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Happy 15th Anniversary PVD
Once upon a time long, long
ago …….
No, this isn’t the
beginning of a fairy tale, but it is about the beginning of our dance club.
Since Platte Valley Dancers recently celebrated its 15th
anniversary, the Board thought that it might be appropriate to share a few
tidbits of trivia regarding the history of our club.
In January 1993, Mike and
Irene Rabbe, originally from Omaha, offered beginning country western dance
lessons at the Elks Club in Kearney. Those of us that attended had such a
good time that we signed up for the six-week intermediate session that
followed. By the conclusion of those lessons, many of the participants had
become good friends, practiced together whenever possible, and even attended
a dance workshop in Lincoln together.
After seeing our
enthusiasm, Mike and Irene suggested that we form a dance club. During the
next few months, a group of 8-12 people met at the Elks Club to write a
constitution and by-laws. The club was patterned after Country Kickers
dance club in Omaha.
Platte River Valley Country
Western Dance Association (PVD for short) was officially organized in June
1993. Several students from the Reflections Dance Studio were also
interested, and by the end of July we had a total of 32 members. Officers
and Board members were elected and committees were formed. A logo was
designed and members ordered t-shirts and jackets featuring the club colors
of teal and black. A calling committee was appointed to contact members and
let them know about upcoming activities, and the first newsletter was sent
out to all paid members beginning in July.
Our first officers were:
President – Phil Roberson; Vice President – Tom Farber; Secretary – Irene
Rabbe; and Treasurer – Ann Reno.
As with any organization,
we established goals.
- promote country western
dancing in the region
- get together socially
with other individuals who share the love of country western dancing
- to increase our
awareness and skills in dancing
- to have fun
The club had an open
membership policy with the endorsement of a member in good standing.
Non-members were only allowed to attend two PVD functions before becoming
members. Originally, monthly membership meetings were held the second
Wednesday of each month in the basement of the Platte Valley Bank. The
business part of the meeting was limited to approximately 30 minutes, and
the rest of the meeting was devoted to sharing new dances or improving the
current level of dancing skills. We also tried to schedule two social
events each month.
PVD became the main focus
of our social activities. Scheduled functions included dances at the Elks
Club, a barbeque and dance at “Pollat’s Party Grounds”, picnics in Meier’s
backyard, at Harmon Park and Johnson Lake, and a Christmas party at Little
Mexico. Our theme song was “On the Road Again” as we took road trips to
dance workshops and competitions, and went dancing in Grand Island, North
Platte, and Lexington. Our members gained exposure by doing demos at the
fairgrounds, at the Sr. Center, at Wel-Life retirement home, at Herberger’s,
and for various conventions that came to town. We also held a hoedown at the
YMCA for the purpose of raising money to purchase equipment for the YMCA.
There were numerous
opportunities to work on our dancing skills. The Elks Club was available on
weekends, the Phoenix Club had line dance lessons on Monday night, and
Einstein’s had country western nights on Thursday and Saturday. Back Lot
also had country dancing on Saturday nights, and was a favorite gathering
spot for our charter members.
By April 1994, our
membership had grown to over 50. Members got a reduced rate on admission to
dances, so it was necessary to start using membership cards for
identification when attending dances.
The country western craze
continued, and by 1996 our membership had reached 123 members.
Fifteen years have passed
since our inception. The popularity of country western music may have
diminished and we have fewer available sites for our dances, but our primary
goals remain the same -– to promote dancing, to get together socially with
those that share our love of dancing, to improve our dancing skills, and
most importantly to have fun.
Thanks for supporting PVD,
and we hope to see you on the dance floor.
Submitted by Judy Farber
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