West Michigan
(Contra Dance Venues are below)
(Ethnic Dance Venues are below)
Social (Ballroom) Dance Venues
Most of the following social dances are populated mostly by white-haired folks. The exceptions are marked with an asterisk.*And even those have a goodly number of white heads. Do younger folks not dance any more?
www.kalamazoodance.org is a ballroom dance web site. *Kalamazoo Dance, a chapter of USA Dance (formerly the United States Amateur Dancers Assn, USABDA), has a dance every month, except in summer, Smoke-free, snacks, usually at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Wood floor. A friendly bunch of singles and couples.
*Kalamazoom is a Christian Singles and Couples dance held every Monday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, west end of Helen St, across Portage Rd from the Kzo airport. 7-9:30 pm, $5, free lesson and snacks, smokefree. http://www.kalamazoom.com
*Monroe Church is on the Grand Rapids downtown. Steve Zaagman hosts a free swing dance workshop there every Tuesday. OK for practicing difficult moves. Usually mostly college students with a few oldsters.
The *Parkview Room of Oshtemo Township has a monthly social dance. Hosted by instructors Debbie Snell and Ken DeDie. Usually the third Saturday of the month, 7:30-10:30. Non-smoking, wood floor, $6. Corner of Stadium, Parkview, and 9th St, west of kzo. http://www.geocities.com/celerycitycloggers/
Country Fever Dance Ranch is at Assyria, a country crossroads about 10 miles north of Battle Creek on M-66. They have karaoke Friday ($3) and country dancing and music Saturday and Monday. Plus other events and instructions. The bar is smoke free. Sandwiches and snacks available. There is a smoking area on the mezzanine. Wood dance floor. www.countryfever.org
Richland Area Community Center has an afternoon dance the first and third Sundays of each month. 2-5 pm, $7. Music by the Swing Masters Band. Beginning social dance lessons available at 1 pm, $5. Smokefree. Location: 9400 East CD Ave, a mile north and a mile east of Richland.
*The Saloon del Vaquero at Brasa del Rio is reportedly a popular place for the younger crowd to country line dance and rock. It is west of Otsego. I have not been there when it was open. Cover charge is $5. Live music every Friday and Saturday. B93 sponsors events there occasionally. http://www.thebresa.com/and http://www.digitalcity.com/grandrapids/bars/venue.adp?vid=173449&type=details
The community of Scotts, 6 miles south of Galesburg exit 85 on 36th St, has a classic country music jam every Tuesday at 6:30 in the community center. Typically 150 spectators and 20 musicians. The center of the room is cleared for dancing. Polkas, waltzes, two steps. Occasionally a couple of classic square dances. Vinyl tile floor. Some musicians are terrible, and some are excellent, just like in the rest of life. Smoke free. Snacks available.
The crossroads community of Maple Grove, 5 miles south of Nashville on M-66, has a classic country music jam every Tuesday, 7-9 pm, at the Maple Leaf Grange Hall. The hall is ½ mile south of the crossroads. Typically 40 spectators and 10 musicians. The center of the room is cleared for dancing. Waltzes and two steps. The maple dance floor is the smoothest I have seen. Smoke and alcohol free. Coffee and cookies available. Fee: donation. Room for 5 sets plus spectators. And on the second and fourth Saturdays each month, Don Wagner and Boot Kicking Country play music for country dances and olde tyme square dances, 7-11:00 pm, $5.
*Coleen Burke leads a weekly ballroom dance and lesson in Battle Creek. Every Monday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, at Burnham Brook. Beginning Ballroom Dance Lesson & Practice Time, Instruction by Colleen Burke, $5.00 per person.
No partner necessary, casual dress, all ability levels & ages, no smoking or alcohol
Free Parking.
Lincoln Country Club hosts dances by Single People Of Today. Probably the most popular dance around with singles. Every Sunday night, west of Grand Rapids on Lake Michigan Drive. Lessons at 6 pm, $4. Dance at 7 pm, $7.
Two dance rooms with DJs. One room is rock. The other isn't. Sometimes low smoke. Vinyl tile floor.
Southwest Michigan Ballroom Dance Club dances on one Sunday afternoon a month, except in summer, at the Radison in Kzo, 4-7 pm. Free to members, membership $75. Individuals $15 for one event. I have not been there. http://swmbdc.org/
The Clarion hotel, on Cork, near Sprinkle and the xway, has discontinued dances.
www.danceaway.comDanceaway has a large calendar of many Michigan ballroom dance venues. I have counted 30 in one weekend in GR-Kzo.
*Dance 'N Sport, behind Israel's Furniture at 28th and Breton, the largest dance studio in Michigan, has the finest dance floor I have ever seen. It is a grand 40 x 60 feet, floated and cushioned, built up a couple of inches thick, and topped with hardwood parquet. It sounds quite loud if you try to clog on it, but is otherwise silent. They also have two smaller floors. They give lessons and have open dancing every Saturday, 8 pm, snacks. $10. Check their web site for the latest info. http://www.dancensport.com/
*DanceSport on Gull Road, across from Borgess Hospital, has a nice 40 x 30 foot floated and cushioned wood floor and a fully mirrored wall. They have a club dance party, possibly every Saturday, 8-10 pm. But check their web site for the latest info. 269 345-5371 http://www.kzoodancesport.net
*Sharon's Dance Studio in the Oshtemo SWAT building on N Ave, just east of 9thand a half mile north of I-94 exit 72. Call 269-544-2420 for more info. Dance party 2nd and 4th Thursday of June, 8-9:30 pm, free. Wood floor, full mirrored wall. Check their web site for the latest info. http://sharonsdancestudio.com/groupClassSchedule.html
There is a free big band dance on the waterfront at Grand Haven every Wednesday during July and August (except GC Fest week) 7-9 pm, (616) 842-2550.
*Cheek to Cheek has remodeled and reopened and changed their name to The Cheek Dance Club. A new DJ. They have a singles dance every Sunday night with a lesson beforehand. They charge $3 for the lesson plus the $7 nightclub door charge. The lessons usually run for 6 weeks on a particular dance. The time is 6-7 PM on Sundays. Arrive on time. They lock the door at 6 PM, because the nightclub does not open until 7 PM. It is located just west of Sprinkle on Kilgore. They have a free buffet, but when I was there, I could only tolerate the smoke for an hour. Wood floor.
Burnham Brook Center, 200 W Michigan Ave, Battle Creek, has a dance to live band music every Thursday at 7, except third week is a swing dance on Friday. Open to everyone over 21. http://www.burnhambrook.com/bbc/leisure.html
*The MSU Ballroom Dance Club has a dance every Sunday when classes are in session from 2-4 pm at Demonstration Hall on campus. $3, very good lesson the first hour, smokefree. http://www.msu.edu/~ballroom/
Woodside Elementary School, west of 144th between James St and Riley, north of Holland, is the site of a monthly (last Saturday) ballroom dance with DJ Roger Brouwer. Admission $10 per couple, plus a plate of hors d'oeuvres. 616 396-0392
*Player’s Club at the Lansing Metro Bowl has a salsa and merengue dance every Saturday, starting at 8 pm. They are just south of Jolly Rd on Martin Luther King. They also have swing dance lessons and party on Wednesdays, 6-10; line dance lessons Thursdays 6-8 pm; and karaoke Fridays and Sundays at 8 pm. You must be 21.
For more GR-Kzo ballroom dance venues, check out http://www.middletontrio.com/danceclubs.htm The listing of weekly events at this web site may be out of date, as some of them may have been discontinued.
Other GR dance venues include Akram's Restaurant, The B.O.B., Cadillac Jacks, Crush (Inside The BOB), El Mungon, Far Corners, Howlin Moon Saloon, The Grotto, Paunchy Pete's, Raggs To Riches, Sayfees, Spinnaker Lounge (Hilton Hotel), Yesteryears Lounge #1 & 2, Wild Woodys.
Other Kzo dance venues include Bayview Gardens, Bells (Eccentric Café & Beergarden), Club Soda, Noveau Room, The Radisson Hotel (Webster's Restaurant)
Jack's Nightclub in the Spring Lake Holiday Inn has a live band on Fridays and Saturdays.
Pigeon Lake Inn at Port Sheldon has a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays. Sometimes a band.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contra and Swing Dance Venues
For specific event info, see the two-month calendar , and Art's calendar , on my web site.
Oshtemo Grange Hall is at the corner of 3d St and H Avenue. Many events are held there. Wood floor. You can go out West Main, Kalamazoo, M-43, to either Big Rock Drive or 9th or 6th Ave. Big Rock turns into 3d St. Go north 1 ½ miles to the hall. Or take 6th or 9th 1 ½ miles north to H Ave and go west to 3rd. Meijer is on 9th, so you can turn around Meijers. Smoke and alcohol free for CDK events.
Grace Bible College is at the end of Aldon, west of Clyde Park in GR. Go north from the corner of 28th and Clyde Park (Fruit Basket) two blocks on your left to 26th St. There will be a small green sign pointing to Grace BC. Turn west in front of the church and go one block. Turn right around the school and go north to the GBC parking lot. Contra dances are held in the gym and concerts are in the chapel just east of the gym. The gym floor is a rubbery synthetic. It is as bouncy as any good wood floor, but less slippery. Perhaps too sticky for ballroom dancing, but excellent for contra. Smoke and alcohol free on campus.
5th Street Hall (St Adalbert’s) is a block south of 6th St Hall in NW Grand Rapids, corner of 5th and Davis.. Take Leonard or Bridge St west from US-131. Cross the railroad track and immediately turn on to Seward, north from Bridge or south from Leonard. Take Seward to 5th and turn west 2 blocks on your right. The downstairs is a bar and pool room. We dance upstairs on a wood floor. Swing dance the second Wednesday and contra dance the 4th Friday of the month, 7-10. Smokefree. There is smoke and alcohol in the (members only) bar downstairs.
Goshen Community contra dance is the first Saturday of the month, September to June, at the First United Methodist Church, corner 5th and Jefferson. Lessons 7:30, dance 8-11. From the Indiana toll road I-*)/90, take Bristol exit (east of Elkhart). Go south on SR 15 to downtown Goshen. Turn left on Main, then go left on 5th. Parking is just past the church.
http://GoDancing.org 574 533-3836 or 260 244-1905
Ethnic Dance Venues
Sixth St Hall, St Casimers. The Polish Armory. Irish dance every Thursday, 7-9:30pm. A block north of St Adelbert's Hall in NW Grand Rapids. Take Leonard or Bridge St west from US-131. Cross the railroad track and immediately turn on to Seward, north from Bridge or south from Leonard. Take Seward to 7th and turn west one short block. Turn left on Muskegon and go into the rear of the parking lot. The downstairs is a bar. We dance upstairs or else in the back room on a wood floor. Usually smokefree. There is smoke and alcohol in the bar. (Map)
Wealthy Theater annex dance studio, is the site of the monthly GRFAS International Folk Dance. Second Fridays, 7-9 pm. Near Fuller at 1110 Wealthy. Park in back.
This document is continuously updated and the latest version is always available in the FILES section of my web site, as "Where to Dance.htm" at http://www.freewebs.com/dancealot
For more info or to report errors, contact me, 269 664-4792 (a local call from Kalamazoo) clamoreaux@compuserve.com
-Cal Lamoreaux, "Sir Dancealot"
Revised and printed January 3, 2006
