Text size: 
Moline couple shares their love of dance
Posted Online: Nov. 04, 2009, 5:34 pm
Comment on this story |
Print this story | Email this story
By Jonathan Turner, jturner@qconline.com
|
Gunter Schlueter and his wife Korah love dancing so much, they've even spread their wings in the baggage-claim area at Quad City International Airport. The Moline couple met in July 2008 at Davenport's Col Ballroom during the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival. They were among a very small group of dancers at the event. "I'm heartbroken when I see amazing ballrooms like the Col and see more people sitting than dancing," Mrs. Schlueter, 29, said recently. She and her husband have started a new organization, QC SoDa (Quad Cities Social Dancing), to promote every kind of dancing in the area. "The goal is for every dancer to know about every local venue, and to be able to quickly find out what is happening in the dance scene," Mr. Schlueter, 25, said of their new Web site, www.qcsoda.com. "If you are itching to dance, just hop on and see which dances are that night. There is so much good music and so many places to dance, Quad-Citians should know about it." Mrs. Schlueter grew up in Sterling. She got into swing in the late '90s and drove to Chicago to learn and dance as much as possible. "It brought me so much joy," she said. She never had been to a Bix fest before the night she and Mr. Schlueter met, and neither had he. Mr. Schlueter, who grew up in Minneapolis, had the dancing gene from many relatives. He moved to the Quad-Cities in 1999 and was astonished how hard it was to find places to dance. At 15, he started creating lists of bands and venues. A 2002 graduate of Bettendorf High, Mr. Schlueter was a dance instructor while at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, where he was active in ballroom dancing, swing, international folk dance and Norwegian folk dancing. "It was never enough," he said, so he would drive 40 minutes into Minneapolis to dance -- country dancing, Argentine tango, swing, salsa. When the two met at the Col Ballroom, they had such a good time dancing, Mrs. Schlueter suggested that they meet the next week, when she was taking a flight from Moline to Seattle and had some time to kill. Mr. Schlueter brought his laptop to play music, and they danced in the baggage claim for an hour and a half. "Dancing with Korah is unlike dancing with anyone else," Mr. Schlueter said. "She is phenomenal. She has such an ease with her dancing." "The thing I love about dancing with my husband is, he listens to the music. He just doesn't do a routine pattern of steps," Mrs. Schlueter said. "And we don't hog each other. If there's a person out there who's not dancing, he makes sure they participate. I've got a lot of respect for that." They were married Aug. 1 and had their reception at the Moline Club, with lots of dancing. Since September, they have offered swing dances every Tuesday night at the club, 1530 5th Ave., Moline, at $6 per person. There are Augustana students, ballroom dancers and new dancers at the event, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Mrs. Schlueter teaches beginners the basics of swing, and Mr. Schlueter helps the more advanced dancers toward Lindy, Charleston and other swing dances. Then, at 7:15, everyone comes together in the big ballroom to dance together until 9 to 9:30. Mr. Schlueter has taught at Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Davenport and A. Rhythmic Time in Moline. He said the QCSoDa Web site is a vehicle to promote not only dance venues and musicians, but also about 15 instructors in the area. "I've been trying to break down those interstudio walls, where we can do cross-promotion," he said. "People can find something that fits their needs. I'd hate to think people would think I'm the only thing that's out there." Now Mr. Schlueter works two jobs -- at Zales Jewelers at SouthPark Mall, and as overnight desk clerk at Country Inn in Moline. His wife is a substitute teacher. They said they want to share their love of dance with everyone and create a community where someone who enjoys dance doesn't feel he or she needs a partner to take part. "We want people to feel comfortable," Mrs. Schlueter said. "We want it to be accessible and affordable." "We want to be part of the Quad-Cities," she added. "I've traveled to over 14 countries and lived in Mexico and Ireland. It makes a difference -- there's so much that's good about this area, the Midwest. I can put down roots here." The Schlueters plan to lease space at 1502 6th Ave., Moline, for their swing club, to have more flexibility in scheduling than they currently do at the Moline Club. "We want to see it be a vibrant community," Mrs. Schlueter said. "We live in downtown Moline because we believe in it." -- Hunt, then dance QC SoDa is planning a scavenger hunt that will lead to prizes and a winter dance at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Moline Club, 1530 5th Ave. Visit www.qcsoda.com for rules and information about the hunt, which offers free raffle tickets for each item correctly answered or collected. Raffle prizes include lessons from various dance instructors, dance-class admissions and gift certificates. Raffle tickets will be available for $1 each for anyone who doesn't want to participate in the hunt. Among scavenger-hunt items, which must be collected by Nov. 30: -- Take a picture of Gunter Schlueter dancing without his hat on. -- Dance at The Lodge with Vocal Expressions -- Answer what kind of dancing goes on at GPS coordinates n41.559925 w090.587258. -- Take a class at Hot Yoga ($15). -- Answer where Omar did salsa before La Flama and Papi's. -- Find the Lost Country Dancers and attend an event. -- Answer what the Friday dances at Lavender Crest are called. Some items things on the hunt have costs, but most are free, and not everything is dance-related. The Dec. 4 winter dance costs $10 per person and will run from 7 to 11 p.m. Winners will be announced at the event. If you have questions, e-mail guentertain@gmail.com. 
|
|
 |
|
||
Rock island, IL Details |
|||
Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup
(More recipes)
| (More Print Ads) |
|
