Come to our Big Band Birthday Bash!

This year marks our 20th anniversary, and we are celebrating in style. Join us for our Birthday Bash this Sunday evening, July 19, featuring the live music of the High Desert Big Band!

We’ve tweaked the time of the dance to 6 – 8:30 p.m. There will be no lessons or performances. Guest DJ Lynn Horton will play dance music in-between band sets.

We will offer light refreshments and door prizes, and we’ll do some line dances when the band is on break.

Admission for this special dance is $15 for USA Dance members, dance instructors, and students with ID, and $20 for others.

The High Desert Big Band is an all-volunteer, nonprofit community band founded in 2012.

According to its website, the band‘s 15 to 17 members play music from Big Band to pop favorites.

All social dancers are welcome, and you never need a partner! Join us at the Albuquerque Square Dance Center, 4915 Hawkins St. NE.

20 years of ballroom dancing in Albuquerque

The North Central New Mexico chapter of USA Dance (Chapter #5047) marks its official birthday as Feb. 28, 2006, when it was certified as a chapter by our parent organization, USA Dance, Inc. 

Chapter founders were Ben Porter, Shawna Hollen, Ed Jonas-Morrison, Sally Semm, Caren Waters, and chapter coordinator Anna Watkins, who has also served as the chapter’s president.

From eight members and one dance a month, we now host two parties a month and have an email list of more than 750 people!

Dancers come from Albuquerque, Socorro, Santa Fe, Los Alamos and beyond.

In addition to our regular dances, the North Central New Mexico chapter has sponsored flash mob dances at local grocery stores, gyms, and other businesses; partnered with Albuquerque businesses for Dancing@Work classes in the workplace; and provided travel stipends for chapter members to compete at USA Dance competitions.

Come celebrate our history, and prepare for the next 20 years of dancing in New Mexico!