| By Laura Salinger It is once again that time of year when the Madison community unites to sing and dance on the rooftop of the Monona Terrace. With the backdrop of Lake Monona and cool breezes wafting on the early evening summer air, it is the perfect setting for community members to literally dance the night away. Dane Dances! will premiere on Friday, Aug. 4 and continue on every Friday throughout August. The events will feature a diverse menu of bands, musicians, and D.J.s. From the soul and reggae music of Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans to the New Orleans style jazz of Mama Digdowns, Dane Dances! will feature music that anyone can dance to as they enjoy the setting and the gathering of members of their community. Now in its seventh year, Dane Dances! was created by the Task Force on Race Relations, a program implemented in 1998 by former Mayor Sue Bauman. The task force was charged with developing a plan to reduce racism and increase respect for diversity within Madison. They created the Study Circles on Race, but felt that a forum that promoted just plain fun and community togetherness was also necessary to improving race relations. In August of 2000, three dances were held on the Monona Terrace rooftop. Since then, Dane Dances! has increased in popularity and is now held on each of the four Fridays in August. The dances provide a venue where race, age, socio-economic background, and political affiliation differences are set aside in favor of good music and dancing. Around 50 community members volunteer year-long to help bring Dane Dances! to life each summer. Their mission is "to create a place for everyone in Dane County to have a joyous social experience dancing to great music together." This interaction, they say, will help create appreciation and respect for Madison's diverse community. Dane Dances! volunteers agree that the dances promote diversity and create a community environment that is sometimes hard to find. Ruben Ernesto is a Madison native and a first-year volunteer with Dane Dances. He says that the dances are a unique and informal way for the community to come together. "It is one of the few times for the community to get together if for no other reason than to sing, dance, and enjoy each other's company," Ernesto said. Angela Arrignton, a lawyer, moved to Madison just two years ago. In search of a venue where she could get to know her community and its members, she was pleasantly surprised to find Dane Dances!. She was so pleasantly surprised that she is now one of the dedicated volunteers that help bring the events to life. "I moved to Madison in 2004," Arrignton said. "When I first moved to Madison, I didn't hear of too many events where the community came together." She said that Dane Dances! introduced her to a side of Madison that she hadn't previously seen -- a side of Madison where its diversity was truly reflected in a positive and safe way. "It is a coming-together of people of different socio-economic backgrounds, different races, and different ages," she said. "I think Dane Dances! is an excellent place for people to see a different side of Madison. At Dane Dances! you really do get a more community-type feel of Madison." Dane Dances! is once again offering a variety of music that will reach the dancing feet of all Dane County community members. The Aug. 4 event will feature DJ Vicente, Paul Cebar and the Milwakeeans (Soul, R&B, Reggae music), Calypso (Rumba), DJ Trini, and Que Flavor (Afro-Cuban and Latin music). The Aug. 11 event will feature DJ Laurie, the Davis Family Band (Jazz, Classic R&B, and Top 40 music), DJ El Niche, and Madisalsa (Latin Jazz and Salsa). The Aug. 18 event will feature DJ Trini, Mama Digdowns (New Orleans Style Jazz), DJ Vicente, and In Black & N White (Reggae, Rock, Soul, and Jazz.) The final event on Aug. 25 will feature DJ El Niche and Eddie Butts (Jazz, Pop, and R&B). While, volunteers will be busy with the August events this summer, they have also recently expanded their programming beyond the dance. The "Beyond the Dance" committee of Dane Dances! debuted ";Dane Dinners" this past January. Because of its high turnout and success at uniting a diverse cross-section of community members, the committee has planned three more free dinners for the community to enjoy. "We've gone from just planning the dances in August, to also having picnics and Dane Dinners," long-time Dane Dances volunteer Enid Glen said. "It is about bringing people together to come and break bread. It is also a time for dialogue for people to get to know one another." The events are facilitated dinners, where guests are asked to engage in dialogue with people from different backgrounds, race, and ethnicities. The next dinner will take place on Oct. 12 at the Multicultural Center on Beld St. on Madison's south side. The remaining dinners will be held in January and April of next year. Whether people are coming together over food or music, Dane Dances is a way to positively unite a diverse community. The events are made possible because of the many sponsors and volunteers who donate their time or money to the often forgotten cause of just coming together for a good ole time. For more information, visit the Dane Dances! website at www.danedances.org. Dane Dances is always looking for more volunteers and/or sponsors to help keep the program alive. |
| Dane Dances! volunteers make it happen |
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| (L-R) Enid Glenn, Ruben Ernesto, and Angela Arrington |
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