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Gnat Boxers “Dancing Under the Stars” Prom Night

Saturday, May 19th the theme for the Gnat Boxers Dance is “Dancing Under The stars” This is our PROM NIGHT. Now you can come dressed to go to the Prom, in Sq dance clothes or casual. We had such a good time last year we thought we would do it again.

We will be meeting at Ryan’s Restaurant at 6:00 to dine together as a group (just like the teens). Mention you’re with the Gnat Boxers and you will get a discount. Ryan’s is located at 3743 Burbank Rd. Wooster, OH 44691.

The dancing will be 8-10:30 at the Wooster YMCA. The Caller for the evening is Dick Mackey and cuer Kristi Lake. These two will keep the rhythm in the music for the evenings enjoyment. The YMCA is located at 680 Woodland Ave. Wooster, Ohio 44691.

We look forward to seeing you on the dance floor this Saturday night. A evening of food, fellowship and dancing.

Any questions call Dick or Nancy Mackey at 330-264-2725.

2012 52nd Ohio Dance Convention Weekend

The Akron Area Square and Round Dance Federation is proud to welcome the square and round dancing community to the 52nd annual Ohio State Dance Convention. The convention will be held this weekend May 4-6, 2012 at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron, Ohio. The convention will feature Square Dancing halls from Mainstream to Advanced level dancing. It will also feature halls for Round Dancing, Contra, and Line Dancing. Our best callers and cuers from Ohio and around the country will be on-hand to provide an excellent weekend of dancing for all ages and experience levels.

Prior to the convention on Thursday May 3rd from 7-10 (7-7:30 Advanced), there will be a Trail-In Dance at Norton Middle School featuring 3 Guys and A Gal (Mike Sumpter, Tom Rudebock, Larry Cole and Phyllis Burdette. This is a seperate dance and admission is 6$/person.

Also prior to the convention is a Phase IV Round Dance Clinic. Again this event is seperate from the convention and registration is 35$/couple.

More Info on both these events can be found at the convention website here.

You can find a full schedule (even a pdf of the program booklet) at the convention website. Please visit the website for additional info.

Hope to see everyone there and wish everyone a great weekend of dancing!

Friendly Squares Dancers Featured on TV

Back in January our very own Friendly Squares was featured on Channel 33 in Youngstown. Here is the video shown on the news.

Upcoming Schedule for the Week of February 12, 2012

As you can see below, there are quite a few dances this week. Buy your sweetheart some chocolate and take her out to one of them.

Also of note, the Federation will have its monthly meeting as usual Thursday. Also, the Convention Committee will be participating in a walkthrough of the John S. Knight Center in preparation to the upcoming 2012 Convention here in Akron. FYI, we still have plenty of room for volunteers to help out with the convention. Contact your us or your club federation rep for more info.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

2-5pm – Federation Student Dance @ Red Lantern Barn in Brewster, Ohio

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

7:30p – Friendly Squares Valentines Student/Plus Level Dance
7:30p – Funshop Dance @ Greentown

Thursday, February 16, 2012

7pm – Federation Meeting – All are welcome to attend

Friday, February 17, 2012

7:30p – Western Whirlers
8:00p – Brecksville Squares
8:00p – Minerva Burliques

Saturday, February 18, 2012

10am – Convention Committee Walkthrough @ John S Knight Center
8p – Circulators Student Plus Level Dance
8p – Crosstrailers Chili Nite Dance
8p – Gnat Boxers Dance

In Memorium: Peggy Fox

I was contacted yesterday by Al Kainec, President of the Circulators. He asked me to let everyone know that long-time Circulator member Peggy Fox passed away a couple of days ago. He said services will be held Saturday. I am expecting an email from him with additional details which I will post at that time.

If you have any questions please contact Al Kainec at 330-673-0073.

Dance the Halls and Be Jolly

If it’s been awhile since you have hit the floors, this weekend would be a great time to get back into the swing. There are 4 dances tonight, December 2, and 3 tomorrow night, December 3. So if you are looking for something to do, come join your fellow dancers and celebrate the season.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Medina Squares is hosting their Christmas Potluck at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Medina. The caller is Bill Meese with rounds by Amy Riehl. Dinner starts at 6:30pm and the dance floor will open at 8:00pm.
Western Whirlers is having their “Cookies” Dance. It features Dick Mackey calling and Phyllis Burdette on rounds. This dance is being held at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Stow, Ohio.
Minerva Burliques is featuring Mike Sumpter and Kristy Lake. The address for this dance is 22242 SR 30 in Minerva, Ohio 44657. Come on out and support Mike and Kristy.
Norton Grand Squares is hosting their 1^st Student Dance of the year. Angels, please come out and show the new students how to have some fun. The site for this dance is Norton Middle School and Cleveland Massillon Rd. in Norton, Ohio.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Swing-A-Lings in Canton are swingin’ once again this Saturday to the tunes of K. Ripetto and Bruce Haislip at the Church of the Lakes on Fulton Rd.
Crosstrailers are having their “Naughty or Nice” Dance in Warren. Calling for this event is Al Pezzuto. Amy Riehl will cue the rounds.
Gnat Boxers will feature Dick Mackey and Phyllis Burdette this Saturday in Wooster. Gnat Boxers dances in the Wooster YMCA at 680 Woodland Ave. in Wooster.

Also, we invite all of the dancers in the federation to the Akron Area Square and Round Dance Federation Christmas Party. It will be held this coming Thursday, December 8 at the Greentown Community Park Building. Festivities will begin at 6:00pm with dinner being served at 6:30. Please bring a sidedish and placesettings, the Federation will provide the meat. Also we will be having a gift exchange, so please bring a $5 or more gift to share with a secret recipient. We hope to see you all there.

Until next time, have a safe and happy holiday season.

Happy Halloween 2011!

Halloween Season is here again so break out your costumes and apple cider! With Halloween Season upon us there are a plethora of Halloween/Costume Dances Scheduled within the Federation. Here is a quick list:

Friday, October 21 – Western Whirlers “Pumpkin Night”
Saturday, October 22 – Cloverleaf Squares “Costume Night”
Saturday, October 22 – Norton Grand Squares “Pie/Costume Night”
Saturday, October 29 – Circulators “Halloween Dance”

There are many other dances as well the next two weeks, so there are no excuses not to get out on the floor and square it up!

One other note, The Norton Grand Squares have informed me that anyone showing up to their dance this weekend in a costume will be eligible for a prize!!! Hope to see everyone there!

Upcoming Dances (9-29-2011 to 10-2-2011)

This weekend looks to be a busy weekend for our Federations clubs with 5 dances scheduled. Hope everyone has a chance to get out and dance at one of these events.

Friday, September 29

Brecksville Squares will feature Howard and Donna Williamson calling and cuing. This dance will be held at 9543 Broadview Rd., Broadview Heights, Ohio.

Saturday, October 1

Brecksville Adanced will feature Howard Williamson calling. This dance will be held at Blossom Hill Bldg 7 from 2-4:30pm. Cost is $5.
Crosstrailers will have their “Hobo Nite” dance which will feature Ed Laudenschlager and Karen Haiflich. This dance will be held at 309 N. Park Ave. in Warren, Ohio. Dance is from 8-10:30.
Gnat Boxers will feature Bill Meese and Phyllis Burdette in their first dance of October. They dance at the Wooster YMCA at 680 Woodland Ave. Wooster, Ohio. Their usual dance time is from 8-10:30.
Swing-a-lings have Pabst and Haislip at their dance this weekend. This dance is located at 5944 Fulton Rd. Canton OH and will be from 8-11.

Sunday, October 2

Red Lantern Flames will host the annual 3 Guys and A Gal dance from 2-5 at the Red Lantern Barn. This dance features THE 3 GUYS AND A GAL, Tom Rudebock, Larry Cole, Mike Sumpter and Phyllis Burdette.

Hope to see you on the floor!!

Beginners Dances Scheduled for Summer

Come One Come All!

Well Summer is finally here! The Akron Federation is proud to announce two special dances in the upcoming months that are designed for beginner dancers. Bring your friends and family and show them how much fun square dancing is!

The first of these dances is scheduled for July 29, 2011 at 7:00pm. This dance will be held at the Summit County Fair at the Summit County Fairgrounds. Anyone wearing a club badge will be admitted into the fairgrounds at no charge for the dance. Once your in head to the main tent for the dance.

The second dance is scheduled for August 6th, 2011 from 2-5pm. This dance is going to be held at the Kent VFW Hall at 500 VFW Parkway, Kent, Ohio 44240. The caller for this dance will be Rodney Spencer with Amy Riehl calling Lines. The fees for this dance will be $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for those under 18. Bring your finger foods to share for this one. There will be a 50/50, door prizes and refreshments.

Those are just a couple of the dances being held this summer, check the dance schedule for a complete listing. There are several dances/demos at the various fairs. Some clubs are participating in parades, and many clubs are having picnics or outdoor dances. We hope to see everyone out enjoying their summer on the dance floor. And as we near fall keep in mind lessons will begin in a few short months, get your friends and families to one of these great beginner dances.

2011 Dayton Convention Report

The 2011 Ohio Dance Convention was held in Dayton,Ohio this year. It was an excellent event. Friday, the stores opened and dancing began.

Saturday was a great day as well. We danced the day away and then it was time for the big show. The Akron Federation who is hosting the 2012 convention put on a skit to promote next years convention. The cast was spectacular and did a splendid job. The federation would like to thank all those who worked to put this show on, Pat Farson, Roz, Mike Sumpter, Jean, Alan, Dave Miller and of course our star Mika Matheney.

Following the skit we danced to the trio of Mike Sumpter, Jack Pladdys and Tom Rudebock. One of the highlights of the convention was our own Mike Sumpter singing to Elvis on Saturday night. All in all a good time was had by all. Thanks Dayton for some fond memories. Hope to see everyone that attended in AKron in 2012. FYI, if you haven’t registered head on over to the 2012 Convention website and get registered.