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The ballroom of the Lincoln Park
District was a vibrant scene on Saturday night as the River Valley
Big Band brought some swing to Lincoln in support of Lincoln
Community Theatre. Dancers from Springfield, Peoria,
Bloomington-Normal, Lincoln, and other central Illinois communities
enjoyed the event which featured hours of dancing, food, a costume
contest, and a free dance lesson.
The night began with a free lesson
in East Coast swing at 5:30 p.m. taught by event co-host Jon Young
of Young Dance, Inc. New and experienced dancers took advantage of
this opportunity to brush up on their dance skills before River
Valley Big Band took the stage. The 18-piece band from Peoria was a
hit, playing excellent renditions of well-known songs and filling up
the dance floor with dancers. Close to 100 people attended the event
to enjoy the music, dancing, and socializing. This is the second
year Lincoln Community Theatre has partnered with Young Dance, Inc.
to host a fundraiser dance.
Attendees were invited to dress in their best USO or Big Band era
clothing, and many dancers were dressed in vintage dresses or
costumes. Secret judges patrolled the dance during the first half of
the band’s concert and judged costumes, and Young announced the
winners during the band’s break.
Winners of the Best Couple costume
were Shirley and Larry Hackmann, who also reenact Civil War and
other period dances.
Paige Zemsky of Springfield won the
Best Female costume and Grant Eales of Lincoln was the winner of the
Best Male costume. All winners received a trophy and a gift card to
a local Lincoln business.
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Following the
costume contest and the second half of the outstanding
performance by the River Valley Big Band, Young deejayed a set
list of a variety of ballroom, Latin, and swing dance music to
keep the dancing going. Young has organized several charity
dances for non-profit organizations in Lincoln including the
Lincoln Park District Foundation, the Friends and Family Relay
for Life team of the American Cancer Society, and the Land of
Lincoln Honor Flights. Young also offered ballroom dance lessons
at the Lincoln Park District on Thursday nights during the month
of October.
The Boogie Woogie Bugle Ball event accepted donations for
Lincoln Community Theatre, and Young arranged a raffle of gift
cards from Lincoln businesses. By the end of the night donations
totaled over $800. These funds will help support LCT’s mission
to promote quality, family-friendly community theater and youth
education in the theater arts in Logan County.
Young hosts charity dances around central Illinois to raise
money for local nonprofits and charitable organizations. Young’s
goal is to provide an option for fundraising different from the
common fish frys and bake sales, and one that provides fun and
positive social opportunities and social dancing for the
community. The next charity dance Young will host will be Swing
‘n Salute, a USO Honor Dance for the Greater Peoria Honor Flight
at the Lindenhof of Peoria on November 15. This dance will again
feature the River Valley Big Band followed by deejayed ballroom
dancing. For more information about upcoming dances and dance
classes, please click
here.
The next performance from Lincoln Community Theatre will be A
Midwinter Night’s Dream, a dessert musical cabaret, on February
19 and 20 to bring some cheer to the bleak midwinter. LCT also
looks forward to its 2027 summer season with performances of
“Little Shop of Horrors” in June and the Dr. Seuss-inspired
musical “Seussical the Musical” in July. LCT welcomes community
participation and is always on the lookout for directors,
musicians, actors, and crew to join their summer productions.
Watch for audition announcements for the summer productions in
March and keep up with LCT on social media or their
website.
Boogie Woogie Bugle Ball slideshow
[Stephanie Hall]
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