News

JRDC at the Wells Community Cultural Center

Our October Dance is almost here! Look for Johnson Rags Dance Club at the beautiful Tippecanoe Arts Federation (TAF) Wells Community Cultural Center.

  • Saturday October 09, 2021
  • Wells Community Cultural Center
  • 7:30-10:00pm
  • Live Music by the Gentlemen of Note
  • Bring your own soft drinks and snacks. Bottled water provided.
  • Johnson Rags dances at the Wells Center are alcohol free.
  • Masks Optional

If you are unfamiliar with the Wells Center, please take a few minutes at the first few dances to look around and get comfortable with this beautiful, historic building. The art galleries on the dance floor level will always be open to us to enjoy on dance nights. Check out the artwork or just sit and visit. Tippecanoe Arts Federation is happy to share their home with us!

Parking, Entry & Restrooms

Here is parking, building entry and restroom information to ease your transition to the Wells Center:

The street address of the Wells Center is 638 North Street, but if you use that address your GPS will take you to the front (south) of the building which is street parking and not the door we will be using.

Parking:

Please use the parking lot at the corner of 6th and North Streets.

Wells Center Parking lot at the corner of 6th & North Streets. TAF owns this entire lot. You may park in any available spot in this lot, even those signed “First Christian Church” or “Wintek.” Street parking is the alternative if this lot is full.

Please do not use Wintek lot that faces the park on Brown Street. That lot belongs to Wintek, not TAF. Street parking is your alternative if the TAF lot is full.

Entry:

Enter the building through the door that faces the parking lot. This door is at parking lot level. If you see the blue artwork behind the red dumpster, then you are at the correct door.

This door is always locked, but it will be attended for a few dances while we learn the building. If you find the door is unattended, please be patient. Use the button to the left of the door ring for assistance.
Right inside the door, you will find the elevator to take you straight to the dance floor level.

The alternative to the elevator is up these steps and through the door to the ground floor level, then forward to the staircase.

Staircase from ground floor to dance floor.

Dance Floor Level Restroom:

There is one All Gender Restroom on dance floor level. Restroom is to the left of the window, elevator is to the right of the window.

Ground Floor Level Restrooms:

There are two additional All Gender Restrooms on the ground floor level. Look for this side hallway beside the Dance Studio. One restroom is straight ahead, the other is to the left.

2021-22 Dance Schedule

See our 2021-22 Dance Schedule

Dropping 2nd Saturday September Dances

Because of the frequent conflict between our September dances and the St Boniface Germanfest, we have dropped September from our dance schedule. We had contemplated this change for several years. Our move to the TAF Wells Center puts us about a block from the center of the festival which will make traffic and parking difficult for a September dance.  This was the right time to make this change.

Dropping New Year’s Eve Dances

As we searched for a new dance venue, the New Year’s Eve dance became a big obstacle. Most venues affordable to the club will simply not host a NYE event. In fact, many venues do not want to host any after hours event. TAF actually closes down for two weeks for the holidays. Venues in the business of hosting NYW events are far beyond the club’s budget. Dropping the NYE dance was a big compromise, but one we had to make to get an attractive place to dance as often as possible and at an affordable price.

Adding 2nd Saturday January Dances

To help soften the blow of dropping New Year’s Eve dances, we have added a 2nd Saturday January dance to our schedule. This is actually THE RETURN of the January dance! If you have been in the club over a decade, you will remember that the January dance was a fixture on our schedule before NYE was added. We want to make the 2nd Saturday of January the NEW New Years Eve!

Bands & Music

The pandemic was hard on our live bands. Every band suffered several cancellations from our club as well as from all their other customers. One club favorite, Jaden Street Jazz, took a standing, every weekend job at an Indianapolis nightclub and quit playing dances.  Other bands have found it difficult to regroup after months without work. Planning and booking is more difficult than ever. We are trying to get as many of our remaining bands as many “make-up dates” as possible. You will see some band slots filled on our 2021-22 schedule and others listed as “to be announced.” As the season starts, we will continue to work to get as many bands as many make-up dates as possible. We will fill any remaining open dates with recorded music. We anticipate needing recorded music for two or three dances this season.  Future dance seasons will have more recorded music dances.

Dues News

Because of the savings from pandemic cancelled dances, venue rent savings and schedule changes, dues paid by continuing members for 2020-21 will INCLUDE your membership for 2021-22.

–Harry

See our entire Dance Schedule

Johnson Rags Ballroom Dance Club HOME

If for any reason you wish to be removed from this email list, just reply and tell us.