USA Dance attracts young and old

Next event on tap

for Feb. 25 at

community hall

By DAVID GUNTER

Feature correspondent

SANDPOINT — The local chapter of USA Dance was formed in 2001 and, as it approaches its 16th anniversary, the group still is benefiting from what treasurer Pam Sheffler describes as pent-up demand.

The wellspring of interest in social dance, however, might be gender specific.

“A lot of times, it’s the wife twisting the husband’s arm,” Sheffler said.

Good news for guys: Although it’s hard to shake off the lingering, psychic terror that often takes root way back in the Jr. High School days, these dances are actually fun.

“We do some ice breakers and we use humor to loosen things up,” the treasurer said. “Once they come one time, people realize it’s not as scary as they thought it was going to be.”

The format for the monthly dance event also takes some of the angst out of the equation. Every session begins with a 1-hour lesson in a particular style, taught by professional dance instructors Glenn and Patty Braunstein of Spokane.

“We try to make it as friendly as possible for newcomers, so the lessons are always for beginners,” said Sheffler. “You don’t have to have any experience.”

To ensure that the newly learned steps stick, the group follows the lesson by playing several numbers in that dance style, “so they can practice what they just learned,” she added.

A core of about 25 members — some who have been dancing with the group from the start of the Sandpoint chapter — makes up a little less than half of the crowd each month. Another 30-40 people are either brand new to social dance or have been coming a short time. Spokane, which has no USA Dance chapter, sends several people this way each month and other attendees come from as far away as Montana and Canada.

No matter the point of origin, repetition is key to getting the hang of things, according to Sheffler, who said that, like anything worth mastering, social dance requires work.

“You just have to keep doing it,” she said. “You can’t just come a couple of times and expect to get it.”

The dances are open to couples and singles alike, though some of latter have turned into the former, thanks to the events.

“We’ve actually had couples who met at our dances and got married,” said Sheffler. “And they’re still coming to dance.”

Partners rotate during the hour-long lesson, she explained, but couples often cleave to one another once the dance gets underway.

“You can ‘dance with who brung you’ all night if you want to,” she said. “But it is a social dance.”

Sheffler chooses her words carefully in portraying the nature of the dances, purposefully avoiding the term “ballroom dance,” because it’s a description that some find intimidating.

“I try not to use it very often for that reason,” Sheffler said. “And we’re not exactly ballroom dancing — we also do a lot of ‘club’ dances, like West Coast Swing, Nightclub Two-Step and Country Two-Step.”

Shows such as “Dancing With the Stars” have simultaneously raised interest in social dance and created confusion surrounding it, the treasurer noted.

“It has established a certain expectation, especially in the way they dress,” she said. “People always call and say, ‘We want to come, but what do you wear?’

“The dancers are very ‘costumey’ on TV,” Sheffler continued, “but nobody dresses up that much at our dances.”

A surprisingly large influx of young dancers has brought new blood to the Sandpoint dance chapter. At present, they represent approximately 25 percent of monthly attendance.

“We have a pretty good contingency of teens,” Sheffler said. “We have an active teen outreach, because they’re our next generation of dancers.

“The guys from the cross-country team showed up one night and liked it so much that they told their friends,” she added.

Although still in the planning stages, Sheffler — who leads the events with her husband, Dwight — said USA Dance wants to find a way to take social dance into local schools, perhaps as part of the P.E. program.

The monthly schedule for these dances seems to be about right, the couple has found. Attempts to have them more often has resulted in lower attendance. Also a good fit is the venue. With its recent upgrades, Sandpoint Community Hall now carries its historical role as a haven for dance lovers forward to a new generation.

“We love the new floor,” Sheffler said. “And I like that they put in a new furnace and air-conditioning, which makes it a lot more comfortable to dance in months like June and September.”

USA Dance meets on the fourth Saturday of every month, except for August. The next event will be held on Sat., Feb. 25, from 7-10 p.m. at Sandpoint Community Hall. A Salsa dance lesson will be taught from 7-8 p.m., followed by general dancing and mixers, with refreshments and door prizes. Singles, couples and all levels of dancers are welcome. The cost is $6 for members, $9 non-members, and $5 for teens. USA Dance events are tobacco and alcohol free.

Information: 208-699-0421