MC Clint Hawes was up and dancing with a group of girls during the July Osoyoos Street Dance. A highlight of last month’s event was a dance off between the RCMP and “girls” from the Osoyoos Senior Centre. The seniors hobbled onto the stage, but threw off their canes and started dancing to YMCA when their Geritol kicked in. Cst. Sheldon Herman and Yinet Gonzales won, however, when they danced Gangnam Style. This Saturday should feature Macarena and limbo dancing. (Richard McGuire photo)
Those who missed the Osoyoos street dance in July will have another chance when the dance returns to Gyro Park this coming Saturday, Aug. 13.
The dance gets underway at the Gyro Park bandshell at 7 p.m.
But those who missed the dance off between the RCMP and a group of “girls” from the Osoyoos Senior Centre will have to be content to watch it on video – there won’t be a repeat this month.
The dance off saw new Osoyoos RCMP Constable Sheldon Herman dance Gangnam Style in uniform, along with volunteer partner Yinet Gonzales.
“The attitude of the RCMP is just absolutely fantastic,” said MC and dance organizer Clint Hawes. “They’ve got to take this Sheldon Herman and clone him and stick one of him in every detachment. That’s what I said to (Corporal Jason) Bayda.”
But Hawes’ favourite moment at the July dance was when the ladies from the Senior Centre hobbled onto the stage with canes, pretending they were decrepit, until their Geritol kicked in and they began dancing to YMCA.
The dance off raised more than $300 for Desert Valley Hospice Society.
There won’t be a repeat of the dance off on Saturday, but Hawes says he plans other activities to keep participants entertained.
There will be a contest with dancing the Macarena and there will be a big limbo stick for dancers to try to dance under, he said.
And there will be the usual assortment of prizes donated by local merchants given away to dance participants.
The July dance was the first time the dance has been held on the grass.
For many years when Home Hardware ran it, it was held on the street next to the store and when the Osoyoos Senior Centre took it over, the dance moved to the parking lot next to the museum and senior centre.
“It was a great time and everybody liked the idea that we moved it to the bandshell,” said Hawes. “It’s nicer to dance on grass than it is on pavement, right?”
One thing that surprised Hawes was the number of people, including children, who came up to his son the DJ and asked for country music.
“I couldn’t believe how many asked for it,” he said. “The Prairies must be well represented.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
