Line Dancing at Bogart's in Boothwyn, PA

Line Dancing at Bogart's Bar and Grill

     Line dancing at Bogart's is held normally on the first Saturday each month (though this occasionally varies.  Lars and Dana Anderson are the hosts, and dancing begins at 7PM.  There is no cover charge, but it is expected that you'll buy food and beverage.

    The lineup consists of a nice mix of line and partner dancing, with a heavy emphasis on older and more traditional choreography and music.

     The dance floor is wood-look tile, the acoustics quite good, and the crowd is one of the friendliest around.  The menu is mostly classic pub fare.

     Bogart's is located at 3001 Naamans Creek Rd., Boothwyn, PA 19061

Double check dates and times at this link.

For more information on line dancing around Wilmington, DE Like Us On Facebook.

Line Dancing at The Reef in Wilmington, Delaware

The Reef in Wilmington, Delaware

     Looking for a place to line dance on Tuesday nights?  Join Steve Carroll at The Reef Seafood & Steak on Carpenter's Station Rd. in North Wilmington.

     Dancing and lessons begin at 7PM and there is no cover charge, though the venue does expect you to buy food and drinks, which is completely reasonable.

     The menu includes a wide array of seafood items, as well as traditional pub fare. The dance floor is wooden.  Depending on the size of the crowd there is often room for partner dances. There will usually be everything from true beginner dances to those geared toward very experienced dancers, though most fall squarely in the middle.

     The Reef is located at 2618 Carpenter Station Road, Wilmington, DE,  19810

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2018 Line Dance Cruises are Coming

Sail Away on a Line Dance Cruise

     February and March 2018 promise to be a great time for local line dancers, as there are three cruises for line dancers being offered that will include instruction by three of our local instructors and choreographers.  If you've wanted to do a dance cruise and travel with others you know, here's your chance.

     Below are the announced itineraries, as well as contact information.

Line Dance Cruise with Rob Holley

Please join us for a 6 day/5 night cruise line dance cruise from Feb 5th - Feb10th, 2018.

We board the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in Ft Lauderdale while making port of calls at Falmouth, Jamaica and Labadee Haiti before returning to Florida.

Below is the link to register. Click on the link and scroll down to find the cruise information.
https://squareup.com/market/dancin-free-d-manning/

Contact Donna Manning at 727-485-7448 for any questions.

Line Dance Cruise with Steve Carroll

Come join us in 2018 on the Grandeur Of The Seas for a 10 day line/couples dancing cruise. We'll leave Baltimore on Thursday, Feb. 22, and return Saturday, March 3. We'll have our own ballroom for lessons in the afternoon and open dance in the evening. The line and couples lessons are all a part of the cruise package. Inside cabins are $708.49 and Oceanview are $810.49.
Thu- Baltimore, Maryland 4:00 PM
Fri- At Sea
Sat- Charleston, South Carolina 7:00 AM 4:00 PM
Sun- Port Canaveral, Florida 10:30 AM 9:00 PM
Mon- Grand Bahama, Bahamas 9:00 AM 6:00 PM
Tue- Nassau, Bahamas 7:00 AM 11:59 PM
Wed- Coco Cay, Bahamas 8:00 AM 5:00 PM
Thu- At Sea
Fri- At Sea
Sat- Baltimore, Maryland 7:00 AM
If you have any questions contact Frannie Manzoni at 609-504-6622.
I'll keep you informed on any more perks and giveaways.

Line Dance Cruise with Carol Feldman

     This is a 7 day dance cruise to Puerto Rico beginning March 10, 2018.  Details can be found in the Facebook event link .  Watch for the full schedule and itinerary to be posted.

We hope you'll find this information helpful, and as always if you're looking for line dancing opportunities in our area please visit and like our Facebook page at

Dora and Gary's Line Dancing Page

Our Favorite Country Couples Dances

     Over the last several months we've taken an interest in learning more couples dances, and to that end we've visited some new venues where couples dances are taught.  The reality we've discovered is that some instructors don't physically have the room for couples dances, while others simply don't teach them.

     We have to admit this has been a lot of fun, and it feels good to be able to get up on the floor and dance together instead of always being a part of the mob.  It's fun, the dances are generally smooth and flowing, and it just feels downright romantic.

     In this edition of the blog we thought we'd put together a list of the couples dances we enjoy, and that seem to be done to a variety of music in our area, and hope this may help you learn a few that perhaps you don't know.  The list is by no means exhaustive, and not in any particular order.


El Paso  -  Unknown Choreographer  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Charleston Bump  -  Bill Rice  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

The Shadow  -  Nancy Martin  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Sidekick  -  Rick & Kathy Stearns  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

East Hill Twist  -  Dan Albro  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Billy's Dance  -  Pierre Mercier  -  Stepsheet -  Demo Video  - Music

Bucket Seats  -  Dan Albro  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Homegrown Honky Tonk  -  Dan Albro  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Butterfly Waltz  -  Unknown  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Lorrie's Dance  -  Bill Williamson  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Tailspin  -  Dan Albro  -   Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Castaways  -  Dan Albro  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Laying Back  -  Dan Albro  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Cowboy Rhythm Strong  -  Dan Albro  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Blue Rose  -  Darrell & Doris Aldrich  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Whiskey Wishes  -   Dan Albro  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Lover Please Come Back  -   Bobby Houle  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music

Lonely Girl  -  Dan Albro  -  Stepsheet  -  Demo Video  -  Music


We've included links to stepsheets, demo videos, and where possible a link to the music the dance was originally choreographed to.  Of course we find that these dances are done to other music as well, and they work just fine.

Many thanks to the local instructors who try so hard to include couples dancing in their lessons;  Jim Dawson, Eric Mosley,  Shirley Mackey, and Lars Anderson.

We hope you enjoy our list of partner dances, and as always, if you want to keep up on all that's going on in our little corner of the dance world feel free to like Dora and Gary's Line Dancing Page on Facebook.

Line Dancing - Regular Classes and Events

A Weekly Calendar of Ongoing Line Dancing Classes and Events in our Coverage Area

 

This is a list of regular classes and events.  To find out all that's going on in the line dancing world that we cover go to Dora and Gary's Line Dancing Page and check the Events Tab, where you'll find over 200 line dance opportunities in our area in any given month.  Like our page on Facebook to keep up with all that's going on!

 

Monday

 

Bear, DE  -  Charlayne Shay Thomas teaching Soul Line Dancing at Glasgow Pines Community Center.  801 Scotland Dr.,  Newark, DE  19702.  6:15PM - 8:15PM   $3.00 cover.  (302-588-3030)

Newark, DE  -  Rick Wilson teaching a variety including today's popular dances and country oldies.  Newark Senior Center. 200 White Chapel Dr., Newark, DE 19713.  12:45-1:30 Intermediate. 1:30-2:00 Beginner.  $5.00

Newark, DE - Patti Nivens Leathers with dancing at Timothy's of Newark. 100 Creek View Rd., Newar, DE 19711. 6:30 - 9:00.  $5.00 cover.  No classes the 2nd Monday.

Wilmington, DE  -  Joanne McMahon teaching Oldies & More Line Dancing at the Five Points Fire Hall.  209 S. Maryland Ave., Wilmington, DE  19804. 6:30PM - 8:30PM  $5.00 cover.

Elkton, MD  -  Line dancing with Shirley Mackey at Uncle Bob's in Elkton, MD.  565 Kirk Rd., Elkton, MD 21921.  6:30PM - 10.00PM.  $6.00 cover.

 

Tuesday 

 

Dover, DE  -  Lily Parsons teaching at Cowboy Up Saloon .  1036 Lafferty Ln., Dover, DE  19901.  7:30PM   Free lessons and no cover until 8:00PM

Newark, DE  -  Laura Stanton and Steve Pistoia at Tailgates Sports Bar.  4126 Ogletown Stanton Rd., Newark, DE  19713.  1st and 3rd Tuesday 7:00PM.  Check our events page above for dates.  $5.00 cover.

Wilmington, DE  -  Charlayne Shay Thomas teaching Soul Line Dancing at People's Settlement House.  8th and Lombard, Wilmington, DE  19801.  6:45PM - 8:30PM  $2.00 cover. (302-588-3030)

Wilmington, DE  -  Steve Carroll teaching and dancing at the Hideaway Bar & Grill.  2619 Ebright Rd., Wilmington, DE  19810.  7:00PM - 10:00PM.  No cover.

Wilmington, DE  -  Rick Wilson giving dance lessons at the Absalom Jones Senior Center.  310 Kiamensi Rd., Wilmington, DE 19804.  10:00 - 10:30 Beginner.  10:30 - 11:15 Intermediate.  $2.00

Elkton, MD  -  Country Couples dancing with Shirley Mackey at Uncle Bob's in Elkton, MD.  565 Kirk Rd.,  Elkton, MD  21921.  7:00PM - 10:00PM.  $6.00 cover.

Prospect Park, PA  -  Lori Ramich with lessons and dancing at Prospect Masonic Lodge 578.  822 Lincoln Ave., Prospect Park, PA 19076.  7:00PM - 10:30PM.  $8.00 cover.

Wednesday

 

Harrington, DE  -  Jennifer Tunis teaching and dancing at the Harrington, DE Moose Lodge. 16268 S. DuPont Hwy, Harrington, DE 19952.   6PM - 10PM.  Beginner lessons at 6PM are $5.00.  Intermediate lessons at 7PM are $6.00.  Take both lessons for $7.00

New Castle, DE - Rick Wilson with lessons at the New Castle Senior Center.  400 South St., New Castle, DE  19720.  11:00 - 12:00  $2.00

Newark, DE -  Jim Dawson at the Newark Senior Center with lessons for those 50 and older.  Join the Senior Center for $30 and attend for the entire year Lessons are geared to beginners, and adjusted for the crowd each week.  200 White Chapel Dr., Newark, DE 19713.  3:00 - 4:30PM

Newark, DE  -  Jim Dawson teaching and dancing at the Christiana Pub.  10 W. Main St., Newark, DE 19702.  7:00PM.  No cover.

Wilmington, DE  -  Line dancing and lessons with Pepper Walling at the North Wilmington Elks Club.  1310 Carruthers Ln., Wilmington, DE  19803.  7:00PM - 11:00PM.  $8.00 cover.

Wilmington, DE  -  Oldies line dancing with DJ Dave Cornwell at Delaware Park.  777 Delaware Park Blvd., Wilmington, DE  19804.  6:00PM - 9:00PM.  No cover.  This is twice a month. Check the Delaware Park Events calendar for dates.

Wilmington, DE  -  Line dancing and lessons with Mania Chrzanowski at St. Elizabeth's Grant Hall.  809 S. Broom St., Wilmington, DE  19805.  7:00PM - 9:00PM  $5.00 cover.

Elkton, MD  -  Line dancing with Shirley Mackey at Uncle Bob's.  565 Kirk Rd., Elkton, MD 21921.  6:30PM.  $6.00 cover.

Elmer, NJ  -  Line dancing and lessons with Steve Carroll at Centerton Country Club.  1022 Almond Rd.,  Pittsgrove Twp., NJ  08318.  7:00PM - 10:00PM.  $5.00 cover.

Villas, NJ  -  Line dancing with Johnny Tocco at Villas VFW.  6 East Delaware Pkwy., Villas, NJ  08251.  4:00PM - 8:00PM.

Brookhaven, PA  -   Wednesday Night Line Dancing with Sal April at Redwood Community Playhouse. 280 6th St., Brookhaven, PA  19015. 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM....(doors open at 6:30). One of the largest dance floors in the area.....Music, dancing, dance lessons, food, snacks and refreshments..ALL FREE!

Thursday 

 

Dover, DE  -  Jen Tunis lessons and dancing at Cowboy Up Saloon.  1036 Lafferty Ln., Dover, DE  19901.  7:30PM.  No cover.

Wilmington, DE  -  Rick Wilson with lessons at the Absalom Jones Senior Center. 310 Kiamensi Rd., Wilmington, DE 19804.  10:45 - 11:30 Intermediate.  $2.00

Wilmington, DE  -  Charlayne Shay Thomas teaching Soul Line Dancing at Southbridge Neighborhood House.  1218 B St., Wilmington, DE  19801.  6:00PM - 8:00PM.  $2.00 cover.  (302-588-3030)

Wilmington, DE  -  Rob Holley teaching line dancing every Thursday at Hops Bar in Delaware Park with DJ Dave Cornwell.  777 Delaware Park Blvd., Wilmington, DE  19804.  6:30PM - 10:00PM.  No cover.

Chesapeake City, MD  -  Jim Dawson dancing and lessons at Chesapeake City VFW.  304 Basil Ave., Chesapeake City, MD  21915 .  7:00PM.  $5.00 cover

Port Deposit, MD  -  Shirley Mackey lessons and dancing at Port Deposit VFW.  520 Susquehanna River Rd., Port Deposit, MD  21904.  7:00PM - 9:00PM  $6.00 cover.

Buena, NJ  -  Laura Stanton and Steve Pistoia dancing and lessons at Tombstone Saloon.  373 Rt. 54, Buena, NJ  08310.  7:00PM - 11:00PM.  No cover.

Gibbstown, NJ - Lori Ramich with lessons and dancing at St. Michael's Mutual Club.  406 Memorial Ave., Gibbstown, NJ 08027.  7:30PM - 10:30PM.  $8.00 cover.

Mount Laurel, NJ  -  Linda and Harry Hayden teaching beginner lessons and dancing at Prospector's Steakhouse & Saloon. 3050 NJ 38, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.  7:00 PM.

North Wildwood, NJ  -  Line dancing and lessons with Johnny Tocco at North Wildwood Knights of Columbus.  206 N. New York Ave., Wildwood, NJ 08260.  5:30PM lessons. 7:00PM dancing.  $5.00 cover.

Williamstown, NJ  -  Steve Carroll lessons and dancing at Bleachers Sports Bar.  40 East Black Horse Pike, Williamstown, NJ  08094.  7:00PM - 10:00PM.  $5.00 cover.

 

Friday

 

Dover, DE  -  Lily Parsons teaching at Cowboy Up Saloon .  1036 Lafferty Ln., Dover, DE  19901.  7:30PM   Free lessons and no cover until 8:00PM

Harrington, DE  -  Jennifer Tunis teaching and dancing at the Harrington, DE Moose Lodge.  16268 S. DuPont Hwy, Harrington, DE  19952     8:00PM - 11:00PM.  $5.00 cover

Newark, DE  -  Eric Mosley dancing and lessons at the Newark, DE Elks Lodge (3rd and 4th Friday)  42 Elks Trail, New Castle, DE 19720.   7:00PM.  No cover.

Newark, DE  -  Line dancing with DJ Shubie at Tailgates Sports Bar in Newark, DE.  4126 Ogletown Stanton Rd., Newark, DE 19713.  6:00PM - 9:00PM.  No cover.

Wilmington, DE  -  Line dancing and lessons with Pepper Walling at the North Wilmington Elks Club.  1310 Carruthers Ln., Wilmington, DE 19803.  7:30PM-12:00.  $10.00 cover.

Elkton, MD  -  Country line dancing with Shirley Mackey at Uncle Bob's.   565 Kirk Rd., Elkton, MD 21921.  8:00PM - 1:00AM.   $6.00 cover

Mount Laurel, NJ  -  Join the crew from 92.5 WXTU and dance to the best of country music at Prospector's Steakhouse & Saloon, 3050 NJ 38, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.   7:00 PM

Saturday

Glassboro, NJ -  Steve Carroll at Summit City Winery with early lessons and a full night of dancing on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays each month.  500 University Blvd., Glassboro, NJ 08028.  6:30 - 10:00.  $10.00

Mount Laurel, NJ - Carol Feldman at Prospectors Steakhouse & Saloon with country line dancing to live music.  3050 NJ 38, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.  Starts at 7:00.  Doors open at 6:00.

Dance Destinations - Cadillac Ranch and Mishnock Barn

Miles, Smiles, and Boot Scuffing Fun

Delaware Dancers at Mishnock Barn - Photo Credit: John Haug

      For those who enjoy line dancing as much as we do a big part of the fun is going to different classes and venues, meeting new people, and experiencing all the wonderful camaraderie the dancing community has to offer.  Truth be told, although we've been dancing a few years, we're relative newcomers to the country dancing community, so it was quite a pleasant surprise when local instructor Rob Holley invited us along on a very well organized trip to two well-known country dancing destinations - Cadillac Ranch and Mishnock Barn.

     Although we've referred to our group, which ultimately grew to 32 people, as "The Delaware Dancers" that's only because they are familiar to us from dancing at Delaware venues. They came from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and this tight-knit group had nothing but fun from start to finish.

     It was a leisurely trip north on the first day, Thursday, and several of us arranged to meet up in Sleepy Hollow, NY for lunch and sightseeing.  First stop - the infamous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, home to Washington Irving's Headless Horseman.

     Afterward some of the dancers met at a local pub for lunch, and exchanged ideas about what the next few days would bring.  Let's just say the weekend turned out to exceed all our expectations.  We arrived at our respective hotels, checked in, and later that evening stopped into the Cadillac Ranch in Southington, CT to dance.

    It was our second night, however that was a bit special for the group as more of our friends arrived and our own local instructor and choreographer Rob Holley took the floor to teach one of his own dances to the locals.  We learned a few of the dances popular there as well.

     The Cadillac Ranch has a spacious dance floor, which as you can see in the photo at left has a perimeter area reserved for couples dancers.  This is a nice feature, as it's not uncommon for dance floors to get crowded enough that it's almost impossible for couples to dance.  The DJ informed us that they're pretty strict about keeping the perimeter reserved for couples, and if someone strays outside the line dancing area their trespass is pointed out by management.

     There's plenty of seating, and the menu of pub style food is varied enough that there should be something to suit just about anyone.  If you're interested in visiting yourself you can get more information on the Cadillac Ranch Website.

Our group at Cadillac Ranch - Photo Credit: John Haug

     Of course our trip included some non-dancing sightseeing along the way, and two of our favorite spots were the Gillette Castle, and the Newport Cliff Walk.

Interior of Gillette Castle

Gillette Castle is located in East Haddam, CT, not far from Lyme, and sits on a hill overlooking the Connecticut River.  It was built in 1919 for the actor William Gillette, who carefully oversaw the details of the construction.

     A few of the unique features of the home include a series of mirrors, strategically placed to allow Gillette to observe his guests from a vantage point outside his second floor bedroom,  and the beautifully made decorative wooden doors, no two of which are alike. We would highly recommend a stop if you're in the area, as the place just oozes history and mystery.




   The Newport Cliff Walk in Newport, RI is another must-visit attraction. This 3.5 mile scenic hike along the Newport shoreline is simply put spectacular.  The views across the water are beautiful, and the backdrop of mansions a site to behold.  This is where the elite built both summer homes and permanent residences, and the architectural details and sheer size of many of these homes is breathtaking.  Some of the mansions offer tours, so schedule your day accordingly.

     Some of the cliff walk runs high on the cliff along well-maintained paved trails, but there are portions that require some scrambling over rocks and rip rap.  All in all time well spent.

      Our final night of the trip was spent at the Mishnock Barn in West Greenwich, RI,  home to well-known dancers and choreographers Dan and Kelly Albro .  The barn features 3 separate dancing areas, and the DJ does a great job of directing the dancers to a particular one for each song played, so that 3 separate dances can be done at the same time without any group interfering with the other.

     We had a great time here, and our hosts were very gracious in accommodating our large group.

     Throughout the course of the night we danced to a few of Dan's dances, and as we are fond of couples dances, were pleased that there were plenty of opportunities to do those throughout the night.


   Towards the end of the evening our hosts also surprised us with an
opportunity to dance to several songs that are very popular in our home area, as well as several dances choreographed by Rob Holley and Eric Mosley.

     We highly recommend you visit both these great dancing destinations.  They're well worth the trip!

   Many thanks to all the great friends who traveled along and helped make this dancing trip a joy to participate in, and special thanks to Rob Holley for inviting us along on this great adventure.

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Local Choreographers garner International Recognition

New Dance gaining interest among Line Dancers 

 

     When someone you know is really good at something, pours their heart and soul into that something, and does it just because they have a passion for it that's a fun thing to see.  It's even more fun to see them gain a degree of recognition for their efforts that goes beyond the appreciation of local friends.

    That's been the case this week as we've watched a new dance choreographed by local line dance instructors Robert Holley of Bear, DE and Stephen Pistoia of Woodstown, NJ rocket up the charts of Copperknob, a website that archives tens of thousands of line dances from around the world, and ranks the current most popular dances in much the same way music is ranked on the Billboard charts.

    As of this writing, their new dance "Make You Mine" has risen to number 8 in less than a week since its initial release. Impressive indeed.

 

     Line dancers in the area, country dancers in particular, will most likely be familiar with the pair.  Rob teaches line dancing each Thursday night at Delaware Park, and Stephen and partner Laura teach twice a month at Tailgates Sports Bar in Newark.

    This is far from their first foray into choreography, each having created several dances in the past, but for us it's fun to see the pair working together.  And that's just what the line dancing community is all about - friendship and community .

    If you'd like to get in on the hot trend of line dancing you can follow Rob on his Team Holley Facebook Page.  Steve's schedule can be found on his Dance Bullies Facebook Page.  And as always, if you'd like to know about all the goings on in the local line dancing community that we can find follow us on Facebook by liking Dora and Gary's Line Dancing Page.

 

Dora and Gary