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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Near the end of the evening at The Reef (the Main Event at the 2013 Reunion), Bill Mino
and Beverly Chance Rueckert
took to the dance floor and danced to some oldies. Linda asked them how they
kept up their dancing skills--
after all, a lot of us attended ballroom dancing classes at Call's and can't remember
how to do what they did.
Bill submitted some of their dancing history:
The above picture is taken from the Junior Hi Steppers picture,
1958-59.
Like so
many of our classmates, Bev and I joined the monthly dance classes at Call’s Fine Arts Studio.
I think it started
out in 5th grade with square dancing and then we began ballroom lessons in 6th grade.
By the time
we were in 7th grade, we were taking private lessons every week as well.
We continued this through high school,
going through their bronze, silver and gold levels.
 During our time
at Call’s, we met a couple who had been world champions in International Style dancing,
with expertise in the
waltz, fox trot, quickstep and tango.
We began taking lessons with them and eventually left Call’s to join their
group.
We formed a ballroom dance formation team of eight couples, becoming the Captain couple of this team,
which
appeared throughout Southern California, giving exhibitions at different venues such as Disneyland, Catalina Island and San
Diego. We became the first couple
to be awarded the Gold level of expertise from the International Society of Dance Masters
in both International Style
dancing and Latin Style dancing. In 1967, we became International Champions
when we won the Gold Medal at the International Society of Dance Masters
competition in Latin dancing and later, the
Gold medal at the Western Regionals of the Dance Masters of America Society
in International Style dancing. Finally, we appeared on TV on such programs as Let’s Dance, the Sunrise Show from San Diego
and the Wink Martindale Show.
We did all of this while we were in college. That meant practicing with the formation
team every Sunday afternoon,
choreographing new routines for our own exhibitions and practicing to get ready for them.
 We "retired" from dancing at the age of 22 and both
went on to graduate school – Bev in California and me in New Orleans.
We didn’t dance again until over 45
years later at our 50th reunion, and while we lacked some of the polish of years ago,
it was still a lot
of fun!
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How fun is this? Click here for a fun
video of Dancing with the Stars - when Rita Hayworth, Fred Astaire, et al meet up with the 1970's. Here's to Stayin'
Alive !!
Rita Hayworth - Stayin' Alive
. .
Dancing with the Stars--Way Back When! Jane Welch, Hal Gordon, Joanne Bauchet Keenan. Barry Wood,
and Linda Tucker Wride dug deep and found pictures from Call's Fine Arts Studio.
Kids from several elementary and junior
high schools came together
to learn to dance, bow, curtsy and, generally, play nice.... Have fun ID-ing
these Dudes and Dolls!
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Paulette Gehrke sent this picture,
and Judy Wilson Jones supplied the names for the REVELERS from 1957-58 .
Top Row: Adrienne
Hurley, Larry Moore, Kris Buck, Steve Singer, Carol Hansted, Wayne Pierce, Dee Dutro, Mike Owen, Diana Kirkner, Pat Ryan,
Valerie Boyer, Jerry Gibson, Kathleen Strong, Bruce Miller, Carol McClure, Mike Yancy, Carol Hartman, Jim
Bentley, Joann Commons,
Eric Hardesty, Frieda Chaffin, Mike Baker 2nd Row from Top: Fred Lewis, (Judy thinks that's Ed Osborn's
hair above Susie Pratt), Sally Deal, Bob Kalayjian, Nancy Christensen,
Lorinda Elms, Eddie Bragg, Candi Cox, Tim Armistead,
Leanne ____? Larry Lieberman, Susie Bailey, Dennis Imlay, Jeen Nelson,
Barry Wood, Lynn Denczi, Pam Crabtree, Paul Kartinen
3rd Row from Top: Paulette
Gehrke, Gail Vance, Greg Chester, Chris Matthews, Jim Robb, Lonnie Dooley, John Gentusa, Karen Kline, Molly Turner, Bob Chrisman,
Patti Streamer,
Bill Bixby, Bobbi Sager, Dave Farrell, Pam Townsend, John Dimpfel, Sue Watts, Sara Erskine, Donald Gould,
Kathy Sams, Karen Ash, Terry Girling, Andrea Hiller, Terry Thorpe, Jan Bond, Jim Sill, Carol Fujikawa, Richard Bjorge 4th Row from Top: Dan Alban, Kathy Mashburn, Roger Peters,
Judy Wilson, Pat McAnish, Diane Twitchell, Mike Carlson, Diane London, Marsha Harris, John Peters, Toni Ambrosia,
Lyle
Merithew, Camille Ratzlaff, Dale Adams, Buffy (now Liz) McDannel, Bill Boyd, Francie Granau, Dave Ellithorpe, Joyce Dixon, Craig Ernst, Londa Corey, Robby Williams, Nancy Johns Bottom Row: Bill Crawford? Cece Kimes, Mike Hixson, Susie
Davidson, Richard Ogilby, Carol York, Neil Bannister, Jane Whitten, Ken
Lundgren, Art Carriel, Sherri Beebe, Herb Solomon, Kathy Osborne, UNKNOWN, (Herb says "Paul? something")
Connie
Kaylor, Karen Mashburn, Buzz Wildman, Carolyn Heimburger, Joanne Knowles, Jon Baverstock, Dave Sweet, Tina Christiansen, Donald
Davis, Bill Tobin, Dan Girling
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