Dancing Champions

 Dancing Champions

Thursday May 23, 2024 11:45 am to 1:00 pm

WE'RE MEETING AT MUNY!
Lions Municipal Golf Course
2901 Enfield Road, Austin TX 78703

	Jim Roberson & Bernadette Carmichael		Bernadette Carmichael & Sloane Hansen.

Who knew that we have an accomplished Country and Western Dancer in our midst at Austin Founder Lions Club? Turns out our own Lion Jim Roberson has danced competitively for many years. Here’s  a brief biography from Jim of his life and dancing experience:

“I moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas in 1968 after spending the first 18 years of my life in Morehouse, Missouri, graduating second in my class of 14! After graduating from UT, I moved to Harlingen, Texas and spent two and a half years learning how to be a Certified Public Accountant. I then moved back to Austin and worked for different accounting firms until starting my own business in December of 1977 and have been self-employed ever since.

I joined the Austin Founder Lions Club in 1991 at the invitation of Bob Brewer and have served on the board in various capacities including President and Treasurer. I married the love of my life, Monta Jane Akin, in 1982.

I remember watching couples dance at weddings, at bars and on television and thinking how cool it would be to be able to dance. The problem with me was, I couldn’t walk across the dance floor in time to the music! I had no sense of rhythm, couldn’t hear different dance beats, basically could not move to the music.

When I married my wife Monta, 42 years ago, she could back-lead me a little bit but certainly not well since I weighed twice what she did!! I saw a former colleague at a tax seminar and over lunch discovered that she and her husband were taking dance lessons at a studio. I called and made an appointment. The questions were interesting, “Why do I want to learn to dance? Why can’t I dance? …and then the best one; “Do you want to learn to dance?’ When I said yes, she said she could teach me!

After many lessons and lots of fun, Monta and I competed as a couple at the beginning levels of the United Country Western Dance Council, a nonprofit organization promoting Country dancing, and actually won our first World competition! Monta Danced Pro-Am with Sloane Hansen and won first place! I danced Pro-Am with Bernadette Carmichael and was bested by a man having a heart attack while he was dancing!

After a year of lessons with Bernadette, I won first place the following year and have been competing in 3-5 competitions each year since then. A side benefit is that research shows dancing is not only good exercise, but it also improves brain function as we age!

Bernadette Carmichael and Hilary Carson are the delightful owners of Austin Uptown Dance. For more information on them and what they offer at their studio go to AustinUptownDance.com. They offer a variety of group classes and Bernadette and Hilary compete professionally with Sloane Hansen and Jake Greene respectively.”

The program will include videos of our dancing at various competitions. Afterwards, Bernadette, Hilary, Sloane and Jake will give us a few lessons. We can put those lessons to use later that evening at Donn’s Depot, one of Austin’s most iconic dance venues.

STARTING AT 7:30 pm THAT EVENING WE CAN

PRACTICE OUR NEW DANCE SKILLS AT

DONN’S DEPOT PIANO BAR AND SALOON

1600 W. 5^th St.

If you plan to go to Donn's Depot, please email or call Lion Glenda Summers at gjesummers2@gmail.com or 512-327-2810.  She needs to know how many tables to reserve for us. There’s no cover charge, and no food except popcorn so eat beforehand.

Live music starts at 9:00 but we can play the jukebox until then. Be ready for a boot scootin’ good time. YEE-HAW!