Covid has affected not just our individual lives over the last three years, but also the life of Johnsonville Club. Club nights were cancelled, we had to change venue at times to find somewhere that would allow us to dance, and we were forced to re-locate, re-schedule or cancel any number of club events.

Covid also affected membership, as individuals reacted to the impact of covid on their own lives. And it definitely affected the numbers of beginners coming through the door, and staying on to dance with us.

Despite that, in each of the last three years we have welcomed new dancers as members of our club community. It’s not been an easy time to start any new activity, with all the disruption that Covid has brought. Congratulations to all those who’ve stayed the course.

I had a look back at membership records from the last three years, and between 2020 and 2022 membership dropped from 64 to 58. The 13 new dancers of the Covid years have been instrumental in bolstering club numbers, and keeping the club alive and well.

2020 beginners’ classes were pre-covid, and in the club’s new venue of Johnsonville Bowling Club. Of the 30 people who came along, 10 or so stayed on and enjoyed the club’s 2020 St Patrick’s Day celebration on 16 March. Then came Covid. When dancing resumed in June, only four of our beginners returned. The bowling club four still dance with us today – Gill, Isabelle, Lizzie and Maggie.

2021 beginners’ classes started out well, with two classes at Khandallah Town Hall, but Covid level 2 postponed class number three, and moved class four to Johnsonville Bowling Club. By the time we returned to Khandallah Town Hall for opening night, beginner numbers had dropped from twenty-nine to eight. Just four keen 2021 beginners remain as club dancers – Anne H, David M, Pam and Veronica.

Last year we really didn’t know if anyone would come, and considered cancelling beginners’ classes altogether. In the end Johnsonville was the only club in the Wellington Region who did offer beginners’ classes, attracting 14 people – more than we had anticipated in the circumstances. We were so pleased to have five of those fourteen become club members – Carol, Christine, Ian, Janet T and Verne.

In 2023 we seem to be emerging from a lot of the constraints of the last three years, and this seems to align with revived enthusiasm for Scottish Country Dancing. Thirty beginners have come our way this year, and it was wonderful to see twelve of them dancing with us at our first club night of the year on Monday 6 March. Welcome all.

Kristin Downey
8 March 2023

Photos: Loralee Hyde