Former ballroom dance champions Helga and Peter Zankl love Central Alberta, where they relocated after the pandemic.
Their only trouble? There was no place for the former Sherwood Park couple to cha-cha, rumba, or even foxtrot.
The Zankls are addressing this deficiency by starting up their own ballroom dancing events.
Once a month, the retired Lacombe residents host dance and pot-luck suppers in Red Deer at the gymnasium of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints at 8 Keast Way, off 77th Street.
Anyone can bring a dish to share, and strap on their dancing shoes, said Helga. The next dinner/dance will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.
To build up local interest in ballroom dancing, the Zankls are also giving how-to lessons on the Viennese waltz, mambo, quick step and other dances at weekly drop-in sessions at the church on Thursdays evenings.
Helga hopes to draw people of all ages to learn the disciplined moves popularized by the TV series Dancing With the Stars.
She and Peter, who arrived in Alberta from Germany in 1981, were first exposed to the exuberance of ballroom dancing 20 years ago while attending a wedding in Olds.
A very tall man was dancing with a tiny lady — and despite their considerable size difference the two looked splendid on the dance floor, Helga recalled. “They kept dancing and had so much fun…”
As soon as she returned home, Helga booked ballroom dance lessons for herself and Peter — but she didn’t tell her spouse until the day before their first lesson.
“He’s a hunter/fisherman, outdoors kind of guy so I thought he would say no,” she recalled. “Instead, Peter actually loved it!”
The Zankls went on to teach ballroom dancing in the Edmonton area, and entered competitions in Las Vegas, San Diego, and across North America.
A memorable highlight was topping the leaderboard in an over-50 category in Calgary in 2008. “We won the Canadian Championship,” said Helga.
The now 71-year-old maintains anyone who can walk can also dance, regardless of whether they possess a great sense of rhythm.
“When you hear the music, you start dancing and you forget your troubles for a while… and it’s very good exercise. It’s perfect for your body with its slow motions. You can dance when you’re 90.
“I think it’s also good for your brain because you have to think about your movements. And it’s very social.”
Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to come and learn to ballroom dance on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at 8 Keast Way. Donations are accepted.