Keweenaw Social Dance seeks dancers, musicians for community dance events

LAKE LINDEN -- Keweenaw Social Dance, a community group, is looking for people who know how to dance cultural dances, hip hop, and more. They are also seeking bands who play anything in the dance genre. Right now they are especially interested in Finnish dancing, in preparation for Hancock's Heikinpäivä Mid-Winter Festival in January.

Recently the group held two dances, preceded by dance lessons, at the Little Gem Theater in Lake Linden. The Backroom Boys provided the music for those events, so the dance lessons included Blues, Swing, and Slow Dance.

The Backroom Boys play dance music for the Dec. 23, 2011, Keweenaw Social Dance event at the Little Gem Theater in Lake Linden. (Photo courtesy Chuck Hill. Reprinted with permission.)

Dance instructor Chuck Hill, who started the Social Dance Club at Michigan Tech, is now working on this community based program -- Keweenaw Social Dance.

"It's going to have a lot of the original's dances, but I look to add on to that curriculum," Hill says. "I'm currently teaching East Coast Swing, Slow Dance, Blues, Argentinean Tango, Waltz, Cha Cha, Merengue, and bits and pieces of other dances."

Hill is also working on restoring the Little Gem Theater for events. That means new upholstery, wood floor, paint, sound equipment, lighting, etc., he explains.

"The way it works is seat sponsorship," Hill says. "$75 a seat and your name stays on it forever and you can be part of the effort. I also just got ballet barres and mirrors that I will be installing upstairs for the new program of ballet, jazz, and tap. Little by little."

If you are interested in helping teach Finnish dance or in playing Finnish music in preparation for Heikinpäivä or in helping Chuck Hill plan dance events with local talent, be sure to email him at keweenawsd@gmail.com or call him at 906.370.9532.

Click here for the Heikinpäivä schedule.