Category: Events

 

This article and photo appeared in the the Camrose Booster of Feb 13, 2018.

 

 

 

Square dancers from various Community Dance – Capital District Association clubs celebrate at West Edmonton Mall.

Square dancers were invited to celebrate National Square Dance Day with a dance at West Edmonton Mall at the Newcap Radio Stage from 6:30-8:30 pm on Wednesday, November 29.

It was a wonderful opportunity to gather and celebrate by having some fun on the dance floor, meeting dancers from different square dance clubs, and also dancing with members of the public who were willing to join us. Two tips were called for spectators to try out some basic square dancing, and experienced dancers in these squares reported that the new dancers thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity.

A NEW EXPERIENCE

During our National Square Dance Day event at West Edmonton Mall a Mall Lockdown Drill was held.

Around 8 pm sirens started to sound and announcements were made of the Lockdown Drill. Everyone in the Mall was directed to find shelter.

The majority of the square dancers and spectators found shelter in the Sunrise Records store near the dancing stage. Then we had to find shelter within the store itself. So here we are crowded into the storeroom of the store waiting for the drill to end.

About 10 minutes later the Lockdown Drill ended and we were back on the dance floor for a couple of tips before the event ended at 8:30 pm.

All in all, it certainly added a bit more excitement to the whole evening.

-Submitted by Stephen Dufresne

Saturday, October 14, 2017, dancers, relatives, and friends from Saskatchewan and Alberta came together in North Battleford, SK to honour Ray & Misel Rosler on the occasion of their 60th anniversary.

Over the past thirty-some years Ray & Misel have taught square and round dancing to countless people in eastern Alberta and western Saskatchewan, and have driven thousands of kilometers supporting clubs in a wide area of the prairies. Among the many certificates presented was one from the Canadian Square and Round Dance Society (shown below being presented by Kaye Hauer on behalf of CSRDS). An evening dance of square, round, and social dancing followed the afternoon program and supper. Thank you to Ray & Misel’s daughters, Noreen & Gloria, and their families for planning the day and inviting us to share it with them.

Congratulations, Ray and Misel! We all wish you many more years of happiness together and we thank you for a lifetime of service to the square and round dance community.

On the weekend of Oct 22, the Brownfield Baptist Church hosted its International Big Country Weekend. The community welcomed a bus load of new Canadians from Calgary. Participants of all ages from an ESL school in Calgary were billeted in community homes and spent the weekend experiencing life in rural Alberta. The event began in 2004 as a result of learning that up to 92% of immigrants to Canada will never enter a Canadian home. Since then, the exciting weekend has occurred every two years in the fall.

The new Canadians and their hosts celebrated the weekend on Saturday evening with a supper and dance. With the help of the Prairie Sunset Dancers, it was an evening full of fun, laughter, music, and dancing, which included everything from Musical Chairs for all ages, to the Birdie Dance, to square dancing. About twelve countries and fifteen languages were represented this year, and everyone could square dance! The evening concluded with the Friendship Song and our classic square dancing finale saying “Goodnight!” to everyone in the hall. What two things could be any more appropriate for an occasion such as this?

Great idea, Brownfield! It was a great opportunity to celebrate new friendships and welcome newcomers to our country!