NORWICH – Many people associate line dancing with the old “Touch of Texas” establishment in Norwich. Well, line dancing is back in full swing (no pun intended) in Norwich at the Elks Lodge. B&B Line Dance Club has formed ... Bonnie Gale and Barbara Franklin have teamed up to bring new line dance classes at the exciting venue of the Elks Lodge in Norwich. Classes start on Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Classes will be held every Friday night. The first hour will be lessons for complete beginners. “Instruction will be very slow and thorough,” gale said. After 7:30, there will be a mix of all levels of dances, with some good oldies and the teaching of brand new dances from the top of the charts in the Linedancer Magazine. Gale and Franklin are also considering having a mid-week beginner evening class, if there is interest.
The classes will be held upstairs in the Elks Lodge at 14 E. Main. The room has a large wooden floor. One enters at the rear of the building by a door with a neon “Open” sign and then proceeds to the second floor. There is lots of available parking at the rear of the building. The Elks Lodge has a bar downstairs and they are offering a chicken wing special on Friday nights.
Gale has been teaching line dancing in the area for the past eight years. She has taught in the UK and New Zealand and is in touch with all the latest American and international line dances. She has choreographed several line dances herself. For the past year, Franklin has been substituting for Gale. “When Barbara started coming to my classes four years ago, I was struck by her enthusiasm and dedication,” Gale said. “She is a great dancer and gives so much to the classes. She wears the famous red boots and you can rely on having her help on the back wall.”
Modern line dancing has moved beyond its Country Western roots to incorporate Latin, waltz, mambo, salsa, swing and European dance songs.
“We will do the great classics such as ‘Achy Breaky Heart Too,’ ‘Electric Slide’ and Watermelon Crawl,’ to name a few,: said Gale. “Line dancing uses great music. It’s a lot of fun and great exercise for the body as well as the mind. As no partner is needed, everyone can come and dance singularly. All ages are welcome,” she said.
Gale teaches with slow, thorough instruction and much humor. Franklin said, “Bonnie is a fantastic instructor. She has tremendous patience and has great teaching technique so that she can provide easy instruction. Even if she feels that we all know the dance, she will never just put the music on but will go over the steps of the dance first so that we are really ready to dance with the music.”
What about footwear? “Although Bonnie and I wear cowboy boots for the line dancing and our club logo has a boot, we are often asked if boots are necessary. Our answer is ‘no.’ However, it is good to wear smooth soled shoes, so that your feet can slide on the floor,” Franklin said.
The first two classes on Feb. 15 and Feb. 22 will be free. After that date, there will be a charge of $5 per person per evening. Gale and Franklin are also planning monthly theme parties on the first Friday of the month. They have planned an Irish dance party on March 7; Earth Day party on April 4; a Cinco de Mayo Latin party on May 2; and a Welcome Summer party on June 6. More information on these parties will be available at the classes.
For more information, call Gale at 336-9031 or e-mail Franklin at bfranklin@frontiernet.net.