Garden St8s
Started: 1994
Admitted to IAGSDC: 26 May 1995 as Full Member
Status: Folded, 2000
History: Our history began in May 1994 when Guy Leighton of Times Squares organized square dancers from Times Squares, Independence Squares and Chesapeake Squares to march behind the IAGSDC banner at the New Jersey Pride Parade in Asbury Park. After that year's convention, Stars & Squares Forever, Jerry Petalas of Times Squares insisted that we organize a New Jersey club. Pat Push, another Times Squares member who had participated in NJ Pride Day, agreed to be the new club caller.
Jerry arranged for dance space at The Den, a bar and night club in Somerset, NJ, on Sunday afternoons. With the help of archangel Peg Thompson and angels from Times Squares and Independence Squares, and the support of area GCA callers Tom Fekete, Kurt Gollhardt, Betsy Gotta, Will Hamp, Nick Martellacci, Stan More, and Howard Richman, we had a very successful Basic/Mainstream class, taught by Pat Push. Classes began in September. In April 1995 we held our first Prom/Graduation dance and graduated 16 new Mainstream dancers!
One of the highlights of our first season was a surprise appearance by Anne Uebelacker, who was in the neighborhood and stopped by to say hi. Pat was teaching the class, and practically fell off her podium when she looked down and saw Anne right in front of her.
After graduation, we set up a program of Mainstream dances for the summer. We decided we needed a weeknight time slot so we wouldn't have to try to drag people away from the beach! Kurt found us another dance space, at the Plainfield Unitarian Society, for weeknight dances.
On September 12, 1995, we began our second Mainstream class, Tuesday nights at the Plainfield Unitarian Society, and we're looking forward to another fine group of Mainstream dancers.
In October, we resumed Mainstream club nights at The Den on Sundays.
- Kurt Gollhardt, 1997
Classes:
Club Caller[s]: Pat Push, Kurt Gollhardt
Levels: Basic, Mainstream, A2
Dance Location[s]: The Den, Plainfield Unitarian Society
Fly-Ins Hosted:
Conventions Hosted:
