary from Portland
"The dance floor was more accessible this year" (The tables were arranged differently this year at the ball on Saturday night).	Stephanie Y. of Portland
"I want one of those in my kitchen!" (Speaking of the chocolate fountain put up by the casino at the desert table).	Anonymous

Everything came together wonderfully to make this event a smashing success this year. We’re very sorry some of you missed out. This was the very best year so far. It also supports a very worthy cause

………Imagine a world where every child can thrive.

Wishing you the best,

Linda

MAY 18 WEDNESDAY, 2005

Hello Dancers,

We have been given the sad news that Jackie Powers died yesterday, May 17th at 11:20am. Jackie had been a dedicated dancer in the Portland Area for many years, and was well-recognized in the community, along with her fiancé Mike Stevens. She had been fighting cancer for the past few months, actually a very short time. You may recognize Jackie from a group photo in our December 2003 PHOTO PAGE. Mike and Jackie are on the left.

Jackie's funeral will be on Monday, May 23rd at the Bull Mountain Chapter of the Church of Latter Day Saints in south Tigard, at 11am, with a viewing at 10am. There will be a short funeral service and a luncheon to follow. Church phone number: 503-639-0794.

Contributions may be made to Cancer research and to the LDS Humanitarian Aide Fund.

As Jackie would tell everyone, the loves of her life were her fiancé Mike, her son Mathew and dance. Jackie will be missed at our studio and in our lives.

When someone in our little community dies, it leaves a feeling of loss and reminds us of our own timeline. Living life rather than existing becomes a more important plan.

The best in life to you,

Linda

NOTE FROM LINDA ON MAY 24

Jackie was also a poetess, and one who's poetry may strike a note in people's heart. One which I will share was printed in her funeral notice.

WHERE'S THE SCRIPT?
By Jackie Powers

So often life
Is not filled
With love and laughter
As much as
With loneliness and disappointment

It's not easy
This thing called life
With it's broken dreams
And lonely nights
And all the things
That don't work out right

It would be easier
If it came with a script
Of who we were to meet
And the right things to say
And nothing but happiness
Filling every day

Amen would it be easier to have a script telling us exactly what to do and say! So we could be nothing but happy every day! But there's not really a "right" way for anything. Minute by minute living in the moment does the trick they tell me!

The very best to you all,
Linda

MAY 1 SUNDAY, 2005

Just a QUICK REMINDER! SEATING IS ASSIGNED AT THE BEACH BALL SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO SIT WITH US INDICATE YOU'RE WITH DANCEWELL WHEN ORDERING YOUR TICKETS.

APRIL 4 SUNDAY, 2005

Just a note about the BEACH BALL coming up SOON! LIKE MAY 20, 21, & 22 EVEN! REMEMBER TO GET YOUR RESERVATIONS IN ASAP IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND ALL WEEK-END!

THERE IS LIMITED ROOM AT THE WELCOME DANCE ON FRIDAY NIGHT -- AND FOR THE WORKSHOPS ON SATURDAY TOO! There is no additional charge for either event, but you do need to register! There have already been 20 out of 50 spots held for the workshops! And I believe the same for the Friday dance. (We may be able to adjust a little...but not a lot, the room is small)

WORKSHOPS RESERVATIONS:: Bonnie Prater at (541) 574-0877

FRIDAY PARTY AND SATURDAY BALL: CASA at (541) 265-9352 (Look on the right inside panel of the brochure for details. I have attached a copy)

ALSO: REMEMBER TO SEND ME YOUR MOTEL PHONE NUMBER OR CELL FOR CONTACT AT THE BEACH FOR THE WEEK-END. THE DANCEWELL GROUP WILL STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF STRICTLY DANCEWELL GET-TOGETHER SURPRISES IN STORE YOU MAY NOT WANT TO MISS!

We're looking forward to this week-ender to "get away from it all" -- and bring all our friends too! WE HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT! There is more information below, or you will receive a Beach Ball 2005 PDF if you're on our email list.

LINDA

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 2005

Wow! It's been a long time since I updated this page. Time passes so quickly! Here is copy from the newsletter just mailed.

BEACH BALL GETAWAY ON MAY 20,21,22 Join us in Lincoln City for a Friday night dance and buffet, 4 dance workshops on Saturday, and the Beach Ball on Saturday evening. $35 p/p for the week-end events. How they can do it I don't know... but let's go enjoy! Call (541)265-3116 for information and tickets. Be sure to request DanceWell Tables. More information later.

OUR PHOTO PAGE HAS BEEN UPDATED! Thank-you Steve Baker!

February 2005

My thanks to all who donated their help at the DanceWell Social on February 5th. And a big Thank-you to Bonnie Prater, who substitute-taught for me. In all my years at the Tigard Studio that was my first time to leave “my baby” to the care of others. And from all accounts it was a grand party too! I wasn’t even missed …….?

During party time I was at the Xanadu Festival, teaching, judging, enjoying the workshops, the excitement and camaraderie there. All who attended that 3-day dance camp/mini-comp had a great time, and we’ll be looking forward to next year.

And a very special “Thank-you” to all those who have been my emotional support this past year. Know you are all held in great esteem, and that my greatest wish for you all is that you forever receive the same caring, love and support you have shown me.

A very grateful Linda

Compulsive Thought of the Day: “I want (need) to dance the same steps and be as good as the better dancers — now.”

Reality Check: Those dancers have been dancing a long time and put in many dedicated hours. Urgency kills enjoyment. Accepting what is and who we are in the moment allows us to change and grow in the process. Go easy.

2005 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

NEXT DANCEWELL SOCIALS: FEBRUARY 28. MARCH 5. 30; APRIL 2, 27; MAY 7, 25

HELPERS WANTED: We need helpers to register and check in students 1 or 2 class nights weekly. Computer knowledge not necessary, just a helpful, friendly spirit. Trade for dance classes. Talk to Linda

*** EMAIL NOTES If you are on our News List but not receiving monthly DanceWell email updates, check with your email service to be sure we’re on your unblocked list. lspringstead@comcast.net linda@dancewellballroom.com

Happy Dancing!

Stores in Portland:

The Glass Slipper in Portland has the largest variety of Latin and Smooth dance shoes for men and women. 3109 NE Broadway (503)282-0069

Dance Togs in Beaverton has a smaller selection since they are more geared to ballet and tap, but are increasing their inventory.

Dee’s Dance Design is located at on McLoughlin Blvd in Milwaukie. (503)652-0479 Some Ballroom shoes, plus skirts & tops. And they also can create simple dance costumes.

Carrie B’s on 122nd in SE Portland has a good selection of shoes geared to Square dancing and some Ballroom shoes. Also practice skirts.

There are 3 events I wanted to bring to your attention for February Fun.

"The mighty oak was once a little nut who held it's ground"