Huber Dance Extraordinaire 2005

Since moving to San Antonio in August of 2003, there have been few events more enjoyable to me than the English Country dances hosted by the Huber family at their property in Floresville, TX. Always a festive and fun occasion for all in attendance, a Huber-hosted dance brings together both local San Antonio families and visitors from far and wide. Last night occasioned no exception to the rule, as more than sixty dancers from throughout the United States and even New Zealand took to the Promised Land Dairy pavilion floor spinning, twirling, bowing, curtseying, sashaying, progressing, setting, and otherwise moving in time to the accomplished calling of Rebekah Zes, our per usual dance caller and instructor.

Mr. Huber began the evening with announcements and an opportunity for each family to introduce themselves to the group. Following an opening prayer for God’s blessing upon the night, the eager dancers moved into position for a long-standing favorite, The Virginia Reel (which strictly speaking is not an English Country dance). (Yours truly was privileged enough to enjoy the honor of dancing this first dance with the perpetual Belle of the Ball, Kristalyn Huber. I must credit this fact, however, to Miss Inge, for if she were not in attendance at the dance, I am afraid that Mr. Stubblefield would have been afforded the honor I instead enjoyed.) Throughout the evening we also practiced/learned/remembered/enjoyed The Hole in the Wall, Progressive Gordon, Barbarini’s Tambourine, Mr. Beveridges’ [or someone else’s] Maggot, The Comical Fellow, and other dances which names I am forgetting.

Food and beverages were available in abundance, courtesy of the Hubers and various attending families. The Zes and Huber families acted as able instructors and demonstrators, patiently enduring the occasionally painful inadequacies of certain unnamed parties (alas, I am afraid I was a chief offender, although I do profess at least a slight overall improvement in my dancing comprehension, compared to what I displayed at previous dances).

Greatly adding to the atmosphere of the evening were costumes from various historical eras. My own costume hailed from colonial America, and was courtesy of Mrs. Manteufel who had graciously made it for me several months ago. Although I must confess to a certain degree of hesitancy prior to donning the costume for last night’s activities, my reticence was unfounded and I quickly embraced the extra degree of speciality associated with a more formal dancing attire.

Praise God for friends. Although I do appreciate English Country dancing in and of itself, a night of such dancing is made far more enjoyable by doing it with one’s friends. Many thanks to the Hubers for again providing such a wonderful and conducive atmosphere for godly fellowship.

I am certain that I am not alone in eagerly anticipating the next dance hosted by the Hubers. As I stated to Mr. Huber last night at the close of the evening, "[It was] another successful Huber family dance."