September was a busy month for two Florida chapters – Cape Coral and Southwest Florida Chapter (Ft. Myers)
We start our National Ballroom Dance Week activities six weeks ahead by getting Proclamations for our chapter and special dance program. USA Dance is recognized in many newspaper articles for several dance classes and special events in our area. Our two very busy chapters share much publicity.
This year was TOTALLY different! Ft. Myers and Cape Coral are divided by ‘the bridge’. Cape Coral became a chapter (six years go) after being a Ft. Myers satellite chapter for several years.
Publications were made by Carol Davis, President of the Cape Coral Chapter, for their Six-year Chapter Celebration and dance, as well as the 11-year Special Populations program. She was approached by Amy Maneval Wymer, President of Ft. Myers, to make some changes to our chapters.
COVID-19 hit hard in our area with many of our members being seniors, and both of our chapters suffered with a much smaller membership. With difficulty in getting dance venues, the Ft. Myers chapter was booking their events at our Cape Coral sponsoring studio, Rhythm in Motion Dance Studio.
Amy suggested a ‘merge’ of our two chapters. We would continue each of our chapters’ activities, add new members, and share many dance events. A vote taken by both chapters unanimously agreed. Today, we are all together again with our new name — Cape Coral/Ft. Myers USA Dance Chapter.
Plans began for our National Ballroom Dance Week under the new chapter name. First, we introduced our new chapter and board to our members at our next dance.
Cape Coral Mayor’s office became very busy, with not one but two Proclamations:
Sept 16: Saturday our NEW chapter executive board was hand-delivered our first Proclamation by city official, Tom Hayden. It was his first time with USA Dance, and he was quite impressed with our dancing members. He asked to stay and watch for a bit. Of course, we urged him to dance. “No way…next time!” he promised.
Sept 20: Full house for the Special Populations tribute to National Ballroom Dance Week with their 11th-anniversary dance program. “Special Pops” regularly perform for friends and family at most holiday events and on our anniversary. The afternoon’s highlight was receiving this year’s proclamation to Special Populations. The dance teams have danced for five Cape Coral Mayors who presented our group with Proclamations for: USA Dance/Special Populations Dance Day
Being quite delighted with all the fun celebrations, we were in for a surprise! It’s been known that Carol ‘never leaves a rock unturned’. With all of the excitement, she made one more request to share our Special Populations achievements.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s staff members informed me (Carol) that they were sorry they could not attend our celebration. OH MY! Enclosed were again – surprise — two letters of congratulations. One congratulations to our ‘Pops’ dancers and one to the volunteers who assist the program.
Wow!! Make my day.
We thank American Dancer’s editor and staff for this opportunity to share South West, Florida’s very humble and successful story.
Did you miss National Ballroom Dance Week? What can your chapter do next year?
If you have not already started planning, you will want to add this to your next board meeting agenda.
Most of the USA Dance chapters host special dances, beginner lesson programs and public demonstrations during National Ballroom Dance Week™.
Some chapters have successfully worked with local studios and instructors to schedule lessons and social dances every day of the week doing a marvelous job of bringing their ballroom community together to reach out and encourage more people to give ballroom a whirl.
Get your chapter members involved. It is a wonderful way to share the fun of ballroom dance with current and potential dancers in your community.
There are many ways to bring ballroom dancing to the public during National Ballroom Dance Week. Ingenious organizers have conducted ballroom dance events in shopping malls, hotel lobbies, grocery stores, libraries, government facilities, recreation halls, churches, dance studios, college & high-school facilities, parking lots, state and local fairs, corporate facilities, town squares, senior homes, community buildings, hospitals – in short, every place the public is. Try a ballroom flash mob!
Make contact with the Mayor and/or Governor for proclamations recognizing National Ballroom Dance Week. Invite them to attend some of the scheduled events. Set up an information table or booth, when appropriate, to share information about USA Dance and the local dance community. Educate people about the mission of USA Dance and let them know how they can become members and join the fun. Provide the events calendar and information about the purpose of National Ballroom Dance Week to local media and invite them to attend and report on the events. Submit a chapter press release and photos to the media for follow-up coverage.
Write a story about your USA Dance Chapter’s participation and send it in, with photos, to American Dancer at americandancer@usadance.org.
Join the excitement – share the fun!
