Square dancing group winning hearts

East Kildonan

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This article was published 02/07/2025 (243 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Forward, back, do-si-do, roll away to a half sashay, folks. For those looking for an affordable way to spend an evening, look no further than the Paws N Taws square dancing group.

“It was so awesome. Everyone is so nice there,” said Sandra Gazley, an East Kildonan senior who joined the group this September. “They don’t care if you make mistakes. They’re having fun. It’s just to get out, have a good time, and visit with people. It’s surprisingly good exercise.”

Every Thursday evening, starting Sept. 4 and running through to early May, the Paws N Taws square dancing group meets at Grace Lutheran Church (211 Kimberly Ave.), from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The group offers first-timers a free, three-week trial. After that, it only costs $5 to take part.

“Where can you go for an evening for five bucks?” she said. “My boyfriend wasn’t interested, so I was going to go on my own, but my daughter (Tamara) decided to go with me.”

“It’s been a nice bonding experience for me and my mom,” Tamara Gazley, 44, said. “I had a great time. The first three weeks are free, so I figured I’d try it out and see if I liked it. But I loved it. We had so much fun, we did so much laughing.”

Like the Gazleys, Lois and Conrad Dueck read about the group in the FP Community Review, and decided to give it a try.

“My wife had wanted us to be involved in some dancing for years,” Conrad Dueck, 52, said. “This is right down the street from us. It was right in the community. We figured we’d give it a try.”

“At first, we though we’d go every second week,” Lois Dueck, 53, added. “But you learn a new step or something every week, and as you go along it gets more complicated. If you miss time, they’ll help you.”

In years past, Paws N Taws typically attracts at least 25 people each week, while monthly special dances — such as the Christmas dance or an evening celebrating Festival du Voyageur — can draw upwards of 70 dancers on a Thursday night. The friendly atmosphere makes for a welcoming atmosphere.

“The people are super nice,” Tamara said. “They’re so supportive of you. They’re very encouraging even if you make a mistake.”

“We laugh a lot,” Sandra added. “No one’s there making a face at you if you make a mistake. There’s quite the camaraderie. You never feel like you’re in trouble for doing the wrong.”

“We were terrible at it, to start. But they were very supportive, cheering you on,” Conrad said. “You have to be able to laugh at yourself, because you fail a lot and publicly, but they’re very supportive.”

“The fact that you have to think about what you’re doing, so no matter what happened during your day, you have to just focus on dancing, nothing else at all,” Lois said. “It’s a mental break from the rest of your life. It’s quite refreshing. Your focus is not on any other concerns you have in life, you’re focused on dancing.”

“No matter how rough your day was, you were always happy you went square dancing,” Conrad added. “You laughed, you learned something, people were cheering you on.”

While the group is on break for the summer, Paws N Taws will reconvene starting Sept. 4.

“When you start in September, you see these people dancing, you think, I can never learn this. It’s way too hard,” Conrad said. “But at the end, you see you’ve learned a new skill. You feel proud of yourself.”

“We’re really thankful for the experience. It was good for our marriage,” Lois said. “Shout out to all the older folks, they’re just great examples of how to have fun when you’re getting older. It’s a really special environment.”

For more information, contact Lois at 204-229-6504 or Ron and Beth at 204-256-9942.