The Roanoker January/February 2022 - 52

Dave and Donna Spangler
Salsa Under the Stars and other Latin dances.
Ornelas has been playing hard against COVID.
He says, " I've seen everyone learn and improve,
but there are so many levels it really depends
on goals and expectations. Some have a harder
time than others and others pick it up easily.
Some take classes with short-term learning
in mind for a wedding or for a trip to a
Latin American country or a family reunion
in Florida just so that they are comfortable,
confident and can show off.
" Some in all honesty won't enjoy dancing,
even though they have improved, have gotten
better and won some battles. But it is not their
Care to
Dance?
written by Dan Smith
Dance, that celebration of the human soul, is coming back into our lives and, boy, is it welcome!
T
he steps are tiny, measured, hesitant
and rhythmic. They are dance steps
and they have been all but missing in
the Roanoke Valley since 2019 because of ...
well, guess what. There have been a few movements
here and there, some small classes, a few
outside carefully orchestrated gatherings, but
rarely the wholesale celebrations dance can
bring.
Even the venerable Hotel Roanoke is
putting its toe back into the dance fountain,
considering a return to its elegant and popular
tea dances.
Dance studios are seeing classes grow carefully
and slowly, but with the same enthusiasm,
the same candy-store smiles.
" It is gradually opening back up, " says dance
instructor Dave Spangler, who teaches all types
and levels of dance with his wife, Donna. He
sees pockets of activity here and there, but
points to a plethora of dance venues that aren't
quite ready to swing and sway yet: Billy's Barn's
52 JAN/FEB 2022
Wednesday shag (closed); Kazim Temple (lots
of dances in the past); Cabin Fever series at the
Berglund Center (closed); USADance (stopped
by COVID-19). The American Legion is
creeping back into action. The Hotel Roanoke
is taking positive steps. Shaggers haven't and
won't quit.
There are more, but Spangler sees " a slow
re-awakening. It's starting again and there are
some good-sized crowds. "
Beth Garrett, an avid shagger, notes that
" beach music is being played at the Elephant
Walk every Tuesday evening. A complimentary
dance lesson is offered a couple of times a
month. " She adds, " I don't think lessons have
started back yet. According to Jerry English,
[shag] club president, they are looking to offer
lessons again in 2022. Line dancing has really
taken off due to COVID and a lot of women
not having a partner. "
Salsa dancing (Salsa 'Noke with Edgar
Ornelas) has been steady and has featured
thing and the work to continue to progress is
just not a priority. The ones that have decided
to make it a task to learn usually take about two
months of feeling accomplished. They may not
be the best dancer on the floor because that can
take a year or two but they can dance. Doing
a combination of classes and dance socials or
practices is the best way to learn. "
Bonny Branch of Bonny Branch Movements
(she's also a noted actor and yoga teacher) has
continued to teach west coast swing, among
other interests, and Mal and Linda Zerden,
part-timers at Smith Mountain Lake, still
show up occasionally and teach the country
two-step (they're world champs), beach and
shag. Other instruction comes from Lane
Mattox in Blacksburg, Sapphire Ballroom in
Christiansburg, the Roanoke Ballet Theatre
and Southwest Virginia Ballet for the more
classically-inclined (mostly kids).
Dance lessons are usually in the $10-$20
an hour range for individuals in groups and
private lessons go for about $50-$100 an hour.
Spangler suggests that " you bring another
couple or two who want to learn the same
dances and you get the group rate. " He says
that " within a lesson or two, you can catch on
quickly. "
As this story was being researched, the
Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center was
in the considering stage of whether to charge
ahead with its dancing programs. Says Michael
Quonce, who speaks for the hotel, " While we
have brought back the ballroom dancing in The
Regency Room on Friday and Saturday nights
(smaller, controlled atmosphere), the tea dances
haven't yet returned. They are much larger
in scope, buffet offering, change of rooms, etc.
" The tea dances were an awesome tradition
that we hosted quarterly over the past seven
years that were cancelled during the pandemic.
We anticipate their return and hope it to be
TheRoanoker.com
COURTESY OF DAVE AND DONNA SPANGLER

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The Roanoker January/February 2022

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