PORT TOWNSEND — Whether it’s Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Cole Porter or Benny Goodman who inspire your feet, you’ll have a chance to dance to them all as Robin Bessier and her Full Circle band come around to the Port Townsend Elks Lodge this Friday.
The Discovery Dance club, a nonprofit group promoting ballroom and social dancing, welcomes singles, couples and youngsters at the 7 p.m. party at the lodge, 555 Otto St. off Old Fort Townsend Road.
Admission is $10 including instructor Janice Eklund’s dance lesson at the beginning of the night.
Eklund will teach waltz this time out, and then Full Circle will play some waltz-tempo numbers mixed into the East Coast and West Coast swing, foxtrot, two-step and cha-cha.
“All ages are welcome and no partner or registration is necessary,” Discovery Dance spokeswoman Laura Brogden said, adding that dressy holiday attire is encouraged for Friday’s dance, but all styles are just fine.
Bessier and her band will get started at 8 p.m. with music from the 1920s forward: the artists above plus Duke Ellington, Bill Withers, Lerner & Lowe, the Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind & Fire, Johnny Mandel, Burt Bacharach and Nat King Cole.
“You’ll hear favorites such as ‘Cry Me a River,’ ‘Fever,’ ‘Let’s Stay Together’ and ‘Moon River,’ ” as the band plays until 10:30 p.m., Brogden noted.
Bessier has been to the Elks Lodge for such events twice before and kept dancers frolicking from start to finish, according to her Discovery Dance news release.
With Bessier singing, Full Circle has Bill Kiely on percussion, Ed Donohue on trumpet, George Radebaugh on piano, Ted Enderle on bass and Tom Svornich on drums.
Discovery Dance hosts these parties, smoke- and scent-free events, every third Friday of the month, with the Stacy Jones Blues Band coming to the Port Townsend Elks on Jan. 15.
More information about local dances and lessons can be found at www.olympicpeninsuladance.com.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
