My father was the third son of early settlers from Malvern England. Prior to enlisting in the army he met the local (Bratton, SK) school teacher (Irene Hill) at a Teachers Convention dance in Elbow, SK, swept her off her feet and as fate would have it, married her. My father, who would travel for miles, mostly on horseback, to go to dances, came by his charm and fancy footwork on the dance floor quite honestly. Both his parents were trained and skilled dancers, having learned and practiced this wonderful art form in England, before settling in Canada. Word has it that when the Louis and Gertrude Hodges family (two parents and five children) showed up at a dance, the other guests would clear the way just to watch them make their obligatory rounds on the dance floor. My father was also a good story teller and lover of music. He could never resist a favorite piece of music and the dance floor was his medium in expressing this joy. One of his favorites was Louis Armstrong, having had the good fortune in seeing Mr. Armstrong perform in Saskatoon late in his career.

The question is, how does a boy who was born and raised on a farm 75 miles east of Saskatoon, come to have such a passion for the arts? As I grow older and have the luxury of time to reflect on this question, I can recall a couple of monumental experiences that, I think, helped form and direct this passion. THE STORY: #1  Saturday night was when the family would pack up and drive to Watrous - shopping, beer (my dad drank the beer), the movies, and then the drive from Watrous to Manitou Beach (four miles of paved highway), down the hill and through the resort, then to stop by DANCELAND, the very big and grand dance hall jutting out into Manitou lake. My god this was exciting, the ominous , all lit-up dance hall, music wafting from the wide open front doors (this was summer of course), and yes, the lure of the music and the dance floor created this nagging urge to take part. Because my parents loved music (Big Band jazz), many of these movies we would see were the stories of band leaders reliving the life-and-times of the Big Band Era. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Duke Ellington were many of the stories told and music heard through the movies. #2 ELVIS PRESLEY. Elvis may have been called the king but I believe he was more the Court Jester of American popular music. In other words, the Kings's conscience and alter ego, mixing a blend of county, folk, blues and gospel music. We were all about witness, through Elvis Presley, a new (old) sound in American music, called Rockabilly or better known as Rock and Roll. All these direct connections, at such an impressionable age, to music, dance,stories and the spaces they took part in, left their impact. Also, I would guess I caught the performing arts bug listing to and watching those in my family who came before me.

My mother met my father at a dance in Elbow, SK in the early 1940’s. My dad being the dancer extrordiare swept her off her feet and, I guess, that is how it all started for me. My mother was brought up near what was then one of Western Canada’s most traveled to resort areas, Lake Manitou (Manitou Beach) near Watrous, SK. Her father (my Grand Father), one of Saskatchewan’s early pioneers, and a man who loved to show off his special Irish step dance routine plus recite poetry for hours, had invested in two of the resorts many great buildings – Danceland and Whites Pool. Danceland stands proud today and has seen many of North Americas Big Bands play for dance lovers on one of the great dance floors ever built. My mother retired as a teacher at the age of 55 and has since persued her love of travel and the arts, and, is quite active in the act of retaining our communities heritage.