Ken's Dance Biography

As I have often watched Ken's lithe, willowy figure fade off into the dance floor distance, I have many-a-time wondered to myself: "Now how did such a shy klutzy youth ever turn into such a graceful gregarious bear?" The secret of his excess lies in knowing about his dance history. Rarely granting interviews, it took someone as elusive as yours truly, AKA "Grandma Peaches", to get him to come out of his ditzy dance closet and talk about his slinky, sordid past. Here's his exclusive story, --- as told to an aging Dance Queen herself...

1974 - The year the dance bug first bit Ken. While still living in his native Illinois, a friend invited him to a place called Folklore Village, in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, for a weekend of workshops on European and Middle Eastern folk dancing. In the candle light of the prairie town's dance hall (converted from an old one-room school house), he found himself totally captivated watching people Polka, Waltz, and Circle Dance to the live music on the hardwood floor! Over the next three years, trips to Folklore Village occurred with increasing regularity, right up until the month before he moved to California.

1977 - Ken moves to San Francisco, where 4 blocks away he discovered the Mandala Folkdance Center (on 16th Ave. & Taraval). Unfortunately, the folk dances he encountered there were totally unfamiliar, as well as the experience in general a disappointment. But an advertisement for Saturday classes in 1950s-style Jitterbug catches his eye, taught by Oz (Joel) Koosed & Etta Hallock. A year or so later, the Mandala Folkdance Center is bought out by Oz, and gets re-named the Avenue Ballroom.

1978 - Ken meets Peter. They fall in love and rent "Closet by-the-Sea". Ken won't give up his Saturday nights at the Avenue Ballroom, though!

1979 - Ken enters his first local dance contests. Eventually he wins a third place with his first partner, Carol; then later gets a 2nd place with his next partner, Kathy. For those who know Michelle Mayers Kinkaid (multiple-time U. S. Swing Dance Champion), Ken had the distinct honor of losing back then to Michelle and her first partner (before her last name was Kinkaid)!

1980 - With Oz & Etta introducing the intrigue of West Coast Swing, after a lot of begging, Ken and a small group of Avenue friends take their first class. A few months later he also learns Cha-cha.

1981 - A combination of circumstances cause dance to move over to a lesser place of importance in Ken's life. Besides focusing on marriage with Laurie, a move to New York in '84, --- and other factors --- played an influence over the next six years.

1987 - RETURNED TO DANCE (with a vengeance!!)!!! With divorce, moving back to California, and coming out to friends & family, this was also the year he first stepped foot inside The Rawhide 2 (SF's famed C&W gay dance bar), --- as well as returned to regularly dancing and taking classes, workshops, etc., from the Avenue Ballroom. Kelly Buckwalter, who a year later would become the National Swing Dance Champion, was teaching the group classes!

1988 - Started seriously learning C&W 2-Step, Swing, & Waltz, --- as well as several line dances. Main C&W dance teacher was the Rawhide's wonderful traditionalist teacher, Patrick Joshua. Also met Fay Cuthberson, taking her WC Swing class at the SF Rec. Center. A year later Fay gave me my first opportunity at assisting in her dance classes.

1989 - Continued in both WC Swing classes and C&W, --- including from additional teachers: Bob Dean (national dance contest judge), Swing Dance Champions Michelle Kinkaid, Dominic Yin, and Phil Trau (from Top of Beardsley's).

1990 - Through Ken's close friend Lily, his first exposure to the Renaissance Ballroom's SF Dance Festival occurred. A few months later he signed up for their Dance Teacher Training Program, studying all the ballroom & Latin dances under Christine Blanton and Teddy Lee.

1991 - Switched to working for Fascinating Rhythm Dance School, focusing mainly on studying Salsa from Marge Gabbert, the school's owner; but also studied American and Argentine Tango, as well as basics in all the main Ballroom & Latin dances. Over the next year and more, he also took classes from other teachers in things like Street Samba, Hula, Lindy Hop and Lindy Swing, Balboa.

1992 - Continued working for Fascinating Rhythm Dance School, including in assisting and substituting for Marge Gabbert in her classes at both UC on Parnassus, and also at Cesar's Latin Palace on Army St. Regularly performed, over a period of several years, in the annual Student-Teacher Showcase at the Renaissance Ballroom's SF Dance Festival

1994 - First solo teaching gig, at the Rawhide 2 teaching WC Swing drop-in group classes.

1997 - Second time teaching WC Swing drop-in group classes at the Rawhide 2. Quit working at the Rawhide 2 in December of that year.

1998 - Started teaching at Sundance Saloon, where I've been teaching WC Swing classes on an on-call basis.

"You are the most graceful over-weight man I have ever seen" --- said by a fellow-Billy Club member, after Don and I did a spontaneous dance performance at the July 4th Billy Gatherings' Talent / No-talent Show in Y2K.

"Man, I don't know what country you're from, but you sure do a mean Salsa!" --- said by a Latino guy at Cesar's Latin Palace, during my hardcore Salsa days in the mid-'90s.

"If you want to dance with someone who'll make you look good, ask this man for a dance!" --- said by friend Dave over the microphone while pointing to Ken during the middle of one of his Sundance line dance lessons. <blush!>

"I don't think you're doing this right. Here, let me help..." --- said by a student at Marge Gabbert's UC beginning ballroom dance classes on Parnassus, before she realized Marge had asked him to show up and volunteer as an extra leader, later doing a West Coast Swing demo that caused her jaw to drop to the floor.

"Do you lead or follow? I'm bi-dancual!" --- said by a cute guy visiting from out-of-town.

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR A F***, I ASKED FOR A DANCE!" --- loudly overheard by Ken's friend Doug at the old Rawhide bar, after receiving a rude rejection from another rainbow cowboy.

"Dancing is the most fun thing two people can do together vertically!" --- said by a patron of the old Avenue Ballroom, back in the late '80s.

"SHUT UP AND DANCE!" --- a T-shirt occasionally seen worn in the Swing dance community.

"Ken, feign ownership." --- said by friend Lily at Cesar's Latin Palace after more than one sleazy guy tried to hit on her.

"You have to understand that even if you were Ginger Rogers, the men here aren't looking for Ginger --- they're looking for Fred!" --- said by Ken to a female guest he brought to the Rawhide, who couldn't "get it" why she wasn't being asked for a dance.