Aurora – While dance recitals for children and young adults may be a common event for many families during the springtime, you might not have known that dancers of all ages gathered in Aurora recently for the 62nd Ohio Dance Convention. The weekend event was the first in-person gathering since February 2020 and took place at the Bertram Inn in Aurora.
Chickie Weber and her husband Bill from Canton have served as the Chairpersons of the 62nd Ohio Dance Competition. They invited folks from all over to shake off the rust at the Catch the Fun at the 2022 convention in Aurora, and their call was answered by many. When planning this year’s event in January, according to Weber, the committee only had 132 confirmed participants; the group was unsure if the event would take place. Luckily, the group persisted, with registration for this year’s event topping 450 participants.
The weekend kicked off with the Trail-End Dance on Friday evening. At this event, dancers had the opportunity to strut their stuff in the Rounds Hall as well as the Square Dance Hall. The festivities continued on Saturday, with multiple dance halls open for dancers of all skill levels, as well as the opportunity to bid on baskets provided by 26 various clubs, councils, and federations in the area. “We’ve lost dancers and callers due to Covid and other health issues over the past two years,” Chickie noted. In spite of those losses, participants from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, and Washington D.C. gathered to take part in this year’s event.
In addition to dusting off their dancing shoes and meeting up with old friends, the weekend also included opportunities for special experiences. One highlight included a dinner show featuring Randy Valez, a highly regarded vocal impressionist. “He can sing anything you’d like to hear,” Weber marveled, noting he’s considered the ‘Rich Little of music’. Other optional activities included a winery tour, golf outing, and a visit to Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens.
If you’re interested in learning (or re-learning) how to square dance, it may be slightly different from what you may remember. Each dance hall at the weekend event featured a ‘caller’ as you may remember, alerting dancers to the next move to make with their partners. With the help of laptop computers, callers played more contemporary music, like “When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman,” By Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show or an instrumental version of Brian May and Freddy Mercury’s “Another One Bites the Dust” following a digital list of ‘calls’ to participants on the dance floor.
Dancers ranged from beginner Modern Western Square dancing to Mainstream, and Advanced levels. Many couples have years of experience and often, matching outfits, as they move fluidly in unison, responding to the caller and the music. If you’d like to give square dancing a whirl, locally, the Ravenna Circulators offers dance lessons regularly from September through May. The dance group celebrates its 50th anniversary this year – visit with them after a demo at the Portage County Fair, or email Denise or Chris at tupperware@windstream.net for more information.
Next year’s Ohio Dance Convention takes place next May in Columbus; for more information, visit ohiodanceconvention.com
