I have always loved dancing…much to the distress of my mum during my younger days as I would sneak off on weekends to party the night away. We used to hold what we called “home parties” and as the name suggests, these were parties at some friends’ homes. We did not need much then – just some cordial (Red Man orange extract and a lot of sugar diluted in huge pails) and sandwiches would suffice…and we would gather, turn the records on and dance…dance…dance.
There were no discos or clubs then…just the not-so-decent nightclubs for dirty old men and we shied away from such joints. All we wanted was to dance and have a good time – we did not have any other dubious intentions. And at that time, there was a dance hall at the Sibu Recreation Club. I would not call it a ballroom as I do not think it is up to that standard. Well, clubs and associations would organise fund-raising dances there with tickets selling at RM3.00 or RM5.00 and drinks were sold at RM1.00 a glass. This one here was organised by the MSA (Malaysia-Singapore Airlines) Employees’ Union in 1968…
Spotted any familiar face in the crowd? Yes, these functions were VERY crowded and the place was not even air-conditioned. There were only ceiling fans! Obviously, people in those days were not as spoilt and pampered. We never complained – we just danced and danced and danced…
In one of my earlier posts, peteformation asked me whether I would be posting a photo of me doing the cha-cha…and that came across like a challenge. Well, I never back off from a challenge, so here’s one from 1969…
It was actually a cha-cha competition and we were down to the last two couples…and we won! LOL!!!
Those were the days of the a-go-go…
…long before the time when disco took the world by storm…
These were my students in the first school I was posted to in Kanowit (1978-1982) dancing to the Bee Gees’ “You should be dancing” from the movie, “Saturday Night Fever”. At that time, I would choreograph dances and teach the students to perform at concerts in the school or even in public on special occasions like National Day and the like. Believe it or not, one of the boys in the photograph is now a doctor – a PhD holder attached to a university in the country. Bdq, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to identify which one he is, right?
Of course, dancing in those days was nothing like what they call ballroom dancing today. Gosh! Just looking at them doing all those vigorous gyrations and complicated steps and I would feel tired already! Perhaps it is because I am old already and no longer up to such energetic moves…so I think I will just have to stick to my old, simple dance steps…
Shall we dance?…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 