This was the original Announcement for Bluesday Tuesdays…we hope you can join us for the next one!

“THIS COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING…BIG!!!”

Confession…I love blues music.  There I said it.  I love dancing in bars more than in dance studios.  Wow, I feel better getting that off my chest…You all have heard for years about how I learned to dance in bars.  Some of you know the history of Houston Whip and the famed Rusty Bucket bar in South Houston where Houston Whip Club met every Sunday and danced the night away.  Dancers from all over Houston (and Dallas quite often) would show up every week to hear the Soul Brother’s Incorporated play their sets, and Joe Todaro DJ in between sets from the DJ booth located up the ladder in the corner.  The night was filled with blues standards and the dance floor was even more filled.  Over time, everyone knew that if you wanted to dance while in Houston, the Rusty Bucket on Sunday nights from 7pm to 11pm was the place to be.Those were pivotal times for Houston’s social dance scene…bars are where the social aspect of our dance originated and thrived…it’s roots or birthplace if you will.  I was very fortunate to have learned this dance during those times, and some of the fondest dance memories  throughout my dance career have occurred in those wonderful little dive bars and juke joints all over the world.

I’ve long wanted to recreate that scene at a central location in Houston.  I strongly feel that while there are bars where we go dancing, this town is sorely missing a central place for dancing our dances SOCIALLY, be they West Coast Swing, Whip, Blues, or Lindy.  I know that there is a beautiful sweet spot where all the communities can get along and share our love of dance.  The format would be the likes of Wilson Pickett, BB King, Al Green, Bobby Rush, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Denise LaSalle and Keb Mo…the list goes on and on.  If this sounds like something you might enjoy, read on…here comes the good part.I am very pleased to announce that FUNdance has reached agreement with the centrally located Houston institution known city wide as DAN ELECTRO’S GUITAR BAR!Oh yeah, this is big.  This Sunset Heights mainstay is located at 1031 East 24th, Houston, Tx.  77009 and it’s inside the 610 loop!  The manager has agreed to have a first date with our FUNdance community on Tuesday, April 7th, 2015.  The music starts no later than 7pm and will continue until 10:30 or 11pm if the joint is jumping.  It is my intention to grow this into a weekly event if all goes well.  While the floor is polished concrete (like the Big Easy) the manager is open to having a wooden floor installed if we can build this into a regular thing.  There will be a $5 cover at the door for the evening, with an additional $5 if you would like to partake in the “Move Of The Week”which is a short, social lesson lasting roughly 20-30 minutes.  This lesson will have at least one “cool” pattern/move for the leaders, and at least one “hot” styling/move for the followers.  In the future, look for different instructors and DJs from all over town bringing their perspective to our party.I invite everyone to join us at DAN ELECTRO’S GUITAR BAR on April 7th as we turn to a new page in Houston’s dance history…when dancing went back to the bar.

Signed,