stella face

part 24

The Suncoast Jamboree was a very well-known Clogging event well established event directed by Dee Gallina. We worked hard to make the line dance an accepted part of the event.

I met a young man there by the  name of Junior Willis. Wow was he an awesome dancer I watched him clog and fell under his spell. Not knowing then that he would become world recognized line dance teacher.

Also had the pleasure of a lady named Arline Weinerman joining our line dance team one year at this event we became great friends, not knowing that she would not only become a famous line dance teacher but the event director of The Tampa Bay Line Dance Classic.

Being part of teaching at these events was to me the greatest honor and form of validation as a teacher. We used to have many instructors attending these events from all over the states coming to learn dances and find dances to take back and teach at home.

We as line dancers were proud to be a part of these events and people like Dee Gallina and the caliber of the professional dancers they were and still are today. As with the Sunshine State Festival which had been professional ballroom dancers world champions teaching at this workshop that we became a part of and the line dance event just became bigger and stronger at these events. Line dance became Accepted and strong as part of the dance world.