A Local Dance Club Brings Together Couples

SEBRING - There were no wallflowers on Friday night at the weekly gathering of the Highlands Social Dance Club at the Lion's Club.

Big Bands ruled as more than 100 dancers took to the floor for tango, rumba, cha cha, fox-trot and swing dances.

Most men wore coats and ties and the women were dressed in flowing dresses and skirts. No one seemed to notice the unlit Bingo scoreboard on a wall.

Bill Mango, the club's vice president, is a dance instructor and took up dancing after a divorce when he was in his 50s.

"I got single and took up dancing," said Mango, who said he now has a steady girlfriend. "I met more woman."

Marilyn Booth Murphy was credited with helping to save the club after a contentious move from the club's former home.

"People always love to dance with a good dancer," said Murphy. "If you're a good dancer, you've got it made. We used to be a single club, but so many people got married and still wanted to dance."

Adam Tooley is 90 years old and met his wife of eight years, Lynn Nibling. 80, only after she turned him down the first time he asked her to dance.

"You're not going to get turned down very often," said Tooley. "They enjoy to dance and I've danced with pretty much all of them."

Joyce Simpson, 74, and Dale Summers, 78, were married almost three years ago after dating for more than two years.

Simpson introduced herself and asked her future husband to dance during a Sadie Hawkins, or "ladies choice" dance.

"We have the same goals," said Simpson about the group of dancers. "We all like to dance. And it's respectable here."

"It's great way to socialize and meet gals," quipped Summers.

Friday was a special occasion at the club since two accomplished competitive ballroom dance teams performed. Nikki and Jerry Dvorak and Beth and Michael Nolan put on a show.

Since dance competitions such as "Dancing with the Stars" became popular on TV, the team members said that those seeking dance lessons and the number of spectators at competitions more than doubled. And there has been no let-down for the past three years since television producers latched onto the dancing craze.

"The public is saying, 'I can do it too.'" said Nikki Dvorak.

Both younger and older residents enjoy dressing up and dancing to a live band, said Murphy.

"People can't come and be unhappy," said Murphy. "The music and activity lends itself to having fun and a good time. If you can stand up and walk, you can dance."

Bill and Barb Varner, of Sebring, are regulars at the Lions Club on Fridays.

Both said they understand the older songs, and Barb said the group is run like a family organization.
"People from up north are without families down here and we're friends because we're like family," said Barb Varner.

Jay Murphy enjoys wearing a coat and tie when he leads Marilyn around the dance floor for fox-trots and waltzes.

"Dancing brings back the days when we learned to dance in prep school," said Jay Murphy. "Same songs, same dances we've danced to all our lives."

For more information, call Murphy at 471-0559.