HomeMy WebLinkAboutBozeman City Lifestyle Magazine BDB article Aug 2022 BALLROOM DANCE
B 0 Z E M A N
A Enduring Legacy
ARTICLE BY REBECCA BALLOTTA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICARDO AQUINO
Bozeman is a city rich with cultural opportunities, expected, most attendees love the opportunity to"dress
one of which might come as a surprise to many. Long up"and go dancing. For venues, the group now uses the
before Bozeman Symphony...and even longer before Bozeman Senior Center and the Bozeman Event Center in
Intermountain Opera Association...there began a ball- the Masonic Lodge.
room dance club in Bozeman that is still thriving today. Ballroom Dance Bozeman did have to pause their reg-
When Ballroom Dance Bozeman began over 80 years ularly scheduled dances during 2020 and part of 2021
ago,they originally called themselves Formal Dance Club due to Covid,but resumed the dances with their 2021-22
and hosted monthly dinner-dances in the once-elegant season that began last September.Dancers were jubilant
ballroom at the Elks Club. The dances were very well to return.
attended by many of Bozeman's prominent citizens,always Christopher Borton, co-founder and director of Sage
formal,and always couples only.Singles weren't welcomed Mountain Center in Whitehall, said, "It is so nice to be
until the 1990s.As new folks joined and a"younger"board able to social dance again after Covid. I'm thankful that
of directors emerged(in their 40s versus their 70s and 80s), Ballroom Dance Bozeman continues to offer a space for
things continued to evolve with the dance group. In the socialization,education,exercise,and practicing the uni-
early years,the attendees only danced two styles of dance, versal language of dance!"
unlike the wide variety offered today.And music providers Obviously, Ballroom Dance Bozeman doesn't just
expanded from the same band at every dance to an assort- benefit those living in Bozeman. People come from
ment of live music providers and an occasional DJ. Billings,Livingston,Clyde Park,Big Sky,Belgrade,Butte, t
Despite inevitable changes that came over multiple Whitehall,Missoula,Helena,Great Falls,and many other
decades, the organization stayed true to the tradition locations in Montana.
of hosting formal ballroom dances using the Gallatin Ray,who just turned 90 in March,regularly drives over
Gateway Inn and the Emerson Ballroom as their venues from Norris because "the social opportunity keeps me
after the Elks Club was no longer available. In 2003, the mentally sharp.Plus,the Senior Center is the biggest place
organization incorporated as a nonprofit under the name around and has the best dance floor."
Bozeman Formal Dance Club, and then later changed The now famous Albert Einstein College of Medicine
their name to Ballroom Dance Bozeman. Although the study showed that frequent dancing is the only activ-
annual Gala is now the only dance where formal attire is ity that reduced dementia by 76%. Stanford University
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researchers deduced that the subjects in that
study likely danced in retirement the dances they
had danced in their youth:foxtrot,waltz,swing,
rumba,and cha cha cha—ballroom dances.
(sociaidance.stanford.edu/syliabi/Smarter.htm).
Ballroom dancing is a partnership dance done
by two people, often in closed dance embrace,
and is a tremendous way to increase the cognitive
benefits of dancing.The Einstein study showed
that dynamic and rapid-fire decision-making
creates new neural paths in our brains, which
are essential to maintaining brain health. The
Stanford report says it best:
"In social dancing, the Follow role automat-
ically gains a benefit, by making hundreds of
split-second decisions as to what to do next,
sometimes unconsciously so...this role doesn't
`follow';they interpret the signals their partners
are giving them,and this requires intelligence and
decision-making,which is active,not passive."
That benefit is less "automatic" for the Lead • • • • •
role, but the Stanford author encourages the . •
Lead to match that degree of decision-making
in two ways. "Really pay attention to your part- _
ner and what works for them, and constantly . . . •
adapt your dancing to these observations—that's • _• • . • • -
rapid-fire split-second decision-making. Also •
challenge yourself to try new things,make more .• r. :•
decisions more often." • • ,
Dorothy Bradley,former Montana Legislator, :• • • . • .
added "We really love a big dance floor.We love • •. • • . .
the music, the movement, the beat, the human •• . • . • •
touch,and the socializing and camaraderie which • • • •• • .
crisscrosses all ages, cultures, and politics.The •.. • • . • •
Ballroom Dance Bozeman group is a particularly
wonderful set of humans—generous, encourag-
ing, always sharing dances, always joyous and • • • • _• .• .
hospitable.Dan and I are happy in their midst." :•. . • • • • _• •
Clearly,ballroom dancing has much to recom-
mend it and,in Bozeman,we have the treasured
legacy,Ballroom Dance Bozeman,to provide us
opportunities to do it frequently.
1 PP
"We really love a big dance floor.We love the music,
the movement,the beat,the human touch,and the
socializing and camaraderie which crisscrosses all
ages,cultures,and politics.The Ballroom Dance
Bozeman group is a particularly wonderful set of
humans—generous,encouraging,always sharing
dances,always joyous and hospitable."
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