As lively as Broad Ripple is at night, I can't help but think more options for dancing would be a wonderful addition. Moving to the groove appeals to all generations. I learned this early on in hearing my mother reminisce, "When I was a young girl (in the early '30s), I would dance away the evenings. We danced with everyone, and then capped off the evening with a nickel coke and conversation. A special place we went to was on the river in Broad Ripple. They had a great dance hall on the river's edge!"

She encouraged my dancing feet with early lessons with Miss Poston at Jordon College of Music. Donning black leotard, pink practice tutu, and ballet slippers, my schoolmates and I learned the elements of ballet. Lessons culminated in a yearly dance recital at Shortridge's Caleb Mills Hall. Oh my, other than Halloween, that was my most glamorous brush with fashion. The costumes were beautiful. There was even a trip to a seamstress for a fitting with netting and satin. My dancing girl friends and I spent hours practicing with theatrical makeup. Getting dolled up and performing on stage was a big deal.

I continued dancing in junior high and high school, but not ballet or tap. I was privileged to go to Mrs. Gate's Cotillion. We met at the Riviera Club and later in Nora. Pretty dresses, gloves, and age-appropriate patent leather shoes made evenings of dancing with boys a bit more enticing. These occasions were often awkward. Gliding around the dance floor with one of the dance school assistants was always the preference to partnering with the boy who was too small for his suit and glasses. We learned the Foxtrot, Lindy, Cha Cha, and Waltz. All the while, Mrs. Gates was a stickler for manners and proper social protocol on the dance floor, continually coaching us on the fine points of etiquette.

The best dances of the ballroom lessons were the Father-Daughter dances held each year. I loved the new dress and the opportunity to dance with my father. He had been a football player and was imposing on the dance floor. He was a good dancer thanks to my mother's love of dance. Later dads were replaced by dates and dancing classes were replaced by proms.

Although one time there was an Arthur Murray's in Broad Ripple, I don't remember dance being a Broad Ripple attraction in my era. I do recall Indy Parks Department offering line and disco dance lessons in the '70s. The dance scene seemed to have moved north to 86th Street: Lucifer's, The Wharf, or Rick's and other nightclubs. There were great times dancing to recordings by Donna Summers, Bee Gees, ABBA, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Barry White among others.

Take note there is the Vogue, the place for dancing on Wednesdays (Retro Rewind) and Saturdays. Their in-house DJ spins songs from bygone eras and does provide a chance to trip the light fantastic. The bar scene and dining experiences are going strong in Broad Ripple, I have to believe visitors to the Village like to dance and might well enjoy additional opportunities for this great way to mix mingling exercise. A street dance, a dance hall, or more clubs with a dance floor would let the joy of dancing enliven the Village. Who's up for the challenge?