They have danced their last dance

Unfortunately some of my former dance students are no longer living. Sad but true. I’ll try to add them here for those of you to note, in case you also knew one or the other of them.

I can’t possibly note all that no longer live since I don’t know exactly who is no longer around. Plus I want to add pictures and that will take a long time.

Klaus-Jürgen Süß (29.04.1939-16.10.2009)

Klaus-Jürgen was a very enthusiastic dancer ain my Aschaffenburg group! He hated it when I had to cancel a dance night. He met his second wife, Helga, at my class.

 

I once sewed a Rumanian costume which he wore at nearly every class night! But he never wore it at our many parties!! I found that very odd.

Dance Group Urberach/Gravenbruch

One our very sadist loss was Elke, she taught us many dances she had learned at various seminars. Then in 2007 she was in Belgium for a workshop when she got hit by a car. Many of us attended her funeral.

From my Gravenbruch group, Mike was our only male dancer. He died around 2014 I think…it was during my rehabilitation time so I didn’t find out about until later.  This picture was taken at his birthday party in 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1979-1982, Babenhausen

After we moved to Babenhausen there was an add in the local newspaper from Turnverein. They were looking for new instrutors. I checked them out and decided to try starting a group there. It ended up being pretty successful. Like with the Rodgau group we did exhibitions, arranged seminars usually with a party for everyone.

 

Costumes

Here are samples of various costumes, some made by me, some professional. These are only a few of the costumes. From many I have no photos…..darn!

 

 

 

 

One of my original Rumanien outfits

A Professional Bulgarian group. 

Which we tried to copy. This is my group from Urberach.

 

A professional Russian group. 

A Croation costume of one of the ladies from the Balboa group.

 

Me in an original Rumanian costume and Vera, from my Aschaffenburg group, in a self designed practise outfit but with an original vest. 

 

 

 

 

 This was my self-made israely costume.

Again, self-made israely costumes, together with my then husband Michael

 

 

 

 

1975-1978 Rodgau

The group in Rodgau-Jügesheim was my first group. They were part of the Catholic Youth Group. We did lots of demonstrations and organised parties/seminars. This is a picture of that group…we had just done a demonatration. The guys colorful „Russian“ costumes I sewed myself.

I also with this group learned about the German „Fasching“/carnival. Sometimes we had „original“ costumes, some which I managed to buy and we were often in the press. As you can see in the following press-picture I used longplay records…we didn’t have cassets yet. That meant dragging my records plus the record player every time!!

And we marched in local parades. The following pictures are from one of those parades.

Here I’m wearing one of my oroginal costumes.

And this is of one of the many seminars I organised. We had dancers attending from all over Germany. And at the end of all the learning we would have a fun party with various dances being done, often on request. And sometimes the visiting groups performed.

These pictures are of one of those visiting groups performing. The gal here with the microphone, Conny, was the teacher of that group. I knew her already for many years, we danced together with the Frankfurt group „Slawia“.

A Square Dance group from Wiesbaden also visited us and performed. And I was able to join in! The orange dress I, of course, sewed myself. My partner here was actually from a group in Hanau. And he sold me a „professional“ record player with speakers and microphone

And my husband visited with our 2 kids!

Our/My first Fasching perfomance was a can-can.The dresses, of course, sewed myself and I kept them for many years for many years.

1978

Once a year we arranged a party at the local Grill place. It involved a lot of organising.

Here I’m dancing a Ukrainian dance at an exhibition with Klaus Wand, who I also knew from the group „Slawia“.

More of Balboa Park

Here are some pictures of the Park itself it’s worth it to visit even without dancing. The buildings were mostly built around 1915 for an Expo….and were not built to stay up long, but they did.

This was the original building where my first dance experiences took place. It got torn down but re-built with many of the original decorations.

And of course there was dancing all over the place.

The first Sunday of the month was „costume Sunday“ and some great costumes were worn….some original, some home made.

Here I’m with Andy Moffitt who I danced with often!

Here’s Steve with his then wife…..

Here  Steve Henderson….my main partner back then. We did many exhibitions together. Fun stuff!!

Today, 2021, I found out he has been diagnosed with Parkinson!! So sad…..

 

Balboa Park San Diego

When I was in High School and about 16 yrs. old, I started going every Sunday with my best girl friend, Terry, to Balboa Park where we learned and danced international folk dancing. It was a very fun time! I danced there for years and years and even visited there on all my trips home.

I met many guys and gals…..it was always interesting on my visits to see who was still dancing and who had passed on. It was always sad to find out that one of my favorite dance partners, like Andy Moffitt, no longer lived.

Performing with Rodney Henderson on the stage of the parks great organ!

Me wearing my self-made Russian costume. This was taken I believe in 1969.

Me dancing with Paul at one of the Sunday events.