Articles/Posts – Floricica

They have danced their last dance

The following dancers can no longer dance

Unfortunately some of my former dance students are no longer living. Sad but true. I’ll try to add them here for those of you to note, in case you also knew one or the other of them.

Many of the dancers I once knew in San Diego are no longer around. If I find fitting pictures I’ll add them here.

These two brothers, Andy and Walt Moffit, danced often at Balboa Park in San Diego. Walter died first but for many years I danced with Andy at my various visits. They both even visited me in Germany in the 70’s because they had bought a French car and also planned to visit the famous German Passion Play in Oberammergau!

I can’t possibly note all that no longer live since I don’t know exactly who is no longer around. Plus I want to add pictures and that will take a long time.

Klaus-Jürgen Süß (29.04.1939-16.10.2009)

Klaus-Jürgen was a very enthusiastic dancer ain my Aschaffenburg group! He hated it when I had to cancel a dance night. He met his second wife, Helga, at my class.

I once sewed a Rumanian costume which he wore at nearly every class night! But he never wore it at our many parties!! I found that very odd.

Dance Group Urberach/Gravenbruch

One our very sadist loss was Elke, she taught us many dances she had learned at various seminars. Then in 2007 she was in Belgium for a workshop when she got hit by a car. Many of us attended her funeral.

From my Gravenbruch group, Mike was our only male dancer. He died around 2014 I think…it was during my rehabilitation time so I didn’t find out about until later. This picture was taken at his birthday party in 2007.

picture from 2008

Today, August 22, 2024, I received the news that my „oldest“ dance student, Annemarie Döbler (93) died last Sunday. She danced in my classes as long as I taught.

1979-1982, Babenhausen

After we moved to Babenhausen there was an add in the local newspaper from Turnverein. They were looking for new instrutors. I checked them out and decided to try starting a group there. It ended up being pretty successful. Like with the Rodgau group we did exhibitions, arranged seminars usually with a party for everyone.

Costumes

Here are samples of various costumes, some made by me, some professional. These are only a few of the costumes. From many I have no photos…..darn!

	One of my original Rumanien outfits
	A Professional Bulgarian group.
	Which we tried to copy. This is my group from Urberach.
	A professional Russian group.
	A Croation costume of one of the ladies from the Balboa group.
	Me in an original Rumanian costume and Vera, from my Aschaffenburg group, in a self designed practise outfit but with an original vest.
	This was my self-made israely costume.
	Again, self-made israely costumes, together with my then husband Michael
	again an original Rumanian costume

Urberach

Elke, a great dancer, she even taught us some nice dances, but unfortunately died in a car accident in Belgium

Mike, one of our only male dancers, died when I was in the clinic after MY accident

Gravenbruch

Elke, a great dancer, she even taught us some nice dances, but unfortunately died in a car accident in Belgium

Mike, one of our only male dancers, died when I was in the clinic after MY accident

1975-1978 Rodgau

The group in Rodgau-Jügesheim was my first group. They were part of the Catholic Youth Group. We did lots of demonstrations and organised parties/seminars. This is a picture of that group…we had just done a demonatration. The guys colorful „Russian“ costumes I sewed myself.

Often the group „Sousta“ joined us. The teacher, Conny Kissel, I knew from the Frankfurter group I onced danced with, „Slawia“. She later set up her group in Groß-Umstadt where she taught at the school my kids attended. She also organized partes at a place there called „Gruber Hof“, a former farm house which also had an interesting museum.

I also with this group learned about the German „Fasching“/carnival in 1982. while with the Rodgau group. Little did I know that I would become very involved with Fasching later, in 1978.



We even tried to perform a can-can, again with costumes I made.

Sometimes we had „original“ costumes, some which I managed to buy and we were often in the press. As you can see in the following press-picture I used longplay records…we didn’t have cassets yet. That meant dragging my records plus the record player every time!!

And we marched in local parades. The following are from one of those parades.

I tried to get some original costumes, whenever possible. Otherwise I tried to sew some using original pictures or plans.

And the following pictures of one of our many workshops/parties. We had dancers attending from all over Germany. Sometimes at the workshops we had real guest instructors from various countries. At the evening party dances were danced „on request“ or a guest group, like the group „Sousta“ did a performance as mentioned above.

A square dance group from Wiesbaden and one from Hanau, the „Hanau Hayseeds“ also visited us and performed some square dancing. I was able to dance along in a dress I had made myself. My partner was from the Hanau group and he sold me a „professional“ record player, complete with speakers and microphone. In one of my many moves

My husband also atteneded with out two kids.

Once a year we arranged a party at the local barbeque place. It involed a lot of organizing but was always fun.

Here I’m dancing a Ukrainian dance at an exhibition with Klaus Wand, who I also knew from the group „Slawia“. I had also made my costume myself as well as his.

Aschaffenburg

More of Balboa Park

Here are some pictures of the Park itself it’s worth it to visit even without dancing. The buildings were mostly built around 1915 for an Expo….and were not built to stay up long, but they did.

This was the original building where my first dance experiences took place. It got torn down but re-built with many of the original decorations.

And of course there was dancing all over the place.

The first Sunday of the month was „costume Sunday“ and some great costumes were worn….some original, some home made.

Here I’m with Andy Moffitt who I danced with often!

Here’s Steve with his then wife…..

Here Steve Henderson….my main partner back then. We did many exhibitions together. Fun stuff!!

Today, 2021, I found out he has been diagnosed with Parkinson!! So sad…..

Balboa Park San Diego

When I was in High School and about 16 yrs. old, I started going every Sunday with my best girl friend, Terry, to Balboa Park where we learned and danced international folk dancing. It was a very fun time! I danced there for years and years and even visited there on all my trips home.

I met many guys and gals…..it was always interesting on my visits to see who was still dancing and who had passed on. It was always sad to find out that one of my favorite dance partners, like Andy Moffitt, no longer lived.

Performing with Rodney Henderson on the stage of the parks great organ!

Me wearing my self-made Russian costume. This was taken I believe in 1969.

Me dancing with Paul at one of the Sunday events.

Square Dance beginnings

My Square Dance Beginnings

Me with my 2 brothers, Bob the tall guy and Carl the littler one and me in the middle. I was about 8 yrs old at the time. The club was named „Twinkling Twirlers“….unfortunately I don’t have one of their badges anymore but I do have a picture of it.

I continued for many years, even when later living in the Philippines. And there even my parents danced along! My older brother, Bob, became a caller and my dad the club’s president. The club was named the „Bataan Twirlers“.

Bob as caller Dad as president

In the above picture we sometimes visited local villages and let them try to dance with us. It was all lots of fun!