By Mark Dreger

You害羞草研究所檙e never too old to dance.

West Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 Westsyde Squares celebrated their 60th anniversary as a club Saturday with a party for current and former members at the Westbank Seniors Activity Centre.

害羞草研究所淪quare dancing is awesome entertainment,害羞草研究所� said Lynda Bjalek, Westsyde Squares president and 30-year member. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 good for the brain, it害羞草研究所檚 good for your physical fitness, it害羞草研究所檚 good for everything. When the music turns on you can be in a real sour mood or had a real bad day, you come to the dance and I guarantee within five minutes you害羞草研究所檙e a totally changed person.害羞草研究所�

Initiated in 1957, the Lakeview Recreation Commission were planning how to celebrate the British Columbia centennial the following year until someone suggested square dancing as part of the Old West heritage.

害羞草研究所淎nd basically the dancers decided, 害羞草研究所榯his has been so much fun, that害羞草研究所檚 not going to be it,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Brian Elmer, who害羞草研究所檚 been a part of Westsyde Squares for 46 years. 害羞草研究所淲e want to establish a regular dance club and continue to enjoy this activity beyond the centenary year.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

It was Ray Fredrickson from Summerland that met with the group at the Lakeview Elementary School cafeteria and that began the Westsyde Square Dance Club. They害羞草研究所檝e been dancing from fall to spring ever since.

害羞草研究所淚 think the fact that we害羞草研究所檝e been going for 60 years is testament to the longevity of the recreation as a social recreation,害羞草研究所� Elmer said. 害羞草研究所淧eople can gather together, learn this dance form, meet at least weekly, and apart from the time spent on the dance floor there is a lot of time on the sidelines socializing. And over the years害羞草研究所攊n fact pretty well right away害羞草研究所攜ou begin to solidify friendships with people who were strangers not too long ago, and that lasts a lifetime for many of us.害羞草研究所�

Over the years, the club jumped from location to location, moving to the old Westbank Community Hall until the Mount Boucherie Community Center was built; and then once the City of West Kelowna moved into the Community Center, they moved to the Westbank United Church for their Wednesday night dances.

害羞草研究所淲hen I joined the club in 1971, we danced in what is now the Westbank Lions Community Hall,害羞草研究所� Elmer said. 害羞草研究所淭he hall was in its original state back then and the floorboards had collected dust and wax particles over the years and when we danced there in the early 害羞草研究所�70s害羞草研究所攁s a man often wearing dark pants害羞草研究所擨害羞草研究所檇 come off the dance floor after a couple hours with a white coating up to about my knees because we moved on the floor and worked that dust out of the cracks and it had come up onto our clothing.害羞草研究所�

With most of the members in their senior years, Westsyde Squares hopes to attract younger members. Their dance caller害羞草研究所擠ustin McGifford害羞草研究所攊s currently only 26-years-old, showing that all ages are welcome to join.

害羞草研究所淩ight now we害羞草研究所檙e hoping that it will be younger,害羞草研究所� Bjalek said. 害羞草研究所淲e range right now from 50 to害羞草研究所攚ell we got people right up into 90. It害羞草研究所檚 very good for everybody.害羞草研究所�

With 60 years spent in the community, it has become a second home for its members.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 my family,害羞草研究所� Bjalek said. 害羞草研究所淚f I have a conflict of something, two or three different things going on, if there害羞草研究所檚 a square dance I害羞草研究所檓 here. It害羞草研究所檚 my priority.害羞草研究所�

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