By Mark Dreger

You91裸聊视频檙e never too old to dance.

West Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 Westsyde Squares celebrated their 60th anniversary as a club Saturday with a party for current and former members at the Westbank Seniors Activity Centre.

91裸聊视频淪quare dancing is awesome entertainment,91裸聊视频� said Lynda Bjalek, Westsyde Squares president and 30-year member. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 good for the brain, it91裸聊视频檚 good for your physical fitness, it91裸聊视频檚 good for everything. When the music turns on you can be in a real sour mood or had a real bad day, you come to the dance and I guarantee within five minutes you91裸聊视频檙e a totally changed person.91裸聊视频�

Initiated in 1957, the Lakeview Recreation Commission were planning how to celebrate the British Columbia centennial the following year until someone suggested square dancing as part of the Old West heritage.

91裸聊视频淎nd basically the dancers decided, 91裸聊视频榯his has been so much fun, that91裸聊视频檚 not going to be it,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� said Brian Elmer, who91裸聊视频檚 been a part of Westsyde Squares for 46 years. 91裸聊视频淲e want to establish a regular dance club and continue to enjoy this activity beyond the centenary year.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

It was Ray Fredrickson from Summerland that met with the group at the Lakeview Elementary School cafeteria and that began the Westsyde Square Dance Club. They91裸聊视频檝e been dancing from fall to spring ever since.

91裸聊视频淚 think the fact that we91裸聊视频檝e been going for 60 years is testament to the longevity of the recreation as a social recreation,91裸聊视频� Elmer said. 91裸聊视频淧eople can gather together, learn this dance form, meet at least weekly, and apart from the time spent on the dance floor there is a lot of time on the sidelines socializing. And over the years91裸聊视频攊n fact pretty well right away91裸聊视频攜ou begin to solidify friendships with people who were strangers not too long ago, and that lasts a lifetime for many of us.91裸聊视频�

Over the years, the club jumped from location to location, moving to the old Westbank Community Hall until the Mount Boucherie Community Center was built; and then once the City of West Kelowna moved into the Community Center, they moved to the Westbank United Church for their Wednesday night dances.

91裸聊视频淲hen I joined the club in 1971, we danced in what is now the Westbank Lions Community Hall,91裸聊视频� Elmer said. 91裸聊视频淭he hall was in its original state back then and the floorboards had collected dust and wax particles over the years and when we danced there in the early 91裸聊视频�70s91裸聊视频攁s a man often wearing dark pants91裸聊视频擨91裸聊视频檇 come off the dance floor after a couple hours with a white coating up to about my knees because we moved on the floor and worked that dust out of the cracks and it had come up onto our clothing.91裸聊视频�

With most of the members in their senior years, Westsyde Squares hopes to attract younger members. Their dance caller91裸聊视频擠ustin McGifford91裸聊视频攊s currently only 26-years-old, showing that all ages are welcome to join.

91裸聊视频淩ight now we91裸聊视频檙e hoping that it will be younger,91裸聊视频� Bjalek said. 91裸聊视频淲e range right now from 50 to91裸聊视频攚ell we got people right up into 90. It91裸聊视频檚 very good for everybody.91裸聊视频�

With 60 years spent in the community, it has become a second home for its members.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 my family,91裸聊视频� Bjalek said. 91裸聊视频淚f I have a conflict of something, two or three different things going on, if there91裸聊视频檚 a square dance I91裸聊视频檓 here. It91裸聊视频檚 my priority.91裸聊视频�

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