Boogie in the Burgh~’05
April 7 – 10, 2005
by Minette Thompson, Steel City Boogie Club
Well it happened again! From April 7th through the 10th the Steel City Boogie Club put on one of the best parties ever. We had it all — a boogie’n band to rev things up Thursday night, the best DJs, the best music, the best dance celebrity instructors, the best cuisine, and the best guests anyone could want! Under the guidance of Event Chairman Jerry Kovach, our hard-working volunteers kept our special weekend humming right along without a sour note.
There is no doubt that the comfort and beauty of the Embassy Suites added to the overall positive mood of our guests once they got settled into their spacious digs for the weekend. Pittsburgh’s own Johnny Angel and the Halos kicked things off Thursday night by playing close to two hours worth of rocking R & B dance hits. They did a great job and kept the dance floor full through their entire performance. After the show…well, everything that happened during the rest of the weekend became sort of a blur of dancing, eating, laughing, visiting, dancing, dancing, dancing…
We were able to make numerous choices from the twelve (12) excellent dance workshops offered on Friday and Saturday mornings. So you like to East Coast Swing? You had the talented and personable Ramiro Gonzalez to show you the ropes as only he can. Perhaps the Imperial Swing gets you excited. You had the energetic and entertaining Matt Auclair and Crystal Lambert (and Matt’s brother and his wife on Saturday…) teaching you that fancy footwork. And if the Shag is your dance of choice, you might’ve felt like a kid in a candy store. Our Shag instructors’ reputations preceded them — and for good reason — Mike Anderson, Scott & Ginna Campbell, and the one and only Ellen Taylor showed their students how this intriguing dance was meant to be done. Is the West Coast Swing your dance? Well, Jeff and Lisa Lemier helped you brush up on good technique.
The DJs? You just don’t get music like that every day--there was something for everyone! While we missed our good friend, JoAnne Johnson, who became ill and couldn’t come, our other “Southern” DJs, Sue Kestner and Craig Jennings created their fair share of aching feet. Our own Bernie “Spiderrd Snyder and Bill Miller were responsible for the rest. Both Mike Anderson and Ron Fentz each played a while on Friday afternoon, and did a great job keeping the ballroom buzzing.
Along with nonstop dancing and music, there were heartfelt visits with old friends, incredible dance demonstrations by all of our talented instructors, a highly entertaining intra-club dance contest, truly fabulous buffet breakfasts and dinners, an hour or so with a delectable fountain of chocolate (what more could you want?!), and a soulful Gospel band as things wound down on Sunday morning.
Thanks to all of our guests who came and brought all of their good cheer. They created such a fun atmosphere for all 450 of us! Thanks and kudos to each and every volunteer whose gifts of valuable time, energy, and dedication helped to make our weekend the shining success it was.
As hosts, we will be remembered by our friendly, fun-loving, and good-spirited guests for our willingness to go out of our way to help, for the warm welcome we gave, and for extending the hand of friendship whenever we could. Of course having the finest talent in the field of swing music and dance under one roof doesn’t hurt our guests’ memories of their weekend in the Burgh, either!
But it’s already time to set our sights on BIB~06. So gear up for next year, and mark March 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th on your calendar today. If it’s true, as people have said, that each year is even better than the last, you won’t want to miss the 8th annual Boogie in the Burgh!