Social Dance Group

Are you new to town and like to dance? The social dance group may be just what you are looking for.

The group meets on a Monday night at the Uniting Church Hall in Roe Street, Bridgetown, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm for dance practice. The cost is $2.50 per person and includes tea or coffee.

“The ‘Social Dancing Group’ is holding dances at the Yornup Hall on the 3rd Saturday of every 2nd month, six dances a year, with the next dance being on the 18th June.

The dance group also holds two ‘Dinner Dances’, this is when a sit-down dinner is part of the evening, with the next dinner dance being held on the 20th May.

A formal Ball is also held in Manjimup where the evening attracts dancing couples from Bunbury, Busselton, Pemberton as well as the local area to participate. Last year’s ball attracted around one hundred and seventeen people.

Tony Magenta is the President of the social dance group enthusiastically talks about the year ahead, “We welcome all to our group, couples as well as singles and all those who love to dance.

“Some dance experience is preferable, but if you haven’t danced for a while our practice nights on the Monday evenings will freshen up your skills.

“On Monday evening we have an instructor explaining and demonstrating the dance steps which you can follow.

“When I first joined the social dance group I hadn’t danced for years, thankfully I was coupled with some very patient dance partners, well like they say ‘and the rest is history’.

“Once I mastered the ‘lock step’, the ‘chasse step’ and the basic ‘element steps’ you can just about dance any dance that’s around.

“Dancing of course is very good for your physical health and well as your mental health.

“The dances are held in a friendly atmosphere with a good mix of people from different backgrounds, allowing for good social interactions.

“The monies we raise from our formal ball night goes to the Royal Flying Doctors fund, Wheatbelt Men’s Health, Beyond Blue mental health support, Crawford House which provides accommodation for cancer patients’ families in Perth and the Perth Children Hospital.

“Some of the other jobs I have mastered: I am also the DJ, playing the music and I’m also MC on the dance night, but I don’t let these jobs interfere with my dancing, after all it’s the dancing I look forward to the most.”

Tony also boasts he is the youngest person in the group, at 65. Ball room dancing is starting to attract a much younger cohort with the groups in Bunbury and Busselton starting to see the younger ones turning up, it is hoped, that a similar change will happen in Bridgetown as well.