Let’s Dance Big Band Weekend kicks off July 8

DeKALB – The 16th annual Let’s Dance Big Band Weekend will kick off July 8 with the Ken Kilian Jazztet of Platteville, Wisconsin, and run through July 10 at Northern Illinois University’s Holmes Student Center.

All levels of ballroom dance couples and singles with friends are invited to enjoy Let’s Dance Weekend.

The Welcome Dance will run from 8 to 11 p.m. July 8 in the Duke Ellington Ballroom, 340 Carroll Ave. in DeKalb. Recommended attire is casual up to formal. Leather-soled shoes are required on the main floor.

At-door guests can register 30 minutes before any dance. Discounted balcony seats are reserved for listen-only guests. Free parking is available in lots near the Holmes Student Center.

On July 9, ballroom dance faculty will be enriched in the morning by two returning guest lesson instructors. Cathy Binko-DeRaimo and Frank DeRaimo own and teach at Brookfield Ballroom near Milwaukee. They will join Pat Ray of Aurora. Intermediate lessons in swing, Latin, foxtrot and waltz will be offered. Some additional students will be accepted at 8:15 a.m. July 9 at the welcome desk located at the west entrance to the Duke Ellington Ballroom.

In the afternoon, the Shananigans Dance Combo will play from 2 to 4 p.m. The cabaret dance is an opportunity for couples to practice new learned moves and relax with a live combo.

Leader and bass player Roger Hintzsche and vocalist Maureen Christine will be joined by Denny Vaupel on piano, Mike Bazan on reeds and Bill Byan on drums. The combo will accept music requests.

Saturday’s Grand Ball, which will be from 8 to 11:15 p.m., will feature host John Smith and the Shananigans Big Band of DeKalb. At 7:45 p.m., a patriotic salute will feature Nancy Killeen and guests on the “Star Spangled Banner” and Pledge of Allegiance.

A new fundraising project, “A Balcony View,” will take place during the Grand Ball and benefit the DeKalb Music Boosters. Guests can buy a $15 balcony-view ticket from the Boosters, and $10 will be donated to support music students in DeKalb School District 428. The goal is to fill the balcony with 150 guests who will enjoy watching dancing couples while listening to professional music.

The July 10 dance from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. will feature the Dick Elliot Orchestra, a 10-piece ensemble from Chicago.

For information, visit justmakeithappen-dekalb.com.