Located just across Highway 24 from Old Colorado City and a little to the South, the International Dance Club (IDC)’s exterior is a nondescript building at 2422 Busch Avenue which sports a large wooden dance floor and colorful Alps-style decor inside. Bright tablecloths and flower vases often decorate the tables along the sides of the room and faux chalet windows complete with real window boxes sport silk flowers at the back of the stage. Several different dance groups use the facility monthly.
The club is not a bar vibe, but instead bills itself as, “family friendly and not a nightclub scene.” I found it to be fun, calm, and pleasantly challenging skill-wise. Even though I have dance (Ballet, Zumba, personal dance-party and Aerobics 😏) background, I’d not learned a lot of social dances.
On my first visit I mistakenly showed up to an advanced-level Square Dance night. Folks, this was not your basic elementary gym class square dancing. There were some complicated partner moves as the dancers swung and wove around one another. People were welcoming however, and I enjoyed watching for a while. I especially admired a few folks’ awesome costumes. Think couples — one with a fluffy polka skirt and another in a matching-fabric western shirt.
That night, the dancers were the Waggin’ Wheelers — they use the facility on the 1st & 3rd & 5th Fridays of each month from 7:00-9:30pm. They also offer yearly classes for beginners. They had a potluck and what looked like some very nice food. They can also be found on Meetup.
Contra Dancing uses the facility on Sunday afternoons once a month. Pikes Peak Traditional Dance is a caller-led, “New England community dance.” The first Sunday of the month, they’re there from 1:30 pm (for a beginner lesson), and then dancing from 2-4:30 pm. Check out their Facebook page for updates. I checked this one out and found it not hard to catch on. Folks were in two lines and moved across and then down as the ordered, called (a person with a mic instructing the moves) dance progressed.
I attended one of the IDC monthly FREE line dance classes. These are the first Saturday night of each month from 5-6:30pm. I was pretty lost, although not unhappy a lot of that time. The instructor was clear and other participants were friendly and enjoying themselves. That evening, we started out with some harder steps and progressed to some easier ones. “Taught by Mack and Yong Sharp,” according to their website.
These classes occur before the IDC regular weekly dances, which start at 7pm and are $10 for members, $12 for non-members.
Live music for both square dancing and the IDC dance was a pleasure. Musicians are featured on the groups’ social media.
According to the IDC calendar, another group that uses the IDC facility is West Coast Swing by Altitude Connection Events, every 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month. “Doors open at 6. Lesson begins 6:15pm. Social dancing will begin 7-7:15pm. $15 lesson/dance, $10 social only.”
I also heard from some other participants at the IDC dance, about Thursday night dances at the Eagles and plan to try that out. “The Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) is an international fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898… Originally made up of those engaged in one way or another in the performing arts…”
Dance on!! 💃🏾🕺🏻🎻
