Celebrating 70 years of whirling and twirling

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St. James-Assiniboia

A group of west Winnipeg square dancers is whirling towards a major milestone this month.

On Saturday, Oct. 18, the Whirlaway Westerners square dance club will celebrate its 70th anniversary with a day of dancing and dining at St. Basil’s Ukrainian Church (202 Harcourt St.).

“The 70th anniversary event is open to all square dancers,” past-president Henrietta Anderson said. “Past members can come. We have our dancing in the afternoon at 2:30 p.m., then we’ll have supper, some speeches, some awards, and some more dancing until 9 p.m.”

Supplied photo
                                The Whirlaway Westerners square dance group is celebrating its 70th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 18. The group dances every Friday, between 7 and 9:30 p.m., from Labour Day through the end of April at Kirkfield Westwood Community Centre (165 Sansome Ave.).

Supplied photo

The Whirlaway Westerners square dance group is celebrating its 70th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 18. The group dances every Friday, between 7 and 9:30 p.m., from Labour Day through the end of April at Kirkfield Westwood Community Centre (165 Sansome Ave.).

Anderson, who has been involved with the Whirlaway Westerners for 40 years, thanked all the club’s past-presidents and members for their hard work in keeping the dance going so long. She said it currently has 30 full-time members.

“Like everything, everybody is always looking for people to join,” she said. “But we’ve been managing to keep going for 70.”

The Whirlaway Westerners started in 1955 in the basement of the old Woodhaven School. These days, the group dances every Friday evening at Kirkfield Westwood Community Centre (165 Sansome Ave.) from 7 to 9:30 p.m., from Labour Day through to the end of April.

“Our caller is Trevor Grier, he’s been with us 21 years,” Anderson said. “We’re always looking for new dancers to come forward. You don’t need to know anything, you only need to know how to walk.”

“There are 68 moves you learn,” said M.J. Kiceluk, another past-president who has been with the club for nine years. “You learn the moves, and he’s calling the moves.”

“One of our callers, Roy Haslund — he was with the club 32 years,” Anderson added.

A regular Whirlaway Westerners evening costs $4.

“It’s a reasonable price,” Kiceluk said. “The money you put in is your outfits, if you so choose.”

Both Anderson and Kiceluk agree that square dancing is a fun activity that provides many benefits at a low cost.

Supplied photo
                                The Whirlaway Westerners square dance group is celebrating its 70th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 18. The group dances every Friday, between 7 and 9:30 p.m., from Labour Day through the end of April at Kirkfield Westwood Community Centre (165 Sansome Ave.).

Supplied photo

The Whirlaway Westerners square dance group is celebrating its 70th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 18. The group dances every Friday, between 7 and 9:30 p.m., from Labour Day through the end of April at Kirkfield Westwood Community Centre (165 Sansome Ave.).

“Mentally it’s challenging, it makes you think. It stimulates your brain,” Anderson said. “Physically, you can put on up to five miles walking. Socially, you get to know people.”

“I find it’s the only activity that you can go to and dance with somebody’s spouse and not get in trouble,” Kiceluk added.

The group also gets together for events throughout the year, not just to dance on Friday nights.

“We have a lot of activities,” Anderson said. “We do a picnic in the summertime. It’s not just dancing.”

Tickets for the Whirlaway Westerners 70th anniversary event are $30, which includes both the dance party and a catered meal. Call 204-831-8954 for more information.

Sheldon Birnie

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112

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