As I’m writing this, it is a beautiful spring day. We’re mostly through our dance season and our 61st Dance-O-Rama is in the books. The Dance-O-Rama committee put in a lot of effort over the past year and certainly during the dance, and I think the results show it. Those of you who took the time to fill out a survey seemed to agree.

Our activity continues only with more new dancers and callers and cuers coming into it. We had several new callers try out their talents at Village Square’s Amateur night. I think everyone had a great time, and we need to continue to urge these individuals and others to keep going. As with everything, it takes practice.

We had more new dancer graduates this year than the previous couple of years, but the biggest challenge as always is to keep the folks we have dancing.

Once again this year we have several regional and national callers coming to the area to call dances (Preston, Bower, Shoemake, Gotta, Sikorsky). On top of these, the RAF Promotions Committee is looking to put together another couple of free dances in order to get everyone out sometime during the summer. I hope to see everyone, but particularly our new graduates out this summer having fun and keeping up the dance moves.

Our next dance season begins in September with many clubs holding open houses, and don’t forget our “welcome back” Federation Fall Ball. Find those friends and family with the dance moves and get them out on the dance floor. Get all your fellow club members and new graduates out to the Ball and get to know your fellow dancers from the other clubs.

I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize several folks. First is to thank Stu Jones for his service to the RAF board for the past year two years. I want to welcome new board members Kris and Amy Aeckerle as well as Rick and Donna LaDonna. The board looks to be as strong as ever and I look forward to another great year of dancing. I appreciate those that nominated and voted for Lurine and me for the Daphne Norma award, as well as all those that have expressed congratulations and appreciation. There are a lot of people in this activity that have been working a lot longer and harder than we have. Please take time to recognize them and potentially nominate them for one of of our awards next year.

See you on the dance floor!

Jim Gotta