Around once a month, the historic Alameda Elks Lodge 1015 is filled with people dressed in costumes inspired by decades past, ready to learn to dance the way they did back then.
PEERS Dance, the Period Events & Entertainments Re-Creation Society, Inc., an Alameda-based nonprofit founded in the 1990s by husband and wife duo James and Cathleen Myers, is devoted to researching and re-creating the performing arts of the past, bringing historical dance into the present.
Guests are encouraged to dress for monthly themes and make friends as they learn to dance. The February Valentine’s Ball and the March Grand Victorian Ball at the Alameda Elks Lodge lived up to the society’s motto, Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus — “Now is the time to drink, now is the time to strike the earth with a free foot.” Dancers arrived in fun costumes, bought themed cocktails, and learned to waltz, polka, and more. And as always, the welcoming atmosphere had newcomers and experienced dancers sharing the same floor.
Beginner lessons set the tone. Dancers often learn a circling waltz routine and the teachers give newcomers time to review footwork before the band begins to play. Live music is typically provided by Franklin Beau Davis & the Brassworks, known for their arrangements of Viennese waltzes and light classical music designed for dancing. In addition to waltzes, there are often polkas, swing songs, tangos, rumbas, and foxtrots, offering a range of tempos and styles throughout the evening…