The Mirage soon to be a mirage
This photo above is the Las Vegas I remember when I first visited Las Vegas in 1978. I was a dance instructor attending a Fred Astaire national ballroom dance competition at the old MGM Grand. It was my first major dance event in the ballroom industry and it was in the city of lights and showgirls, Las Vegas.
“Wow!” was my most often used word for that weekend. I was 22 years old and in awe – oh, and also amazed at how quickly my fat roll of 60 dollars – which I had brought to win barrels of money with – disappeared as if it was part of a magic act.
I’m glad I learned that lesson about Vegas then because, in 1983, I moved to Sin City already knowing that I did not have a taste for gambling. The first time losing my meager sixty bucks was so humiliating to me that I vowed never to do it again.
Instead, my vice was performing and Las Vegas was at its peak in offering star-studded entertainment, classic big production shows, top-of-the-line magicians, and circus acts.