Fun Dancing With John Wargowsky

I recently reviewed the dances I had the opportunity to lead in 2009. As I did this, it became obvious to me that every dance was part of a celebration or special occasion. It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of these events and one can only be grateful for sharing these special times with many people. Here is a review of these events.

Birthday parties – The first and last dances of the year were celebrations of birthday milestones. One was recognizing the 60th birthdays for a couple I have known for 25 years. Including this couple’s grandchildren, three generations have enjoyed square, round and line dancing with me. The other dance was to celebrate the 18th birthday of a fine, young lady.Her friends and a number of parents spent three wonderful hour dancing andenjoying each others’ company. It was rewarding to see high school age youth enthusiastically learning the dances.

Christian Home School Co-op Dance – This was held in May and was this group’s facsimile to a prom. I cooperated with a DJ who played Christian rock music. I traded back and forth throughout the night. We focused on line, round and folk dances. This was a new type of event for me and the entire evening was energetic.

Employee Party - An adult work program for the developmentally disabled in a southeast Ohio County annually has a party for its employees. They decided to try a dance program for this year’s party. From the moment I entered the workplace until the last employee left, it was obvious each one of the individuals were full of love for everyone in attendance. I gained a new appreciation for all who work with the developmentally disabled.

Dances at Camps/Retreats – Camp/retreat leaders often look for dance programs that help campers/participants get to know each other, learn how to cooperate and/or to learn something new. Dance can be an effective way to achieve all of these goals. Camp programs this year included a high school music theatre camp, a 4-H camp, a Farm Bureau camp and a Campus Crusade for Christ retreat.

Fairs – Youth are the basis of fairs. I led or helped lead dances at the Ohio State Fair and Trumbull, Hamilton and Henry County Fairs this year. No matter how tired participants are from their fair projects, they always find additionalenergy for these dances.

Special Gatherings – Groups of people who know each other value activities that they can experience together. This past year included a Sunday School class holdinga picnic at a park shelter; a business owner holding a hog roast for business associates, family and neighbors; and a couple who organized a fundraiser for a needy family by hosting a country-western hoedown that included a meal, raffle and dancing.

Farm Festivals – Numerous farms offer unique opportunities for people to experience farms. This year I led people at one of these festivals through square, round and line dancing at the end of the day.

Feel free to contact me if I can help you with a special occasion or celebration.You are welcome to join the Square, Round and Line Dancing in Ohio group on Facebook and learn about and share hoedown square dance, line and round dancing opportunities.