A new ‘no dancing’ chapter for Danceland at Manitou Beach

The dance hall has been closed since March when the coronavirus pandemic hit Saskatchewan. That meant the cancellation of the full slate of dances that were scheduled for the summer of 2020.

A weekend dance event at Danceland typically includes a buffet with a dance to follow but both of those components are now out of the equation.

The dance hall was also set to celebrate its 90th anniversary in July, but that event has been postponed to next year.

“We were going to celebrate at the beginning of July but we are going to wait until we can dance again,” Strueby said. “To celebrate a building that is known for dancing, we will have to dance.”

Strueby admitted it is hard to imagine hosting a band and not allowing dancing.

“I am getting emails and calls from people saying they wish they could dance again and I’m getting those comments from other provinces too,” Strueby said. “I think people will definitely be coming back again when we can do that.”

Going ahead with concerts is definitely much different that what people are used to at Danceland but Strueby said this way bands can still get back on the stage.

“They miss playing because they aren’t playing anywhere,” Strueby said.

Andino Suns will hit the stage on Aug. 15 to bring their South American Mountain Folk Rock to the resort village.

A combination of classic country and rock, hillbilly, and bluegrass can be heard on Aug. 29 by The Dirty Sheets.

Tyler Procyshyn, lead singer for The Dirty Sheets who hail from East Central, Sask. echoed that excitement to perform again. The band was scheduled to play a dance this Saturday, July 25 but were rescheduled to the end of August.

“It was a big deal to us to be booked in the first place because Danceland is just so iconic for us Prairie kids,” Procyshyn said. “To have that opportunity to play there was a big deal and then when it all got cancelled, it was a bummer.”

Procyshyn said the band had a busy summer ahead and felt they were on an upswing prior to the pandemic but it wasn’t all negative.

“It did give the opportunity to write more and put new material together and focus on that end of music rather than the live performance,” Procyshyn said.

The band had auditioned for the Ness Creek Music Festival but unfortunately the opportunity to find out the results of the audition never came as the festival was cancelled as well.

Now more than ever, as live performances begin to pop up, it will be crucial to support local bands and music venues.

“A lot of industries have taken a serious hit but this one in particular where it’s been lockdown, shutdown,” Procyshyn said. “Anywhere that has live music and supports bands, they need support now.”

Capacity at Danceland has been reduced and Strueby said they will be able to sell 150 tickets for the upcoming concerts. The dance hall will be set up to accommodate physical distancing and other COVID-19 regulations.

“I think it will be like a big reunion when people start coming back to dance at Danceland,” Strueby said. “I can only imagine what it’s going to be like for the first couple of dances.”

Most other businesses at Manitou Beach have opened with the exception of the Burger Bouy stand and Danceland.

“We are getting back into the routine of being a tourist resort so things are looking up,” Strueby said.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser

by Angie Rolheiser

A new ‘no dancing’ chapter for Danceland at Manitou Beach

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