Thank you Judy for submitting this entry to the World Line Dance Newsletter!

SUBJECT: WINE COUNTRY LINE DANCE EVENT with WILL CRAIG & BRYAN McWHERTER, PETALUMA, CA, 4/7/12
From: Judy

The morning was so clear, the colors so crisp that driving through the Golden Gate Bridge to Petaluma was so pleasantly perfect. The international orange bridge looks redder than ever and newer. She’s only going to be 75 years old next month. On Sunday, May 27th the big celebration happens. But they’re a little more cautious now on account of what happenned on her 50th anniversary. They closed it on May 27, 1987 to vehicular traffic expecting some 50,000 people to come for a walk on the bridge. Well, 800,000 showed up, more than the entire population of San Francisco. People were eyeball to eyeball. The weight flattenned the arch of the bridge by almost 10 feet at midspan and the 17 mile per hour winds swayed it from side to side. Claustrophobia and nausea all around. Oppss. Never again. You can’t subject a lady like that, no matter how young, to such extreme metal fatigue and to take away her charming curves, now really. So now the celebration is going to be around it and under it but not on it, with historic watercraft parade, music and dance stages on the waterfront, art installations, films, etc. and culminate with a spectacular fireworks show. That’s a little follow up on my last year’s report on the WCLD event where I mentioned the bridge’s upcoming 75th birthday.

No sooner had I said “what a delightful drive” when my car slowed down to a crawl. Freeway accident. So I arrived later than last year’s late. BRYAN McWHERTER was in the middle of teaching his BABY, OH BABY a 32 ct high beginner dance to the song Back In Time by Pitbull. WILL CRAIG before him taught his dance PEOPLE ARE CRAZY, a beginner dance to the same song. This was followed by workshops on techniques first by Will on Chacha (isolate your ribcage), waltz (rise and fall), hiphop; then Bryan on proper foot position, turns, spotting, head position.

Then it was lunchtime. There was open dancing by request and also in between teaches. I requested DOMENICA. When it was called, I rushed to the front. The music started. Nobody was beside me. I looked back and nobody was there either. In the past when this happenned, I retreated to my seat. But this time I thought I’d risk dying of embarrassment dancing all by myself rather than stop the music. It’s the English version of the beautiful Italian song “Diamante” by Zucchero.
Well, I survived and discovered that linedancing not only helps with my physical and mental wellbeing, by golly, it has given me a thicker hide too.

After lunch, the adjoining room was opened for beginners’ workshops. Will and Bryan took turns teaching intermediate and beginner dances. WILL taught 5 gorgeous intermediate dances: ONCE UPON A TIME, so new, it’s his first teach, 32 ct  to Princess of China by Coldplay; BREATHING, 64 ct  to Breathing by Jason Derulo; WORLDWIDE, 48 ct to International Love by Pitbull; the hit (love this dance) WATCH IT BURN to Adele’s Set Fire to The Rain (if this is not thinking outside the box lyrics I don’t know what is), and MAKE YOU DANCE, 32 ct to Tonight is the Night by Outasight. He also taught 2 more beginner dances: AWAY WE GO, 32 ct to Forever Road by Darius Rucker and I DON’T WANT TONIGHT 24ct to Don’t Want This Night To End by Luke Bryan, and an intermediate dance by Harlan Curtis, BITE THE DUST.

BRYAN taught his 64 ct intermediate dance ACCORDION LOVE (which I love) to the song Stereo Love by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina, HI-A-MA-CHA by Rachel McEnaney (we’ve been dancing this for awhile around here); 2 more of his beginner dances: MILES AWAY 32 CT TO 93 Million Miles by Jason Mraz and CHASING
YOU 32 ct to I’m Yours by Straight No Chaser and HOLLER OH BABE by Frank Trace.

These two young men are remarkable not just for their big talent but also for their enormous energy and stamina, especially Will. He taught 10 workshops during the day, reviewed his dances during the open dancing at night, emceed and danced with us, then gave a hearty rendition of GOOD MORNING BEAUTIFUL. He can sing too!  Bryan taught 7 workshops, cracked jokes and managed to turn 30 that night. I don’t know how he got to be that age, baby face and all. He was presented with a birthday cake and an even bigger birthday card which he opened looking for a check. It was a joy having two of the nicest and endearing choreographers around.

If these two guys have the energy and stamina, the three ladies behind the Wine Country Line Dance are indefatigable to match. GRETA SUMAGANDAY who DJed the entire event – the cutest DJ ever and for playing Domenica when there was only one person on the floor, she’s gotta be an angel too. DOLLY URQUHART, who greets you with such warmth like receiving a special guest to her home and making sure the food tables are abundantly stacked – there were sandwiches, vegetables, fruits, dessert, coffee and tea. I didn’t even need to go out for lunch, they had delicious vegetarian sandwiches. The ballroom temperature was perfect and the tables nicely decorated with balloons. BRENDA SHATTO, superb dancer and teacher. Big THANK YOU to you and your many volunteers and supporters for a most enjoyable event.

Next year on Feb. 15-16, Wine Country is hosting NIELS POULSEN. When somebody comes from that far across the Atlantic, let’s respond in kind. Come wherever you are, no matter how far. That’s easy for me to say since I’m only a stone’s throw away, but come anyway:):):):). Come and visit Petaluma, the perfect little city, so they say; site of American Graffitti, not far from San Francisco which also has a rich movie history. See you there next year and take care.

Judy Romanenkov
judybmr@sbcglobal.net
www.jbmrpaintings.com