The Fredericksburg Dance Club is the last club of its kind in town. Membership is open to couples and singles who want to enjoy eight nights of old-fashioned, family-style, non-smoking dancing fun at one of the finest dance halls in Texas. Photo by Phil Houseal
Details:
The Fredericksburg Dance Club holds 8 dances a year at Turner Hall. Annual dues are $80 per couple, $40 for singles. To join, call 830-990-0408, email cdebus@ktc.com, or show up at any dance. You can attend individual dances by paying $8 per person at the door.
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Fredericksburg Dance Club:
Everybody danced
by Phil Houseal
Jan 24, 2007
It was not hard to imagine I had slipped back in time.
It was a cold night, but warm inside a Texas dance hall. Garlands of crayon-colored lights glowed from the rafters. Folks were lining up at a buffet table laden with a potluck of meats, crackers, cookies and cakes.
ALT:
Folks were laying out bowls of chips, tubs of dips, and arrays of cheeses and crackers.
A country band played old standards. No one was using a cell phone.
And everybody danced.
It wasn't years ago - it was this past December. I was playing at the regular dance of the Fredericksburg Dance Club, in historic Turner Hall.
No one there was certain how many dance clubs once existed, or when they formed. Several older members recalled their parents had been going to club dances for a long time even back in the 1940s. Irene Pyka remembered belonging to five active clubs at one time - the Stonewall Club, Jolly Club, Harper Club, Family Club, and the Swinging Dutchmen.
"We danced every Saturday night," recalled Pyka, who has been in the dance club since 1976. Her mother belonged before that. "We sit at the same table since we first joined," she said, noting she still had the receipt from her first year’s dues. "This is the best club in town - actually it’s the only club in town."
Pyka remembers watching the older couples come in, some using walkers and canes. But when the music started, everyone danced. "That was amazing. Of course, I was pretty young then."
As the other clubs quietly folded, inveterate dancers formed the Fredericksburg Dance Club in the 1990s. All lamented the passing of the other groups.
Each offered a different style. Some had dress codes; some were casual. Some featured country music; others did more ballroom. Earning membership in a dance club was often a prestigious step.
"All the clubs had good membership," Pyka remembered. "Some had a waiting list. You had to be invited to attend, then you had to be accepted by the members in order to join."
Clinton and Dorothy Ellebracht drove all the way from Blanco for this night of dancing. They belong to several clubs, and drive as far as Schulenburg and La Grange to dance.
"Years ago, everybody went dancing on Saturday night," Dorothy explained. "You can’t find anybody to dance anymore. See all these old folks? Younger people don’t like this music. We love to dance - we're crazy!"
The Fredericksburg Dance Club is open to more "crazy" people who love to dance. Board member Carolyn Debus reports there are currently around 40 couples in the club, and directors would love to double that.
"Anybody can come, all you have to do is pay your dues," said Stanley Ernst, who has been a director for three years. At $80 a year, it is about the cheapest club in town. They hold eight dances a year, featuring live bands such as Almost Patsy Cline, Bill Smallwood, and Southern Image. The first dance is February 3, with John Schuch on stage.
For a good family-oriented activity on a great dance floor, with no smoking, sign up.
You can bet everybody will be dancing.
XXX