A Very Fancy Weekend

And it was. Living in Indianapolis gives us many dancing options, including events at, as Gary would say, some grand old dames. Unlike many larger cities, Indy has preserved some lovely ballrooms. This weekend we danced at The Scottish Rite Cathedral and our beloved Roof, two such venues that escaped the wrecking ball.

The Roof was fabulous as always; going often does not diminish the overwhelming sense of grandeur with a whiff of do I really belong here feeling when I step through the ornate doors. It’s that gorgeous, from its Spanish/Moroccan décor to the giant disco ball hanging from a ceiling full of stars.

The Scottish Rite Cathedral doesn’t have many public dances, saving most events for their members. So it is a wonderful occurrence when we can dance on probably the best dance floor around. It’s a floating floor, which means it’s constructed with so much give your feet never ache at the end of the dance. Combine that with a décor that is right out of the Middle Ages, complete with the biggest chandelier I’ve ever seen. If Merlin walked out during intermission I wouldn’t be surprised.

It’d be so cool to see Merlin do a cha cha, don’t you think?

These dances are more expensive than our club dances at around 15 bucks a piece, but when you don’t have to stay all night they’re affordable. People travel great distances to dance at both these venues. To have them almost at our doorstep makes us feel very lucky indeed.

A Very Old-Fashioned New Year

I’ve experienced many New Year’s Eve celebrations, from the sublime to the, um, Party-ROCK. I’ve enjoyed every one of them. If you believe whatever you do on the eve is what you will be doing the next year, then that is what Gary and I want to be doing when the countdown begins.

A New Year’s dance can be very expensive, and this year we are watching our budget. Another factor in our choice is that we like spending that holiday with my parents, who also dance They are members of a community center in Raleigh, Indiana, who have been having a dance every Saturday night for 50 years. I’ve mentioned them before. We like it there.

But what would Raleigh be like on New Year’s? Gary and both like glitz and glamour, especially on that night. We arrived around 8:30; admission was 15 bucks a piece and a covered dish. Doesn’t get much better than that. The decorations were wonderful; glittery stuff hung from the ceiling and a fat holiday tree to the side. Very retro. The people, as always, were warm and welcoming.

Gary and I danced and danced. Many of the people there were older, like really older…over 90. They told us they used to dance like we do but now they couldn’t. As we drove home under a three quarter moon I was reminded that life is NOW. And as our favorite DJ Ron Fentz says, “Let’s dance.”

Happy New Year to all. If you dance, I hope you do it more often. If you don’t and have always wanted to, I wish for you the courage to try this year.