Community members were put to the test on Tuesday, May 4: did their dancing skills hold through the pandemic. For attendees, the dances were a joy to return to, and “We haven’t forgotten how,” as one dancer commented.
The dancing floor was filled with smiles and fun, along with companionship and exercise, which organizer Janice Fisher says are important for seniors.
The dance at the Wadena VFW is the first since March 2020 for seniors. Dancer Judy Wallace said one year was a long time to break. Many in the room couldn’t help but agree as their dancing feet could move alongside friends again.
Each dancing couple shows off their own twist, and there are plenty of changing combinations as renewed friends and longtime partners try out waltzing, the two-step and the polka. There are two dances of the designated style and then a break before the next style. And the only thing that seems to keep couples from certain dances are past surgeries.
“We’re hungry for dancing,” a dancer from Fergus Falls shared about the break. She attended the dance as her first Wadena one, though she has been dancing all her life.
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The friends travel from throughout the region, and they enjoyed a successful dance in Frazee recently before the return to Wadena. The group is hoping for a dance in Park Rapids next.
The dances are on the first Tuesday of every month for $6 at the Wadena VFW from 1-4 p.m. For more information, call Fisher at 218-639-0132.
