Dancing down memory lane at the Cotton Club

Residents went back in time through music at a party that played different genres throughout the night.

The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center hosted its "Boogie Woogie Rock n Roll" Dance Party on Saturday, and dozens of people danced to music from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

"We want the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center to be the center of events in Gainesville," said Vivian Filer, chair of the center's board of directors. "We all work together to make sure the community enjoys it."

Barbara McDade Gordon, a board member of the center, welcomed the audience to the dance.

"We are gathered here to have fun," Gordon said. "We want everybody to get up on the dance floor and enjoy themselves."

The event featured line dances and contests.

The winners for the 1950s Dance Contest were Henry Frierson, Wendi Frierson, Barbara Moore, Eddie Daniels, Bertha Cato and Filer.

Betty Calhoun said she attended the event to go down memory lane with her friends.

"This is a chance to go back to my early childhood days," Calhoun said. "I was in high school in the '60s and in college in the 70s. This is a chance to reminisce and go back. This is very refreshing and not many things are refreshing now. It's nice to remember how times used to be."

Laqianaya Huynh, a former operations intern at the center, attended the event to show support for the center.

"I love music from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s," Huynh said. "Those were the times people were going through change."

Joan Frosch said she attended the event to support the center and to enjoy the night with the music she loves.

"I love 1960s and 1970s music," Frosch said. "And the 1950s music reminds me of my father. This is all about community support. We need a lot of that these days. I am glad to see this happening."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Dancing down memory lane at the Cotton Club