Four Seasons Dance Group returns
Jan. 14—Fancy footwork from the '40s and '50s is part of the scene four times annually at Newberry Hall, at least under relatively normal circumstances.
The Four Seasons Dance Group, with emphasis on ballroom dancing, took a sustained siesta due to COVID-19. It is now looking to get back to dining and dancing, with its traditional soundtrack of such cocktail-friendly creations as "Unforgettable," "In the Mood" and "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You."
"It's not just dancing, but it's the socialization and the camaraderie," said longtime member Ernie Chaput. "Everyone gets along very well, and it's just a nice, pleasant evening, and the band certainly helps."
The soundtrack comes by way of Swingsation, an Aiken-based group that dates back to 1990 and "specializes in music performed by the great bands of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman," as described on the website.
Alex Henderson conducts, as he has done since the band's establishment, and Heather Martin is the lead vocalist. Charter members of the group include Dr. Jim Boehner, on trumpet; and Tim Simmons, on tenor saxophone and percussion.
"Most of the dances are geared to the songs that were popular in the '40s and '50s," said Bob Barnett who came on board in 2006. "It's a chance to get together with people you don't see on an everyday basis."
"We certainly do enjoy it," added his wife, Mary Barnett. "We enjoy the dinner and we enjoy getting dressed up, because it is black-tie, and the women wear their nicest gowns."
The group dates back to 2001, having had its first dance that year on March 8 at Houndslake Country Club. Walt Joseph, by some reports, is Four Seasons' sole charter member still on board, and dances are traditionally held in February, May, September and December.
Chaput and his wife, the late Lynelle Chaput, joined the group in its first few months, having been members of another local dance group known as Aiken Assembly.
"My wife and I joined because we weren't satisfied with dancing just four times a year, and this would give us a chance to dance eight times a year," he said.
"It turned out to be a smart move," he added, noting that Aiken Assembly and other groups folded soon thereafter. "To the best of my knowledge, the Four Seasons is the only dance group with a big-band sound that remains in Aiken."
That sound, in terms of its quarterly role in Newberry Hall, has such staples as "Tuxedo Junction," "String of Pearls," "When I Fall in Love" and "Mack the Knife." Major detours also arise, to include pop hits from the 1960s and 1970s.
The group is highly compatible, he said.
"We know how to socialize. We generally know most of the folks, although we encourage and invite guests, because that's somebody new and different, and who knows? It may be your best friend tomorrow."
The current membership includes 30 couples.
"We have been as many as 40 to 45. Through COVID and ... the natural aging, we lost some members over the last couple of years, but we're actively out recruiting for new members and younger members," Chaput said.
