Report 2017

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Another wonderful ‘Dancin’ For Miracles’ is now under our belts!! As usual Valarie Keller and her dedicated team of volunteers did an amazing job. There is so much work involved in organizing, collecting gifts and running this fund-raising event …. it takes almost the whole year to prepare.

Great teachin’ and dancin’ as always. I heard lots of remarks on what a good mix of dances were taught with something for everyone. Dan did a terrific job DJing Friday evening and also during the day on the Saturday. It is always a lift for instructors teaching to have a smiling, encouraging face behind the controls, plus someone to bounce a joke off of!! Lynn Warden took over the controls Saturday evening with everyone delighted to see her.

Friday evening is meet, greet, dance and embarrass the instructors’ night!!! I have seen a video going the rounds so keep an eye open for it!!! Valarie also acknowledges the dancers no longer with us, very sad losses, but a reminder of why this fund-raising is so important.

Aside from dancing there are lots of opportunities to win amazing prizes. There are two raffles, plus the ‘Penny Sale’, the Silent Auction, and tickets for the opportunity to win a prize worth $1200. Amazingly I was the lucky winner! This means my husband (if he’s very good!) and I will have a two night stay at the Niagara Hilton together with wine tasting in Niagara On The Lake, a helicopter ride, comp passes to the Butterfly Conservatory and numerous other attractions. I still can’t really believe it, I am not normally a winner!!! The other two prizes were a patio set, and a $125 gift voucher for Walmart. Every table had prize winners at it.

Plenty of entertainment as well …… it was worth the price of admission to see Valarie and Double Trouble in their bloomers with bonnets to match! And, of course, the Country Cruisers who always delight. The hall was a speakeasy on the Saturday night and the Cruisers sure did it justice!! Lots of fantastic costumes on the dancers as well. The decoration was terrific also. Valarie spends hours checking websites to find just the right decoration for the annual theme and she hit it spot on this year.

This event is a very special one for Ontario dancers and I want to thank Valarie, Rose, their family and all the volunteers who put so much time and effort into it, it is a labour of love. All your efforts are truly appreciated by the dancers. Thanks also to the dancers who attend because as Valarie told them, the event couldn’t go on without them either.

Valarie announced the date for next year: September 7-9, theme “The Toy Box”. So start checking out those second hand stores!!!

These were the instructors at the event in the order they taught with the dances taught. Do let me know if I’ve missed a dance or given the wrong title.

DAN MORRISON: Together Again written by Dan in tribute to Calllie Vardy

SUSAN MacFARLANE: Nasdravia by Laura & Becky Michaels/Stand Up and Boogie by Danny & Bongy

KATE HENRY: Hooked written by Kate

VIVIENNE SCOTT: Love Will Win/Ride The Roller Coaster both written by me

JUDY MARTIN: Lonely Drum by Darren Mitchell (hugely popular)/Come Home To Me written by Judy

MICHEL CABANA: I’ll Be Back written by Michel. This was Barbara Lumbers’ favourite dance.

JILL BAKER: Stillbaai Charleston by Alison Dixon

LAVINA MOTAMEDI: Hotel California (Salsa) written by Lavina/Get My Move On by Jonno Liberman

CATHY MONTGOMERY: That Love by Will Craig

KATHY K.: Tiny Feelings by Sue Hsu

Morning Dance: A Thing About Loving You by Pat Stott & Heather Barton

Thanks to Jennie Johns for her ‘Good Morning Warm Up/Zumba

Message from Valarie Keller

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Valarie Keller

There are not enough words or ways to say THANK YOU to all of the volunteers that helped out to make DANCIN FOR MIRACLES another successful workshop. We should now call it DANCIN FOR MIRACLES ANNUAL FAMILY REUNION FUN RAISER. There are so many people to thank, Instructors- Jill Baker, Michel Cabana, Kate Henry, Kathy Kaczmarek, Susan Ann MacFarlane, Judy Martin, Cathy Montgomery, Dan Morrison, Lavina Motamedi, Vivienne Scott. Dance Team- Country Cruisers, Volunteer- Ella Turcotte, Bev Cain, Tom Cain, Carol Keller, Bev Robbins, Charlene Flanagan-White, Kelly Hines, Gloria Pividor-Kirchner, Hank Kirchner, Eileen Muracca, Dan Ledlie, Ruurd Van de Ven, Leanne Keller, Matthew Keller, Michel Cabana, Ron Comtois, Susan MacFarlane, Erika Bartlett, Jo-Ann West, Rhonda Nadon, Gisele Mansfield, Linda Grimson, Francoise Brazeau, Gail Wheeler, Valerie Davis, Don Davis, Doris Dubé, Kathy Karipy. My family at home who helped Natalie Natalie Szeman- Woodgate, Jeff Archambault Melissa Turcotte, Alex Haird, BettyJo Theriault, Chuck Keller, Dan Keller, Wendy Keller. Also all the dancers who attended without all of you we would not be able to do this event. A big THANK YOU to everyone who donated for the raffles, auction, penny sale. It takes a lot of people to make our event so successful, again I really appreciate each and everyone one of you. We raised $5000.00 to go to Hospice. Be very proud of your hard work, THANK YOU SO MUCH LOVE YOU ALL,SEE YOU SOME WHERE ON THE DANCE FLOOR.

So Much Fun!

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Another wonderful ‘Dancin’ For Miracles’ is now under our belts!! As usual Valarie Keller and her dedicated team of volunteers did an amazing job. There is so much work involved in organizing, collecting gifts and running this fund-raising event …. it takes almost the whole year to prepare.

Great teachin’ and dancin’ as always. I heard lots of remarks on what a good mix of dances were taught with something for everyone. Dan did a terrific job DJing Friday evening and also during the day on the Saturday. It is always a lift for instructors teaching to have a smiling, encouraging face behind the controls, plus someone to bounce a joke off of!! Lynn Warden took over the controls Saturday evening with everyone delighted to see her.

Friday evening is meet, greet, dance and embarrass the instructors’ night!!! I have seen a video going the rounds so keep an eye open for it!!! Valarie also acknowledges the dancers no longer with us, very sad losses, but a reminder of why this fund-raising is so important.

Aside from dancing there are lots of opportunities to win amazing prizes. There are two raffles, plus the ‘Penny Sale’, the Silent Auction, and tickets for the opportunity to win a prize worth $1200. Amazingly I was the lucky winner! This means my husband (if he’s very good!) and I will have a two night stay at the Niagara Hilton together with wine tasting in Niagara On The Lake, a helicopter ride, comp passes to the Butterfly Conservatory and numerous other attractions. I still can’t really believe it, I am not normally a winner!!! The other two prizes were a patio set, and a $125 gift voucher for Walmart. Every table had prize winners at it.

Plenty of entertainment as well …… it was worth the price of admission to see Valarie and Double Trouble in their bloomers with bonnets to match! And, of course, the Country Cruisers who always delight. The hall was a speakeasy on the Saturday night and the Cruisers sure did it justice!! Lots of fantastic costumes on the dancers as well. The decoration was terrific also. Valarie spends hours checking websites to find just the right decoration for the annual theme and she hit it spot on this year.

This event is a very special one for Ontario dancers and I want to thank Valarie, Rose, their family and all the volunteers who put so much time and effort into it, it is a labour of love. All your efforts are truly appreciated by the dancers. Thanks also to the dancers who attend because as Valarie told them, the event couldn’t go on without them either.

Valarie announced the date for next year: September 7-9, theme “The Toy Box”. So start checking out those second hand stores!!!

 

Note:  $5000 were raised!  Congratulations to all.

*Instructors with Dances Taught.

  • DAN MORRISON: Together Again written by Dan in tribute to Callie Vardy
  • SUSAN MacFARLANE: Nasdravia by Laura & Becky Michaels/Stand Up and Boogie by Danny & Bongy
  • KATE HENRY: Hooked written by Kate
  • VIVIENNE SCOTT: Love Will Win/Ride The Roller Coaster both written by Vivienne
  • JUDY MARTIN: Lonely Drum by Darren Mitchell (hugely popular)/Come Home To Me written by Judy
  • MICHEL CABANA: I’ll Be Back written by Michel. This was Barbara Lumbers’ favourite dance.
  • JILL BAKER: Stillbaai Charleston by Alison Dixon
  • LAVINA MOTAMEDI: Hotel California (Salsa) written by Lavina/Get My Move On by Jonno Liberman
  • CATHY MONTGOMERY: That Love by Will Craig
  • KATHY K.: Tiny Feelings by Sue Hsu

Morning Dance: A Thing About Loving You by Pat Stott & Heather Barton

Thanks to Jennie Johns for her ‘Good Morning Warm Up/Zumba

ABOUT

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Instructors and Volunteers 2018
Instructors & Volunteers 2018

Dancin’ For Miracles is a fund-raising line dance event held close to Wasaga Beach in Ontario, Canada, a beautiful soft sand beach that seems to go on forever.  Quite a few people go up a little earlier so they can walk the beach and have a swim in the balmy waters of Georgian Bay.  There is lots to do in the area, cycling and walking paths, great golf courses, good eating and much more. However, for the Ontario dancers and others who come from further afield, it is ‘Dancin’ For Miracles’ that is the area’s greatest attraction.  It has become a meeting spot; a place to catch up with old friends and meet new, all who share the same love of dance and the huge hall is always packed.

The Event starts on the Friday evening and by the time the dancers arrive the large hall is always colourful and welcoming and Valarie is at the front door waiting to welcome the dancers. This is the time  when dancers know the instructors will be subject to a game created by Valarie’s vivid imagination which will have them in gales of laughter and then it is time to hit the dance floor.  Saturday is a day of workshops. Every year Val invites different Ontario Instructors to teach; she is a great believer in local talent and she has been proven correct again and again.  The instructors always teach an excellent mix of dances.  The classes are often interrupted however by Valarie and her ever tolerant volunteers garbed in weird and wonderful costumes intended to ensure that the paying customers’ stomachs ache with laughter by the time they go home!  Val tells the story of the time one of the instructors had to be carried onto the stage because she had two rubber alligators strapped on her and couldn’t bend her legs!  Valarie will do anything for a laugh, “Good for the soul”, she reckons.  Saturday evening there is always a performance and then we dance our socks off!

Every year there is a theme and Val comes equipped with often outrageous costumes that she has accumulated over the years!

There are lots of opportunities to win prizes.  You can win a Weekend for Two in Niagara Falls; a gift at the Penny Sale that for many years was organized by Val’s Mum, Betty, a Silent Auction — everyone enjoys meandering the length of the tables choosing which prizes they’d like to win.   There is also a raffle with, again, wonderful prizes.   I’m told that there is a separate room in the Keller household that is set aside to hold all these items.  All the prizes are donated; Valarie is a very persuasive individual.   Dancin’ for Miracles is an event at which everyone has a good time while at the same time doing “good”.  A win-win situation.

EVENT DIRECTOR:  VALARIE KELLER