Congratulations to Greg Lingafelt!

While sharing playtime with my friend’s fun 6-year-old granddaughter, Scottie, the child within me emerged.  Scottie played the role of my teacher and gave me a coloring exercise.  “If you stay in the lines, I will award you with a happy sticker,” she said.  Parents, teachers, friends, and our social organizations have a profound influence on our moral character and how we look at life.  This reminds me of the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song, Teach Your Children Well.  They sing, “You, who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by, and so, become yourself because the past is just a goodbye.”

Greg Lingafelt, a dedicated Christian, shares with all ages the wisdom his parents taught him of life’s lessons.  “It is important to have a heart and soul that wants to serve,” he said.  And he is certainly of man of action as well as words.

Moral principles are important to Greg.  They are guidelines that we should live by to make sure we are doing the right thing.  One person’s morality can be different from someone else’s because it depends on how a person was raised and what is important to them in life.  Socialization and education play a key role in shaping our moral instincts. 

Greg is a role model for our future generations.  He is enthusiastic about dance, dependable, creative, selfless, has a positive attitude, and most of all, he has a code he learned, perfected, and lives by.

He spent his early years up to age 20 in Alaska.  A college education was hard to come by, so he got a job working for the oil rig.  In his mid-twenties, he lived in Washington State, working for an aluminum mill, and he eventually ended up in Florida. 

Studying University of Pittsburg books, he obtained his “Master Painter” certification through an apprenticeship offered by the local union.  Master Painter is a title given to the most skilled craftsmen in the painting and coating industry.  As a Master Painter, he encountered interesting challenges such as painting United States Navy battleships under night surveillance for the Painters Union in Portland, Oregon.  Today, he is an excellent handyperson who knows how to get the job done with a smile. 

In 2004, looking for socialization after a divorce, Greg went to a USA Dance Orlando Chapter #6002 dance party.  “I started out hugging the wall.  I was afraid to put my feet on the dance floor,” he said, laughing.  “I even had to buy a suit and tie so I could attend the New Year Gala dance party.” 

John Davis, President of the Orlando Chapter, became a great mentor for Greg, and soon involved him in more Chapter events, which host up to 150 members in an evening.  Taken from their website, Orlando’s magnificent events include:

• Monthly dance parties at the Baptist Church on the second Saturday of the month.
• Outreach ballroom dance exhibitions for the community at schools, malls, senior centers, festivals, and non-profit organization fundraisers.
• Youth financial aid programs including sponsorships of College, High School, and Youth ballroom dance programs.
• Co-sponsoring a Special Needs ballroom dance program with Altamonte Springs.
• Co-sponsoring Blind/Visually impaired ballroom dance programs with Lighthouse of Central Florida.
• Co-sponsoring Minority Disadvantaged Orlando Youth Ballroom dance programs with Get Active Orlando.
• Information on where to go ballroom dancing, dance studios, instructor group lessons, and special dance events.

Today, Greg is a long-standing member of USA Dance, who joined the Orlando Chapter’s Board of Directors as a Member-at-Large in 2018.  In this capacity, he doesn’t serve in a specific role but plays a vital role in representing the Chapter’s general membership.

“Greg truly has a servant’s heart for our dance community,” Co-President of the Orlando Chapter’s Board of Directors Deb Blechman said.  “He is always the first person on site, and he makes sure that we have everything we need.  Greg goes in full throttle to get it done.  Then he stays out and makes sure all the ladies get to dance.  He has a great heart.”

Greg is a social dancer and dances three nights a week at various venues and supports other nearby USA Dance chapters.  He also loves to participate in the Orlando Chapter’s showcases.  “I have enjoyed dancing at museums, art places, and retirement rest homes,” he said.  “Dancing keeps me in shape, and I meet great friends.  I love giving encouragement to people who are new at dancing.” 

A fond memory Greg has is when he and his dance partner, Billie Lambert, won first prize when performing during an MSC Italian Cruise Line “Dancing with the Stars at Sea” event.  They dazzled everyone with their Tango, Foxtrot, and Merengue.

Thank you, Greg!

Volunteers make it possible for USA Dance to exist.  “You, who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by, and so become yourself…”  Become A Volunteer!