The German American Club of Spring Hill will dance their way into March with a celebratory, nautically-themed ‘Seemann Dance’ on Sunday, March 12th, at the Hernando County Shrine Club, 13400 Montour St, Brooksville.
Doors will open at 2:30 pm, with dancing taking place from 3:00-7:00 pm. Matthias Wagner, aka Alpine Doc, will perform some spirited dance music, with dancers encouraged to dress in “sailor/club casual.”
The Seemanns Abend dance is a nautically themed celebration native to the northern part of Germany. “We like to assign themes to our events rather than just calling it a dance night. The upcoming event ‘Seemann’ means sailor, translated into English,” read information prepared for The Hernando Sun and provided through Jack Yaskulski, secretary of the German American Club of Spring Hill. “A theme will suggest specific attire; in this case, our members and guests may wear an outfit typically worn by sailors or their brides. The music will be for dancing with polkas, waltzes, rhumbas, cha-chas, and American swings and rock ‘n roll.”
The Seemanns Dance is sure to hold a definite oceanic flavor. “But on sailors’ night, we also dance to songs telling the stories of sailors, life on ships, anchoring in harbors, brides, and moms waiting for their loved ones to return,” read the information. “Accordions and guitars are the most typical instruments for sailor songs.”
Guests will enjoy and dance to the much-celebrated music of the “Alpine Doc,” a native German musician who is a regular at many German Festivals or clubs.
Matthias contracts with Disney Epcot Germany, Helen GA, and most German American clubs in Florida, performing the genres of Bavarian Polka, Waltz, Seemanns Lieder, Chanties Schlager, Flippers, Heino, Amigos, Andrea Berg, Roy Black, and Costa Cordalis. He also performs music appropriate for the themes of Line Dance, Country, and Elvis appreciation dances.
The tradition of the Seemann Dance, says Yaskulski, is not specific to any branch of the military, and is meant to evoke the spirit and adventure of life at sea and, of course, a spirit of fun. Online photos and videos show vividly the spectacle of the Seemann line dance, often performed to the tune of “Seemann,” a 1959 hit German language pop song performed by Lolita, then covered by Petula Clark in her English language version, “Sailor.”
Guests at the German-American Club of Spring Hill are encouraged to bring their own food and beverages to their tables. Tickets for this event will be sold in advance only: members pay $14, and guests $17. For tickets, call Lisa Yaskulski at 352-688-3744. Visit the club website at germanclubspringhill.org.
