March/April 2013 Newsletter - SouthernStar Home

Newsletter of the
Chapter
Volume XXVI
Number 2
In This Issue:
President’s Message -
Page 2
Upcoming Events - Page
3
Monthly Dances -
Pages 4 - 6
Outreach -
Pages 7
The Adventures of
Tango Man -
Pages 8, 9,12
Membership News -
Page 10
Still Dancing
Chapter 4–
Pages 11 & 12
Tracey Zirfas

2
President’s Message
The first two months of 2013 have raced on by, and
we’ve had two chapter dances with great entertainment
to start out the new year. I appreciate and
thank the pro’s who continue to support us with
their time and talent to bring us wonderful entertainment
month after month.
I have just finished attending the Florida State Fair
Ballroom Dance Day and, while lightly attended, we
had a great time. The State Fair dance event is different
every year, and Peg and I have attended every
year since its inception 20+ years ago. This year featured
a 43 heat ballroom competition along with
demonstrations of Theatre Arts (Richard and Laurie
Collett), a world champion Hip Hop dancer, lyrical
dance, belly dancing, and folk dancing. Talk about
variety! The general public always finds this smorgasboard
of dance demos very entertaining, and the
dance community thanks Debra Loran and Grace
Badillo for organizing this event every year.
Tracey Zirfas, dancing with instructor Kevin Rios,
captured 20 first place awards in the Ballroom Dancing
segment! Please congratulate Tracey the next
time you see her brilliant smile on the dance floor.
SouthernStar Chapter had a table set up in the Special
Events Pavilion to hand out information to the
public, and I thank the four lovely ladies, Edie,
Patty, Sharon, and Patti, for volunteering their time
to hand out American Dancer magazines, Star-
Dancer newsletters, and a host of other dance
items.
If you have not attended you need to come out next
year. The dance floor is huge and unlike 20 years
ago, it is a wood floor. Back when this event first
began we did not have a wood floor and danced on
the concrete floor while avoiding the drainage
grates! I know the organizers truly thank Richard
and Laurie Collett for their support year after year,
and they put on a spectacular Theatre Arts demo as
usual!
At long last the SouthernStar Chapter is sponsoring
a youth group at Strawberry Crest High School.
The board of directors has approved funding for a
professional dance instructor to work with the
Dance Club at the High School. Daria Kopylov has
begun working with the students in the
Dance Club, and we hope to see a demo of their
dancing in the near future! We will keep you posted!
Be sure to mark your calendars for the second
Wednesday of each month. If you’ve not been to a
SouthernStar Dance recently you are missing out on
a great time with great fellow dancers.
That’s it for now. Peg and I will see you on the dance
floor real soon!
Mike
Help Wanted!
Jerry Dvorak, citing the desire for actual
“free time” in his life away from working in
the real world and dancing, is retiring from
his “high-paying” (sarcasm) position as our
chapter web lackey and guru.
We’re going to need someone
right away!
So, if you have the skills or even just the desire
to learn how to do this interesting and
rewarding job, please call me (813-237-
5265) or talk to Mike or Peg at the next
chapter dance!
Nikki Dvorak,
newsletter editor (and the slacker’s wife)

3
Upcoming Events
Mar 3 rd Lakeland USA Dance
Contact Terri Lynn 863-255-8344
@ Plant City Stardust Ballroom
3pm-6pm Monthly Dance (1 st Sunday )
Apr 7 th Lakeland USA Dance
Contact Terri Lynn 863-255-8344
@ Plant City Stardust Ballroom
3pm-6pm Monthly Dance (1 st Sunday)
Mar 13 th SouthernStar USA Dance
Contact Carol 813-689-5381
@ The Rhapsody Ballroom 7:30 – 10:30pm
Monthly Dance (2 nd Wed)
Apr 10 th SouthernStar USA Dance
Contact Carol 813-689-5381
@ The Rhapsody Ballroom 7:30 – 10:30pm Monthly
Dance (2 nd Wed)
Mar 14 th Pasco County USA Dance
Contact Julia Galpin
@ The New Port Richey Elks Lodge 7:00 – 10:00pm
Monthly Dance (2 nd Thurs)
Apr 11 th Pasco County USA Dance
Contact Julia Galpin
@ The New Port Richey Elks Lodge 7:00 – 10:00pm
Monthly Dance (2 nd Thurs)
Mar 25 th Treasure Coast USA Dance
Contact Nancy 727-576-120
@Gulfport Casino in Gulfport
7pm – 10pm Monthly Dance (last Monday)
Apr 28 th Ice Cream Social –Stardust
Contact Peg 813-685-1656
@ Plant City Stardust Ballroom
6pm – 9pm Ballroom Dancing & ICE CREAM!
Mar 31 st Ice Cream Social –Stardust
Contact Peg 813-685-1656
@ Plant City Stardust Ballroom
6pm – 9pm Ballroom Dancing & ICE CREAM!
Apr 29 th Treasure Coast USA Dance
Contact Nancy 727-576-120
@Gulfport Casino in Gulfport
7pm – 10pm Monthly Dance (last Monday)
Dance every Wednesday 7:30 pm and
Dance on Fridays 8:00 pm @ The Rhapsody Ballroom
Contact Richard @ 813-985-6570
*********************************************
On the cover:
Tracey Zirfas is a familiar figure around the ballroom. She has competed and done shows around the area
and she recently had an excellent result at the Florida State Fair comp...see Mike’s president’s message for
the details on that.
If you need someone to follow for the Samba line dance stand behind her because she’s great at it!

4
January Dance
by
Nikki Dvorak
to see Chris and Kathryn perform with some of their
students too.
Since Jerry and I were part of the show we really didn’t
get a chance to watch it so I’ll have to let the
photos tell the story. Thanks to Peg Johnston for
being the show photographer for the evening!
Waltz
The current dancers with the ChrisKat Performance Team:
Phil and Kathy, Lou and Edy, Larry and Ellen, Chris, Judy,
Jack and Michaela, Jong, Claude, Elmer, Nikki and Jerry,
Kathryn, Tyler, and Lelia and Carl.
Here’s the stuff about the January monthly dance:
Jong and Chris
The chapter board had a meeting at nearby Antonio’s
(yum) before the dance and then hurried over
to get the dance started.
We talked about the officer elections that will be
held at the end of the year. It’s not too early to start
thinking about this. Mike Johnston is set to retire
as our long term chapter president.
Cha Cha
Carl and Lelia
Also retiring from his position as web master is
Jerry Dvorak…….as soon as possible, he says!
If you’re interested in becoming more involved in
our chapter please contact Mike, Peg, Jerry, or any
of the board members
We had some good food, door prizes, dance music
happening when we got to the dance. Mike tried out
a few new tunes he discovered recently as he’s always
updating his music library.
The ChrisKat Performance Team provided the entertainment
for the evening. This group is made up
of students of Chris Skates and Kathryn Schaffer,
and we never know who will be performing when
they put together a show. This time there were so
many dancers who wanted to perform Chris and
Kathryn came up with the idea of doing group
dances instead of solos. We had a Waltz, Cha Cha,
Foxtrot, Tango, and Quickstep. AND... we even got
Phil and Kathy
Michaela and
Jack
Kathryn and
Tyler

5
Foxtrot
February Dance
by
Nikki Dvorak
Ellen and Larry
Claude and Chris
Tango
Just after their performance and they are still smiling!
From left: John Roe, Abby Lang, Arnold Pagano, Connie
Pagano, Murray Webb, Elissa Silvers, and Wayne Meier.
Edy and Lou
Quickstep
Nikki and Jerry
Let’s hope this sloppy weather will soon be behind
us. The attendance at the dances seems to be suffering
from it. Wah!
We’ve still got the same great dance floor and music,
delicious refreshments, fabulous door prizes,
and wonderful entertainment, but it would be even
more fun with more people, don’t you think? Hey!
We miss you guys!
If you were one of the lucky ones attending the February
dance you saw a fantastic show put on by
Elissa Silvers and her students from the Sun Coast
Ballroom in Largo.
Elissa and Murray
Webb opened the
show with a flashy
I n t e r n a t i o n a l
Tango That emphasized
contained
s t r e n g t h a n d
power, with the
dancers moving
slowly, crisply, and
deliberately. Well
done!
Elissa and Murray
Elmer and Kathryn
Judy and Chris
(Continued on page 6)

6
(Continued from page 5)
Seen at the dance!
The Paganos
Connie and Arnold Pagano
treated the audience
to a lovely Foxtrot
to that beautiful song,
September in the Rain.
Their dancing was just as
dreamy as the melody of
the song; quietly sublime
and poetic.
More on page 12
Abby Lang and John Roe
heated up the floor with
their romantic Bolero. They
moved with impossibly synchronous
perfection….and
talk about chemistry? They
practically invented the
stuff!
Abby and John
Capping off another great
were Elissa and her student,
Wayne Meier in a
show-stopping, no holds
barred, swanky Foxtrot. It
was a marvel of sassy attitude
and colorful choreography
that only these
two could pull off. What a
treat to watch!
Elissa and Wayne
Thanks to the whole gang
from the Suncoast Ballroom
for coming over on a night when the weather
was less than ideal. Those of us who got to see the
performance were glad you did!
We hope to see you next month when, according to
the rumor, Jason Bundy and some of his students
are slated to provide our evening’s entertainment.

7
with you no matter your dance level. It is encouraged,
although not necessary to bring your own
partner (we understand the boys like to do other
activities besides dance sometimes, leaving the girls
without a dance partner). Your experience will be
even better.
By
Egland Sliwa
Have you ever wondered why your life is so stressful
and what you can do to change your stress level?
Well, I have a solution for you: VOLUNTEER! Yes, volunteer
to any organization. Give your time, your
heart and soul to others that in return will fill your
life with joy, peace and satisfaction. This is what the
OUTREACH program provides to you as a volunteer.
Since I partnered with Stan Sheppard to participate
in this simple, and yet, well organized program, my
heart has been blessed with hundreds of sincere
smiles, warm hand shakes, incredible hugs and a
rhapsody of love. The Seniors from these different
assisted living facilities are so eager to give you the
attention, care, and love you need to leave with a
peaceful heart and relaxed mind.
You really don’t have to do much to be part of this
program. You only need to make the time to be
there at the date, time, and place requested, and be
willing to dance. You don’t have to be a professional
or advanced or even intermediate dancer to take advantage
of this opportunity. You only need to have
the need to have fun and share your heart with
these groups of wonderful seniors.
Leila Blevins and her husband, Carl Blevins are the
organizers. They are dedicated to this program
100%, and they are always looking to create a great
show for the seniors at the assisted living sites. This
couple is not only willing to dedicate their time to
organize, but they participate in the dance with
really fun routines, and when the occasion comes
Carl doesn’t miss the opportunity to dress up as
Santa!
Mike and Peg Johnston provide an excellent sound
system and music if you don’t have your own. Just
tell them what you want to dance and he will be glad
to find something nice to play. Gordon
Christiansen, an all-time great volunteer, will dance
So, if your desire is to relax and watch, dance only on the
group dances or use this event to practice your routines,
please come and visit the assisted living facilities and rejoice
your heart by giving a little bit of your time to the
seniors. Remember, we may be there one day, hoping
someone will come and entertain us with what we love
to do: DANCE!
By
Lelia BLevins
In November, the Southern Star Chapter sponsored
an outreach event for the Brandon Senior Center on
Parsons Avenue. We were asked to put on a 45 minute
show during the day at 1:00 p.m., and to possibly
include audience participation. That show was
such a hit, the outreach group was invited back
again to put on a Valentines Day show in February.
The February outreach included Mike & Peg Johnston,
Gordon Christiansen, Bonna Tannenbaum,
Rita & Guy LaValle and Carl & Lelia
Blevins. Our 45 minute show actually turned into an
hour. We had lots of audience participation, mostly
in the rhythm dances. This facility offers activities,
meals and daycare
to senior citizens.
At least 50%
are mobile and eager
to participate!
Our dancers
got a good workout
and our b...s
w e r e d e f i -
nitely dragging by
the end!.

8
Installment Three of the
Ongoing Adventures of
Tango Man
(Da Da Da DAAAAA – He’s everywhere, he’s
everywhere)
by Ace Dance Crime reporter Rudy Dancealot!
It was a balmy, breezy Wednesday evening in December
on the Tropical South Pacific island of
Humpa-da-poopoo. As we know, Tango Man was
missing at the last SouthernStar dance in Tampa. It
seems that Tango Man had been sending in box
tops from his favorite breakfast
cereal (General Mills Cocoa Puffs
because they are MmmmMmmm
Cocoalicious) for the last 23
years, and it finally paid off – he
won an all expense paid trip to
the fore mentioned tropical island.
Tango Man questioned if he should leave
Tampa at the mercy of the despicable crimes of The
Man in Black (TMIB), but Tango Man’s Mother (he
still lived at home) told him this was the first and
probably the last thing he would ever win, and he
was by god going to make use
of it – besides she needed a
break from the little whisper of
a man hanging around the
house all day.
As we look upon Tango Man
on the beautiful tropical island,
we see that the Humpada-poopoo
natives are performing
a ceremony that will elevate our mysterious
crime fighter to the status of a god. It seems that
Tango Man has been making quite a splash here -
literally. He is the only man in the last
117 years to successfully dive off the
magnificent Humpa-da-poopoo Poopoo-ma-danga
sea cliffs and successfully
survive the plunge into the blue
Pacific waters while doing a triple
oblique summersault with a double-
Ganger accentuated Salchow followed
by a tip of the hat to the good fairy
Tinkerbell to end the dive (in actuality, he had
tripped and fallen off the Humpa-da-poopoo Poopoo
-ma-danga cliffs while looking down at the magnificent
Humpa-da-poopoo Poopoo-ma-danga cliff
dwelling birds more commonly referred to as the
Humpa-da-poopoo-tanga-duu-monga swallows – for-
tunately Tango Man is so light and wispy that he just
floated down into the water like a dry leaf, and then
a friendly Dolphin helped him back to shore – so
long and thanks for all the fish). The Natives were
very impressed with this. When Tango Man (always
truthful) attempted to tell them it was all a mistake,
the natives just poopoo’d his objections. What
clinched Tango Man’s celebrity was his uncanny ability
to completely drain all the Humpa-da-poopoodeedee-ta-taataas
juice from the sacred Humpa-dapoopoo-deedee-ta-taataas
cactus without passing
out or even slurring his words. It seems that the
Humpa-da-poopoo-deedee-ta-taataas juice from the
sacred Humpa-da-poopoo-deedee-ta-taataas cactus
is the most potent alcoholic beverage known to
man, and for the Humpa-da-poopoo natives, to completely
drain the Humpa-da-poopoo-deedee-tataataas
juice from the sacred Humpa-da-poopoodeedee-ta-taataas
cactus is much like, for us, pulling
a sword out of a stone; no one has
been able to accomplish this feat
for the last 1387 years – and thus
his elevation to a god. As for why
Tango Man could drain the Humpa
-da-poopoo-deedee-ta-taataas juice
from the sacred Humpa-da-poopoo
-deedee-ta-taataas cactus with no ill effects – we do
not have an explanation – he has never even had an
alcoholic drink before in his life (he usually drinks
Shirley Temples in Tampa), and we know that Tango
Man would never take Humpa-da-poopoo-deedee-tataataas
cactus juice drinking enhancing drugs,
unlike some people we know. It is just one of those
Humpa-da-poopoo mysteries that will probably
never be solved. So let’s get back to the ceremony.
Tango Man is thinking that maybe he could enjoy
spending the rest of his life as a pampered god on a
tropical Island, but then he starts thinking about all
those good, kind dancers in Tampa who depend on
him to rid the dance floor of the Rhapsody Ballroom
of hideous, unthinkable dance crimes. He also starts
thinking about his Mother living all alone in that big
old house (in reality she has been having wild parties
every night since he left, but we will not tell
Tango Man that). Suddenly he comes back down to
earth and accepts reality; he knows his place in life.
He silently gets up and throws off the sacred ceremonial
robe made of a combination of
Humpa-da-poopoo Humpa-da-poopootanga-duu-monga
swallows feathers and
Humpa-da-poopoo Dinga-da-mango-poodanga
fur (a native weasel found only on
the island of Humpa-da-poopoo) and starts
walking toward the Humpa-da-poopoo Fly-dinga-da-
(Continued on page 9)

9
(Continued from page 8)
up-o-da-poopoo airport and catches the first flight
back to Tampa.
So now let us fast forward to an equally balmy
Wednesday night in mid January outside the Rhapsody
ballroom, and I do mean balmy. There was a
record high of 87 degrees on this day – what’s that
about anyway? Some of us have a suspicion, but this
is not the time or place to discuss such matters. The
typical, desperate, forlorn crowd was straggling into
the Rhapsody with the hope of gleaning a few insignificant
moments of pleasure from their otherwise
bleak, desperate lives. The usual suspects
were there. Carl and Lelia were
watching the door, Mike was playing
the music, and the little man was
once again sitting in the corner keeping
his eyes on the proceedings. He
brought a sense of calm to the ballroom,
and the void that had been present at the December
dance had been subtly filled. Even though
most the dancers present could never begin to verbalize
these emotions, they felt that the world was
on an even keel again. Most of the occupants of the
Rhapsody did not even look closely enough at the
little man in the corner to realize that he had a bodacious
tan going, and that he still had a feather
from the Humpa-da-poopoo Poopoo-ma-danga cliff
dwelling birds more commonly referred to as the
Humpa-da-poopoo-tanga-duu-monga swallows stuck
in his hair. No one in the ballroom had any idea of
what Tango Man gave up for them, but this is often
the case – true heroes often live lives of obscurity
and loneliness – this is the way of the world.
The dance is proceeding swimmingly. Mike is playing
great music, and the occupants of the ballroom
are indeed obtaining momentary respites from the
misery of their shallow, fruitless lives when they
hear a sharp crack, the lights dim, and in walks
TMIB. As always he is exquisitely coiffed, dressed to
the hilt, confident as a Saint Bernard with a full keg,
and handsome as a ten dollar bean pole. This time,
TMIB walks right in without paying, sans any resistance
from the door attendants. This would be because
there had been a slow period, so Carl and
Lelia moved off to the corner to play ‘Go Fish’. Carl
has not managed to beat Lelia
in a game of Go Fish for the last
fifty years (this is a fact, Carl
and Lelia celebrated their 50 th
anniversary in February – you
guys rock). Carl has learned to
count cards, and he is abso-
lutely certain that Lelia has two Jacks
that will allow him to go out, but when
Carl asks Lelia if she has any Jacks, she
bats her pretty eyes and says “Go fish.”
Carl just can’t figure it out; he has
counted every card played. All I wonder
is why Lelia always has her open purse
right by her side when she plays – is that a Jack I see
hiding in there? Enough speculation, how are we to
argue with a relationship that has been going strong
for fifty years. The long and short of it is that the
SouthernStar coffers have once again missed out on
an eight dollar entrance fee from that devious MIB. It
is so hard to get good help these days.
TMIB wastes no time. He goes right to
Catherine Max and asks her to dance the
next waltz. Everyone seems to forget the
shenanigans of TMIB and Catherine immediately
accepts. As always, TMIB, being
an exquisite dancer, takes up perfect
dance position with Catherine. He commences
with the perfect preparatory step
and executes the first step of a natural
turn. But wait, what dastardly, craven, evil is this?
JUST AS THEY START DANCING, THE MAN IN BLACK
PULLS CATHERINE IN WITH HIS RIGHT HAND IN A
DEATH GRIP THAT CRUSHES HER AGAINST HIS
CHEST. Catherine is a lovely dancer, but how can
she be expected to maintain proper dance posture
when she is forced out of position by the heavy
hand of TMIB. Tango Man, always observant, even
while thinking about the glories of Humpa-dapoopoo,
immediately ascertains the dastardly crime
on the floor. He quickly goes to the back room and
within mere minutes returns dressed in the Crime
Fighting costume we have all learned to respect and
trust, except that his red cape has been replaced
with a glorious cape made of a combination of
Humpa-da-poopoo Humpa-da-poopoo-tanga-duumonga
swallows feathers and Humpa-da-poopoo
Dinga-da-mango-poo-danga fur (the Humpa-dapoopoo
natives let him keep the cape, even though
they were bitterly disappointed to see him leave).
Tango Man shouts, “Never fear – Tango Man is here.
It is my goal to right all dance wrongs.” So quickly
that no one can really tell what is going on, Tango
Man pulls a portable air bag out from under his cape
made of a combination of Humpa-da-poopoo Humpa
-da-poopoo-tanga-duu-monga swallows feathers and
Humpa-da-poopoo Dinga-da-mango-poo-danga fur
and deftly places it between TMIB and Catherine.
With a twirl and flourish of his cape made of a combination
of Humpa-da-poopoo Humpa-da-poopoo-
(Continued on page 12)

10
Membership News
Birthday Dancers
IN MEMORIUM
EVE FERBER
March
3-2 Jong Sook Kim
3-5 Jerry Dvorak
3-16 Trung Bui
3-16 Dorothy Callender
3-16 Lara McLaurin
3-28 Lurlene Gough
4-1 Lynn Moscinski
4-5 Edie Deoliveira
4-6 Guy Lavallee
4-8 Hugo Zacchini
4-23 Corinne Schramm
April
Longtime Southern Star member Eve Ferber
passed away peacefully on January 6, 2013
at 3:43 pm in the afternoon. She was 93.
She was the love of my life for 14 happy
years, with never a harsh word between us.
She loved life and dancing!
Peace and love and harmony
Ed Batchelor

11
Still Dancing
By Rose Masciello
An autobiography
The Voyage to America
When the exhausted but happy couple returned
home, the Palmeris were eager to hear about their
trip to this wonderland: Taormina. Stefano and
Mamma Lucia pulled up their chairs. The children
gathered around their newly married sister and
brother-in-law and would not let them escape until
they had heard every detail of the week they had
spent in the town built on a mountain. As they listened
in awe, they imagined themselves becoming
wealthy in America and returning someday to visit
their homeland and explore Taormina.
Now it was time to wait patiently for word from the
Embassy informing them of the exact date of embarkation.
In fact, Padre Stefano after giving much
thought to the coming voyage, and in consideration
for the sponsors who would be receiving them, decided
that five members of his family would go on
ahead on the first assigned ship. He selected
Mamma Lucia, who would quickly find work as a
seamstress, and the two youngest girls, Nina and
Margarita, who would attend school and learn the
English language. In anticipation of a grandchild,
Stefano felt that Giovanna and Giovanni should be
on the first voyage also. Lo and behold! In the midst
of all the planning and decision-making, the young
couple announced that Giovanna was pregnant.
They rejoiced and prayed that this baby would be
born in America. It would be Stefano and Lucia’s
first grandchild and the first American in the family.
Those staying behind would be Padre Stefano, who
would take care of leaving their few belongings to
relatives; Pasquale, now sixteen and still a little too
wild to be let loose in a new land, and Anichia to
cook and keep house for her father and brother.
Weeks and months went by as anticipation in the
Palmeri household rose like the sound of a tightly
pulled string on a violin. Yet, they went about doing
their chores as usual and wondering what their lives
would be like in the new world. The two little girls,
sadly told their friends at school that soon they
would have to say “Arrivederci” to them. Pasquale
reminded his teenage girlfriends that he too would
soon be leaving Sicily; he would miss their friendship
and never forget them. They cried because they
were losing their “Romeo”.
Giovanna and her sister, Anichia spent much of their
time in the kitchen, cooking for the family while
Mamma Lucia sat in her rocking chair doing embroidery.
She earned a few extra denaro sewing colorful
silk designs for the owner of a nearby linen shop.
When Giovanni was not helping his father-in-law
with the men’s chores, he watched Mamma Lucia
working her lovely designs on towels and pillow
cases. He had always been fascinated by the vibrant
colors that some of the great artists had used in
their famous paintings. Lucia was amused when she
urged her son-in-law to sew a few stitches and he
used the needle almost as deftly as she did. Giovanni
would be grateful for having skillful hands
when he was faced with the challenge of earning a
livelihood in America.
At last their visas arrived. On the day the family had
to part, they tearfully said their good-byes with
mixed emotions. They would be oceans apart, yet
very soon they would be together again living a better
life in a new land. Mamma Lucia, Nina, Margarita,
Giovanna, and Giovanni boarded the Princess Matoika
in the middle of February 1921. The passenger
list of the German ocean liner built in 1900 read:
“three hundred passengers scattered in 1st, 2nd,
3rd class, and the crew.” Mamma Lucia with her
“crew” were in steerage which held 1,700 passengers.
It would be far from an enjoyable trip, especially
for Giovanna, who was in the first stage of her
pregnancy.
An incident occurred during the voyage that was reported
in the New York Times front page of February
27, 1921. One evening Lucia’s intuition told her
that something was seriously amiss. She, with her
three daughters and Giovanni behind them, quickly
made their way topside. She asked if there was a
problem and was told that the ship had stopped to
greet another ship passing in the night. She continued
on her way up with her family closely behind

12
Still Dancing
(Continued from page 11)
Tango Man
(Continued from page 9)
her. When they arrived on deck, life boats were being
lowered and passengers from first class were
awaiting instructions. Lucia became frightened when
she saw an iceberg looming close to the ship. She
put herself and her family in the group waiting for
the lifeboats.
Luckily the ship was disengaged from the iceberg.
The New York Times account stated “Princess Matoika,
ocean liner carrying 2000passengers hits iceberg
off Cape Race, Newfoundland, and rendered
helpless by damage to the steering gear. After drifting
for seven hours it was brought under control.
The Princess Matoika had been destined to arrive at
Ellis Island. Unable to dock there, the ship was ordered
to port at Bostonf or the anti typhus examination.”
From there the Palmeris were put on a train to
Rockford, Illinois, where they had relatives who
would welcome them into their homes.
Mamma Lucia would say her rosary every night for
the rest of her life in gratitude to God, her Angels
and her Saints for bringing her and her family safely
to America. She thought of her husband, Stefano
back in Sicily. What if he had lost these five members
of his family at sea? Giovanni and Giovanna,
always inseparable, felt deeply grateful for having
come safely through what might have been a Titanic
-like disaster. Their baby was safe and it would be
born in Rockford, Illinois eight months later on
October 26, 1921.
tanga-duu-monga swallow’s feathers and Humpa-dapoopoo
Dinga-da-mango-poo-danga fur, Tango Man
inflates the airbag, and Catherine is released from
the claw-like grip of TMIB.
The Man in Black realizes his dastardly plans have
been foiled again by that very annoying Tango Man.
With a cry of frustration, The Man in Black once
again mysteriously disappears into a flicker of mist.
Tango Man feels satisfied that the immediate crises
had been resolved, but he suspects that TMIB will
show up again with even worse dance crimes on his
mind. But never fear - the ever vigilant Tango Man
will be ready. He is now convinced that he did the
right thing in leaving Humpa-da-poopoo.
Please stay tuned for further adventures of Tango-da
-mango Man (Da Da Da DAAAAA – He’s everywhere,
he’s everywhere).
(You know sometimes I just don’t understand a word this guy is
writing about – I think he sometimes just makes up words. He is
not so good, but he is very enthusiastic, bless his little heart)

14
The StarDancer Newsletter is published bimonthly
by the SouthernStar Chapter of USADance and has a
current circulation of 350 copies with over 600
readers throughout the Tampa Bay area.
We will gladly accept advertising for your business,
service, and/or dance event at the following rates
per issue:
Full Page ..................................... $35
Half Page ..................................... $20
Business Card (1 Issue) ............. $10
Business Card (2 Issues) ............ $15
Visit Our Website
The chapter has a website with information
regarding the chapter and an online version
of our newsletter. You can also view pictures
taken at recent events.
Jerry Dvorak works hard to keep the website
current. The address is:
www.southernstarusabda.org
Please call or email for advertising deadlines or
more information.
Please submit all advertisement in electronic format
(preferably) and send to:
Nikki Dvorak, Editor
4006 Branch Ave, Tampa, FL 33603
813-237-5265
gottadance@verizon.net
If you’re not already a SouthernStar member
please see our chapter website for an application
for membership! www.southernstarusabda.org
Officers &
Committee Members
President………………………..Mike Johnston
Vice President........................ Carl Blevins
Second Vice President .......... Scott Coates
Secretary ................................ Jackie Blount
Treasurer ............................... Stan Shephard
Members-At-Large................. Edie DeOliveira,
Elaine Derby, JerryDvorak, Bonna
Tannenbaum, Beth Nolan
Competition Chairpersons ... Michael and Beth
......................................... Nolan
Entertainment Chairperson .. Lelia Blevins
Membership Chairperson ..... Peggy Johnston
Outreach Chairperson .......... Suzanne Hiebert
Publicity Chairperson……..... Deborah Kobritz
Refreshment Chairpersons….Lurlene Gough
and Jackie Blount
Newsletter Editor……………...Nikki Dvorak
Dance Quotes
“Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a
little.” (Evaluation of Fred Astaire's very first
screen test)
“Almost nobody dances sober, unless they are
insane.”
HP Lovecraft
“Dancing is the art of getting your feet out of
the way faster than your partner can step on
them.”
-Author Unknown
“If God had intended us to do Ballroom
dancing, he would have made women's knees
bend the other way.”
-Author Unknown
“There are only two places where
indiscriminate hugging is tolerated; the
b r o t h e l a n d t h e b a l l r o o m . ”
- M.A. Ham

Feature
15
Places to Dance!
Location
Date/Time
Admission
Misc
SouthernStar
USADance
(813) 685-1656
Rhapsody Ballroom
12101 N 56th Street
Tampa, FL
Wed, Mar 13
Wed, Apr 10
7:30 - 10:30 p.m.
$6 Members
$8 Non-Members
Ballroom
Group Lesson
Shows & More
Lakeland
USADance
(863) 687-8923
8923
Stardust
Plant City, FL
Sun, Mar 3
Sun, Apr 7
3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
$6 Members
$8 Non-Members
USABDA
Ballroom
Treasure Coast
USADance
(727) 576-1206
Gulfport Casino
Gulfport
Mon, Mar 25
Mon, Apr 29
7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
$5 Members
$7 Non-Members
USABDA
Ballroom
Sarasota
USADance
(941) 685-7026
Sara Dance Ctr
5000 Fruitville Rd
Sarasota, FL3232
Every Monday
7:00 - 10:00
$8 Members
$10 Guests
$5 students,
chaperones, and
observers
USABDA
Ballroom
Group lessons
Youth lessons
Dance America
(615) 948-3124
4445 East Bay Drive
Clearwater, Fl
1st and 3rd
Thursday
Class 7:30-8:30
Party 8:30-10:00
Party only $5
With class before
party $12
Latin
Swing
Ballroom
EasiDance
Ballroom
(813) 908-3340
5111 Erlich Road
Tampa, FL
Thursday Evenings
8:00 - 9:30
Please Call For Info
$6 - $8 Ballroom
Rhapsody
Ballroom
(813) 985-6570
12101 N. 56th St.
Tampa, FL
Wednesday
Evenings
7:30 - 10:00 p.m.
Friday Evenings
Latin/Swing
8:00 - ??
$6 Ballroom
Please Call for
Group Lessons
Stardust
Dance Center
(813) 759-8313
1405 S. Collins St.
Plant City, FL
Call for info
(813) 671-3009
$10 Ballroom
Please Call For
Information
The Way 2 Dance
813-966
966-4788
610 Oakfield Dr.
Brandon, Fl
Friday Evenings
Socials
7:30 - 10:00 pm
4th Saturday-
Swing Night
$8
Latin
Ballroom
Swing
We welcome your input. The StarDancer is a
newsletter for members of the SouthernStar Chapter.
SouthernStar USADance does not promote or favor
any particular studio. This list is strictly for the use
of amateur dancers seeking a place to dance.
If we have not included your favorite place to dance,
please contact Mike or Peg Johnston at
(813) 685-1656 and we will add to the above list.
USADance national phone number is (800) 447-9047.
A recorder is on after hours. If you have a question
regarding USADance, they will be glad to help you.

Rhapsody Ballroom
12101 North 56th Street,
Tampa
7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sponsored By
SouthernStar Chapter
of USADance
General Dancing
Mixers
Refreshments
For More Information:
2013 Yearly Planner
Mar 13, 2013……………....Monthly Dance
April 10, 2013……………..Monthly Dance
May 8, 2013………………...Monthly Dance
June 12, 2013……………...Monthly Dance
July 10,2013………………..Monthly Dance
Aug 14,2013……………….Monthly Dance
Sept 11, 2013……………….Monthly Dance
Oct 9,2013………………….Monthly Dance
Nov 13,2013…………………Monthly Dance
Dec 11,2013…………………Monthly Dance
Richard or Laurie Collett
(813) 985-6570
I-75
Carol or Pete Peterson
(813) 689-5381
Peg or Mike Johnston
(813) 685-1656
Fletcher Avenue
Rhapsody
Ballroom
Fowler Avenue
Busch Boulevard
Hillsborough Avenue
(Hwy 92)
I-4
To Tampa
Shoney's
Inn
Exit 54
To Orlando

Mar 31 and Apr 28
$ 7

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Contact Patti at 561-740-9589
dancinmacs@comcast.net
www.usadance-royalpalm.org

Members of the ChrisKat Performance Team taking a well deserved bow after another great
performance!
Look inside for more info about the chapter dances, Outreach program, the latest chapter from
Rose Masciello’s autobiography, and find out at long last what Tango Man has been up to!
SouthernStar Chapter
PO Box 4
Valrico, Florida 33595
email gottadance@verizon.net
Web site www.southernstarusabda.org