DANCIN--FOR-MIRACLES-2013

Most people who go to the beach take along beach towels and flip-flops but not the dancers who attended Dancin' For Miracles at Wasaga Beach this year, they took along dance shoes and a toga outfit!! More about that later! As always this event is a 'must go to' for Ontario dancers. This year however was a bit different as we had lost someone dear to us all, but particularly dear to the organizers of the event. The much loved husband of Rose Turcotte, brother-in-law to Valarie Keller and, of course, loved by all their family, Ray Turcotte was a genuine, warm and lovable guy who would help anyone, who always had a joke as you lined up for your lunch, and who would do whatever necessary to raise funds for Cancer Research including wearing outfits most guys would head into hiding to avoid!! As you can imagine there was quite a void on the Friday evening where Ray would normally be there to greet the dancers. We were all wondering how the family would be able to cope after such a great loss. But they did the best thing, they mourned Ray's passing with us right at the beginning and then proceeded to make sure we had a good time with lots of laughs, as Ray would have wished.

The Friday night as usual was "let's make the instructors squirm" and their students roar with laughter!! Then DANCE! with DJ Lynn Warden our favourite DJ on the controls. There was a different approach to requests this year that was very successful ... each day everyone was asked to submit a limited number of requests and Lynn would just pick from those request with a new pile the following day. This way everyone knew that no-one was playing favourites and it was like winning the lottery when your request was played!

Aside from dancing, this event brings lots of action for non-dancers as well. Mrs Betty Keller, recovering from a recent illness, was still at the helm of the 'Penny Sale' with a wonderful selection of gifts that we meander along and check out; we had our envelopes for the huge number of gifts right by the stage; there were amazing raffle prizes to be won and we could also play 'Family Feud' with a Niagara Falls package of $1000 to be won. Chez Lynn was there to give pedicures, manicures & massages, and if you needed new dance shoes, N Step courtesy Gloria, Jill and Dianne had a great selection.

The instructors did an excellent job on the Saturday, starting with Zumba with Jennie Johns, followed by the line dance instructors in order of appearance Dan Morrison, Kitty Carlisle, Leanne Holmes, Fred Buckley, Janet Martin, Zandra McCallum, Cathy Montgomery, Michel Cabana, Jill Baker, Dianne Bishop and Gloria Kirchner. I've listed the dances taught below, there was something there for everyone. Saturday evening adorned in togas of all shapes and sizes we danced the night away and also enjoyed a very touching performance by 'The Crazy Soles'.. (I should add that the Team oganize fund-raise events during the year and donate that money to Dancin' For Miracles to go to the Cancer Society.) Sunday morning the instructors tested our memories with a quick review of the dances taught on Saturday and all too seen it seemed that it was time to go home.

Valarie Keller, Rose Turcotte and their family and friends did another amazing job of this event, there is so much work involved, from the initial collecting of the gifts to transporting them to the hall, to the set-up and take down, to the lunches prepared by the Newmarket ladies, to the bar tenders etc. etc. We are grateful to you all for an event that does so much good, $10,000 was raised for the Cancer Society, and at the same time is so much fun. I am already looking forward to next year's event. The theme is gothic so you will have plenty of time to check out the charity shops before next September! See you then.

Dances choreographed by Instructor unless otherwise noted;

In order of dances taught (Do let me know if I've got dance names incorrect or missed any out):

DAN MORRISON

Welcome to My City

Days of Youth, Kate Henry

KITTY CARLISLE

Hide Your Crazy Mama

LEANNE HOLMES

We Can Do It

FRED BUCKLEY

My Everyday by Dee Musk

JANET MARTIN