Waltz to the Beat of a Different Drum this Valentine’s Day

By: Julie Pearson
Posted In: News

As “Friends of Ballroom Dancing” celebrates its seventeenth anniversary this year, 17 couples will join the organization in celebrating anniversaries of their own, including Dorothy and James Finn. Averaging one marriage a year, the ballroom dancing organization has helped people find one another since 1987. For these couples, the February 14 Valentine’s Dinner Dance held by FOBD will hold a special meaning.

The Valentine’s Dinner Dance will mark the seventeenth anniversary of FOBD, and will be held at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center Ballroom on Goat Island in Newport. Swing lessons, dinner and dancing are planned for the evening, as well as a floorshow featuring URI Collegiate Ballroom Dance Champions.

Dorothy Finn became a member shortly after seven volunteers founded FOBD. It was at a FOBD function where Dorothy met her future husband, James Finn. After a friendship of three years, and a whirlwind six-month courtship, the couple was married in 1999. “Love goes where it is sent,” said Dorothy when asked about how she met her husband.

Ironic enough, the couple was married not once, but four times in one year. First the Finns were married in Las Vegas at the “Chapel of Love.” Being Catholics, the Finns decided to have a proper ceremony in Newport with a reception at the Viking. The paperwork from Dorothy’s previous marriage with her deceased husband had not yet been dealt with however, and a justice of the peace again married the couple on March 7 instead of a priest.

The couple tried their hand at a proper Catholic ceremony aboard the Queen Elizabeth II Ocean Liner at the Panama Canal, but again was not successful. Finally, Dorothy threatened to turn to the Episcopal Church if her paperwork was not taken care of. Their priest promptly returned with good news and asked if they would like a proper Catholic wedding, with Dorothy replying, “Father, we’ll take the full enchilada.” The couple was married for the fourth and final time on December 19, 1999.

“Bombay Jim and the Swinging Sapphires” will be helping couples celebrate their love on Valentine’s Day playing primarily live swing music. The band is well known in the Boston area, and was chosen by the FOBD members as one of their favorite bands of the year. Skip Jones, president of FOBD, finds that the swing music appeals to young people especially.

Jones himself was a teenager when he first experienced ballroom dancing when his Pennsylvania high school’s baseball team paired with the women’s gym class on rainy days and learned the fox trot. “It’s still the same basic step today; step, slide, step,” said Jones.

On reserve at this year’s Valentine Dinner Dance is a table of 12 for Salve students interested in watching and trying their hand at ballroom dancing. “I am very happy to reserve a table for twelve students to come as guests after dinner. I hope to generate interest in ballroom dancing at Salve,” said Jones.

One of the objectives of FOBD is to support ballroom dancing classes in high schools and colleges. Among the schools that FOBD has promoted ballroom dancing at are Brown University, University of Rhode Island, and is currently working at Roger Williams University. The program at Brown was started in 1988 with five students, and has grown to over 300 and has three competition teams.

With this year’s Valentine Dinner Dance fast approaching, available seating is quickly diminishing. Maybe the next couple to fall in love while at a FOBD function will meet this Valentine’s Day. The Finns passed on their happiness found through ballroom dancing when they brought a friend to a dance, where she met her future husband. The couple was married a year ago last August.