Prior to the pandemic, I played music all day, and danced nearly every night!
My father is a great musician, and I grew up listening to the best of classical and jazz, hearing him play with both symphonic orchestras and big bands. I always wanted to learn to dance to the great music I heard, whether it was Strauss waltzes or Glenn Miller swing tunes.
I took up dancing as a hobby and was fortunate enough to meet and marry a man who shares my passion. Joe was working as a ballroom, swing and salsa instructor in Philadelphia, and when we were married, he moved here and we opened Hudson Valley Dance Depot, a studio where everyone was welcome to learn the joyful art of social dancing. Visit the web site at www.HudsonValleyDanceDepot.com
Here are a few of my favorite performances as a dancer:
Joe recorded this incredible improvised music of New York State of Mind by Gordon Webster and choreographed this dance for our last performance in November 2019. We then went on to join our group for Such A Night.
Such A Night was a fabulous group performance in November 2019 by the Hudson Valley Dance Depot Divos and Divas. This was my first choreography, of course assisted by Joe.
Winter Weather was a routine we performed many times with a large group of 7 couples. This was a smaller performance that was actually done outside IN the winter weather at the street festival in the Arlington District of Poughkeepsie, New York in December 2018.
Our wedding dance has been watched by thousands of people on YouTube. We had a fantastic time dancing and it was exhilarating to be with so many friends and family members for this happy occasion.
I used to love when the bands for our dances invited me to sit in. They'd hand me the book, and off we would go, no rehearsal, just impromptu playing together and improvising. Here is a clip playing with Andy Moss and friends.
We also created incredible parties, including our festive and wonderful New Year's Eve Banquets. Yes, Joe and I made dinner for 60 people every year, with Joe DJing, me playing the flute and piano with other musician friends, and it was one heck of a great time! Here is a compilation video with memories from many parties. And we look forward to making these things happen again one day.
Dancing is a great way to feel and express music, enhancing all of my skills as a musician. Joe also plays guitar, drums, and sings, and we have a great time playing music together, too.