A while back I wrote about a rather busy Wednesday evening when the library was abuzz with activity and someone remarked that it felt like a club. We do love that our not-so-quiet library has earned that reputation. And if you’re going to the club, you had better know how to dance because no one wants to be the odd one out when the beat hits the floor! But where can one go to learn the latest dance moves, cut a rug, and have a good time, for free? At the library of course! Line Dancing is just one of our new and adventurous offerings, so we decided to survey staff on our other new programs. While line dancing took the gold, there’s so much more! Read on to see what’s going on, and meet our line dance instructor, too!
Daphna, the library’s storyteller and graphics ninja told me that her kids loved the first Free Flow Paint Night last month. She said, “It was so relaxing and nice to be able to focus on the tiny canvas and let the kids get messy (and oh, did they!). I’ve been trying to make more art and get creative, and the library has been the best place to do so!”
Judy, our library director, loves the Wanderlust Adventures program where locals share their incredible photos from trips around the world, tell stories, and give travel advice. She said that attendees really enjoy the program and have offered their own stories and travel tips, too. Judy loves our Indigenous Cultures Program that will begin again this fall. As a side note, she, too, gave Culture Passes a thumbs up!
Andrea, librarian and notary, said that people are raving about yoga, but her personal favorite? Learning how to play the ukulele. She asked, “How often do you get an opportunity to learn a musical instrument for free? Never! It’s a perfect way to find out if it’s something you really enjoy without making a big investment.” Despite never having played a musical instrument before, Andrea bought her own uke after trying out the ones you can check out at the library.
Jordan, our teen librarian, says he hears great things about the Longevity Program and its monthly topics. But of course, he is excited for Game Time with Game On. BTW the first one is scheduled for Monday, September 9, at 3 p.m. “I can’t wait to see what it does for youth and families’ reinvigoration with board/card games.”
Anne Marie, development director, said that the Drop-in Crafts have been a blast. “I love the gathering of busy bees at the big table either drawing their mandalas, stamping personalized journals, or just playing that crazy loud fun game, Jenga.” Folks have commented on how great it is to see art in the lobby, she mentioned, especially the just-closed kids’ 4.x4 canvas display for the Summer Reading Program. Marcy, our tech librarian, loved that display, too!
Sam, our facility maintenance manager, loves the quilt show. “It’s amazing what needles, fabric and some creativity can create.” He also mentioned that he loves bringing his family to Free Flow Paint Night, and that they have a lot of fun. And from the patrons? He hears, you guessed it, line dancing! One said, “This is great! It gives me a reason to get out of the house and get moving.”
Jana, library assistant, backs that up with, “I hear patrons excited about Line Dancing as well.” She says she would love to try it. “I do love to dance!”
Patty, library assistant, noted that there has been a lot of buzz around the Line Dancing class. “People are happy, excited, and new people are joining every class.” And Cindy, our youth services librarian said, “People are soooo excited about the Line Dancing class! Ladies in my exercise class have been talking it up!!” She’s just sad that her ankle is hurt because otherwise she’d dance, too!
So, who is the person behind this popular Line Dancing class? Introducing Sally Gebler. Sally explained that “There was a woman at Zane Gray RV Village in Camp Verde last winter who wanted to relearn the ‘Locomotion’ line dance. So, I looked it up on YouTube, learned it and taught it to her. She suggested I teach a weekly class, so I did! It was a great success.”
She said when they were back in Sedona, she realized there were no line dancing classes here, and wondered if anyone was interested in offering one. “Sedona library was at the top of my list to pursue because it offers a wide range of classes and experiences.” We are so glad she asked and is now part of our team.
Sally has danced since she was a child and holds a BFA in dance from the University of NC at Greensboro. She has taught broadly, including in elementary schools and at NAU. While her performing life has ended, it included her swan song performance at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, where she was honored to perform on the same stage as Morten Lauridsen, an American composer whose body of work is known worldwide.
Sally said, “Line dancing was never part of my classically trained education, but as a retired professional, this style of dance is simply fun, easy, great for the brain and body. Bringing joy to a community is important to me and this experience teaching at the library has demonstrated this. To see someone walk in with trepidation, hands in their pockets, unsure of why they are there, and then to see their faces light up when enjoyment takes over, it proves that “dancing is the best medicine!”
Oh, we’re definitely more than just books. We’ve been busy building a community where friends and families can gather and express their creativity together and unplug from technology. Want to learn more about what you can do at the Library? Well, you can always talk to one of us, or visit Steve, the giant Tyranosaurus Rex head. Next to him you’ll find the events board. There’s even a paper calendar if you like, but we do love it when you visit sedonalibrary.org.
Sedona Public Library is an independently run, 501(c)(3), privately owned, debt-free, non-profit organization providing public services. Support comes from the City of Sedona; your property tax dollars from Coconino and Yavapai Counties, sand businesses, foundations, and individuals like you, as well as the amazing Friends of the Sedona Library who have supported the Library for more than 55 years. Please visit us at sedonalibrary.org.
As published by Red Rock News
Library News Column for August 23, 2024
Written by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Scheduling Coordinator
