| Monthly Newsletter |
Archives
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
Home || Newsletter || Waltz Gown Basics || Sewing A Waltz Ballgown ||Tuxedo Basics || A Brief History || Related Sites || Contact Us
© 2010, Salt Lake Vienna Waltz Association
Vol 4 No 8, August 2010
©2010 Salt Lake Vienna Waltz Association
Dance is a little insanity that does us all a lot of good.
Edward Demby
Our dance coach was on vacation last week, so we drove to Murray Arts Center the night of our weekly dance
session and danced with the “regulars” who seem to be there every time we go. As usual we were among the
youngest dancers there. I’d say the Murray crowd’s average age is somewhere in the ‘60s.
What separates the Murray dancers from the general population is their fitness level. Few are overweight, and
no one is obese, at least not the ones on the dance floor. I’ve mentioned before in this newsletter about how
toned some of the women’s legs are. The men could probably fit into the clothing they wore in their 20s and
30s.
And they may dance slowly, but they’re up there dancing to almost every tune played by the live band. I’d
challenge any typically overweight and sluggish young adult to keep up with “Grandpa and Grandma” on that
hardwood floor. Sure, the young couple might last a few dances, but the nightly Murray schedule is a three-
hour program. I remember one elderly couple ─ she wore white gloves the entire evening ─ in their late 70s, if
not in their 80s perhaps, who tended to shuffle across the floor, but they were dancing when we arrived, and
they were still dancing when we left a couple of hours later.
We mentioned Murray and the fitness of the dancers to a professional dancer we know. He’s big, built like a
football linebacker, yet dances so gracefully that watching him, one almost envisions a ballet. He told us about
his father and younger brother, how obese they are, and how he probably would be the same if not for his
almost daily ballroom dancing.
My genes are almost exclusively Northern European where my ancestors packed on the pounds in the
plentiful summers and starved in the icy winters to regulate their weight. Today, food is available in large
quantities year round, exercise tends to be punishment to many people’s psyches, and thus the pounds
multiply. I hate to exercise too; the well-equipped gym where I work my day job almost makes me groan. I
thank my bicycle and my dancing for keeping my weight in check, because I have fun dancing and riding my
bicycle.
Exercise has to be fun. When fun, it’s no longer exercise. Ask the Murray dancers. They’re not exercising;
they’re having fun.
San Francisco Waltzing Society has sent invitations to its 54th Annual Gala Autumn Waltz Ball. It will be
held Nov. 13, 2010 from 6 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. at The Presidio Officer’s Club, 50 Moraga Ave., San
Francisco. You do not need an invitation to attend.
This is the premier ball on the West Coast. Contact San Francisco Waltzing Society, P.O. Box 2461, Walnut
Creek, CA 94595 if you’re interested in attending. I’ll have additional information in next month’s newsletter.
©2010 Salt Lake Vienna Waltz Association
Dance is a little insanity that does us all a lot of good.
Edward Demby
Our dance coach was on vacation last week, so we drove to Murray Arts Center the night of our weekly dance
session and danced with the “regulars” who seem to be there every time we go. As usual we were among the
youngest dancers there. I’d say the Murray crowd’s average age is somewhere in the ‘60s.
What separates the Murray dancers from the general population is their fitness level. Few are overweight, and
no one is obese, at least not the ones on the dance floor. I’ve mentioned before in this newsletter about how
toned some of the women’s legs are. The men could probably fit into the clothing they wore in their 20s and
30s.
And they may dance slowly, but they’re up there dancing to almost every tune played by the live band. I’d
challenge any typically overweight and sluggish young adult to keep up with “Grandpa and Grandma” on that
hardwood floor. Sure, the young couple might last a few dances, but the nightly Murray schedule is a three-
hour program. I remember one elderly couple ─ she wore white gloves the entire evening ─ in their late 70s, if
not in their 80s perhaps, who tended to shuffle across the floor, but they were dancing when we arrived, and
they were still dancing when we left a couple of hours later.
We mentioned Murray and the fitness of the dancers to a professional dancer we know. He’s big, built like a
football linebacker, yet dances so gracefully that watching him, one almost envisions a ballet. He told us about
his father and younger brother, how obese they are, and how he probably would be the same if not for his
almost daily ballroom dancing.
My genes are almost exclusively Northern European where my ancestors packed on the pounds in the
plentiful summers and starved in the icy winters to regulate their weight. Today, food is available in large
quantities year round, exercise tends to be punishment to many people’s psyches, and thus the pounds
multiply. I hate to exercise too; the well-equipped gym where I work my day job almost makes me groan. I
thank my bicycle and my dancing for keeping my weight in check, because I have fun dancing and riding my
bicycle.
Exercise has to be fun. When fun, it’s no longer exercise. Ask the Murray dancers. They’re not exercising;
they’re having fun.
San Francisco Waltzing Society has sent invitations to its 54th Annual Gala Autumn Waltz Ball. It will be
held Nov. 13, 2010 from 6 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. at The Presidio Officer’s Club, 50 Moraga Ave., San
Francisco. You do not need an invitation to attend.
This is the premier ball on the West Coast. Contact San Francisco Waltzing Society, P.O. Box 2461, Walnut
Creek, CA 94595 if you’re interested in attending. I’ll have additional information in next month’s newsletter.
Subscribe to the Salt Lake Vienna Waltz Association's free monthly newsletter