About & History
Dance Camp
For many years, the Dancing Bears have hosted their Dance Camp on Memorial Day weekend at King’s Lake in Wasilla, Alaska, drawing talent and dancers from across Alaska, the United States, and abroad.
The Dancing Bears is a volunteer-run organization. There are many ways to get involved. These include being a dance manager, joining the dance event volunteers, spreading the word, joining one of our many committees, and joining dances early in the evening to welcome new dancers. Give us a shout if you’d like to get involved.
Board of Directors
Mary Beth Emerton, President
Barb Rowland, Vice President
Jess Winn, Secretary
Clay Christian, Treasurer
David Lockard
David Bridgman-Packer
Shonti Elder
Cindy Nielsen
Rose Donlon
The Early Days
The Dancing Bears was founded in 1981 by a group of young musicians and dancers who enjoyed jamming and dancing to traditional old timey music. The objective was to create informal events where people could gather to have fun, socialize, hear, and dance to traditional music performed live by local Alaskan musicians. The official mission of Dancing Bears was adopted: "Dedicated to promoting traditional dance and music in Alaska"
Frosty Morning String Band - (left to right) Kenny Karabelnikoff, Shonti Elder, Dave Hawley (mostly hidden behind Shonti), Jim Haack, Jim Wolfe, Rich Flanders, Michael Donahue, Sally Kabisch, Sally Newton