According to Dance Palace history, and a bit of lore, 50 years ago a group of idealistic young people who favored the alternative lifestyles and beliefs of the 1960s was drawn to the pristine environment of West Marin. At the time, Point Reyes Station was a sleepy town—so quiet that dozing dogs could safely nap in the middle of the main street. They had their eye on the vacant and cavernous Point Reyes Emporium Building, where a sign hung inviting people to join in making a community center. There they could dance and do their thing. They arrived with energy, smarts, creativity and an openness to new ideas, and they made it up as they went along.
Once the group had settled in, they hung out, danced like crazy and bunked down in the mezzanine. When the upstairs tenants vacated their apartments because of the commotion, some of the group moved in so they could enjoy a proper bathroom and shower. No more bathing in Papermill Creek or borrowing showers from new friends. They taught a great variety of classes and provided many activities for which they charged a small fee, and anyone was welcome. They also had part-time jobs to make money. Some longtime residents, like former librarian Nancy Hemmingway and wood sculptor Bruce Mitchell, met there and eventually married. Others also married and started families. It was a happening place, and still is.
Nancy and Carol Friedman, the longtime Dance Palace executive director, remember an evening of dancing to a Klezmer band when enthusiasm bubbled over and the dancers filed into the street and around the corner in a conga line. Wendy Friefeld recalls organizing film nights—at the time there was no television reception in West Marin—where a hanging bedsheet served as a screen. She also remembers going into labor while rehearsing a dance number with the Fabutaps, a homegrown tap-dancing troupe, shortly before the Dance Palace’s 10th anniversary celebration. And by the way, the core of the Fabutaps, now mostly grandmothers, plus some more recent members will tap their hearts out at the upcoming 50th anniversary party.
With all the activities, and emerging ideas for new ones, the Dance Palace eventually outgrew its original home. The ever-industrious group raised $750,000 through donations and grants to purchase the Catholic church building and property on B Street. Architect Jim Campe, another one of the young idealists, acted as the contractor and designed the new building to fit in with the surrounding dairies and barns. Volunteers helped with the construction, further infusing the spirit of community ownership into the project.
With such a remarkable history, it is only fitting to throw a grand party to recapture the vitality of those early days and to commemorate what has now become a cornerstone of West Marin. The Dance Palace Community Center offers a wide range of classes and activities for young and old, entertainment and a venue for both public service meetings and private events.
Notwithstanding the colorful and significant past of their venerable institution, the Dance Palace board is busily planning for a dynamic future. According to executive director Bonnie Guttman, “The pandemic closure for 16 months provided the organization a great opportunity to reimagine how it can best serve the community.” Staff also wanted to address the changing dynamics of the community, among other issues. Board members, including Ken Otter and Randy Merk, sprang into action. They applied for and received a grant and, according to Ken, went on a listening tour, soliciting “the widest range of voices” from the community. From there they developed a plan for the next three years, which will be updated annually. One adaptation is to offer even more scholarships for children’s activities to assist families who suffered financial hardship during the pandemic.
According to Randy, “what we heard was a combination of approval for the ongoing events and activities along with a yearning for more informal options for community meetings and shared activities. Can you give us more reasons to go? How about drop-in as well as scheduled activities?” Other takeaways included a focus on greater bilingual capabilities for staff, programming and communication, and more ways to raise revenue as a destination for private events.
Come celebrate and honor the past, present and the future of the Dance Palace from May 13 through May 15. Bonnie and the board are hoping for a huge turnout! An outdoor reception for donors will be held on Friday, May 13. On Saturday, May 14 from 3 to 9:30 p.m., there will be local food vendors, birthday cake and ice cream for all, outdoor kids’ activities and entertainment, and a free concert and dance party with Maria Muldaur and DJ Lue.
Finally, on Sunday, May 15 from 2 to 4 p.m., the Albany Jazz Band will perform. All weekend, stroll down memory lane as the Dance Palace Art Committee presents a retrospective pop-up museum of Dance Palace memorabilia. For a more detailed schedule of events and for more information, go to https://dancepalace.org/dp50.
Ellen Shehadeh attended a trivia bee at the Dance Palace the first weekend after she moved to Inverness in 1999. She was hooked.