On Sunday afternoon, November 14, Alligator Zydeco played two sets of rocking Zydeco for an enthusiastic group of dancers at this month’s Cajun Cottage Louisiana Dance Party. Led by Greg Troiano and accompanied by his daughter Laura on rubboard and vocals, the group’s arrangements of Zydeco standards, covers and originals kept everyone up on the dance floor throughout the afternoon.

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, with warm sunny weather, and with all the windows in Homestead Hall cranked wide open, it was a perfect day for a Zydeco dance party. Featuring tight vocal harmonies and talented solos by all the band members, Alligator Zydeco was a big hit with the audience, many of whom had not heard them before.

We hope that we can schedule them to return to play at another Cajun Cottage dance in 2011!

On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 3, Cajun Cottage, in conjunction with the Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, presents a “Best of the Burbs” Special Event, a Louisiana Dance Party with live music by The Cajun Cottage Band. The Dance Party will be held at beautiful, historic Homestead Hall, 821 Homestead Rd., Jenkintown, PA, directly behind The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour at York and Homestead Rds.

The afternoon kicks off with a dance lesson at 2:00 p.m. The lesson will include a half hour of Cajun two-step and jitterbug taught by long-time Cajun dance teachers Alice Alden and Plato Anastas, followed by a half hour waltz lesson with guest instructors Betz McCreary and Charlie Mellor, who teach the Victorian and Ragtime Couple Dance Series with Mercury Dance Company of Philadelphia.

Starting at 3:00, The Cajun Cottage Band will  take the stage for two sets of dancing. Our band features the talents of several local musicians who have teamed up to share their love of Cajun dance music. Area residents are invited to join us for a fun afternoon of music and dancing, socializing and networking. The $12 admission includes snacks, which will be served throughout the event. All are welcome; this will be a fun afternoon for singles, couples, business people and local residents alike. Dress is casual, and no dance partner is needed to join the fun. For more information, call 215-780-1993.

After getting off to a great start during our 2009-2010 premier season, we are excited to announce the first Cajun Cottage events for the second season of Louisiana Dance Parties. On Sunday, September 12, we will be back at beautiful Homestead Hall in Jenkintown for an afternoon of music and dancing. Starting with a dance lesson at 2:00, followed by music for dancing until 6:00 p.m., our kickoff dance party for this season will get things rolling, and will be followed with some exciting events that we are currently planning for the rest of 2010 and 2011.

And on Sunday, October 3, we’re planning another Louisiana Dance Party with an exciting new Cajun band playing for all of our friends, dancers, and Cajun music lovers. Our October dance will be part of the Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s “Best of the Burbs 17″, an annual celebration presented each fall which showcases the many art, business, charitable, community, cultural, health and sports organizations in eastern Montgomery County. We are looking forward to introducing folks in our local area to Cajun music and dancing.

So, put these two days, Sept. 12 and Oct. 3, on your calendar, and watch this site for upcoming announcements with more details about these two events!

Celebrate summer at our last Cajun Cottage event of the season . . . join us for a Zydeco BBQ Dance Party on Saturday evening, July 31. There will be hot dogs and burgers on the grill, and Zydeco music in the air! Come early for sandwiches, sides & soft drinks at reasonable prices from 6:30 to 8:30 (hot dog, potato salad or slaw and a soft drink for $3; burger, side and soft drink $4). Zydeco dance lesson 7:30; then we’ll play a mix of great Zydeco music for dancing from 8:30 to 11:30.

The forecast is for cooler weather, and with ceiling high windows all around and plenty of floor fans to keep the air moving, it should be quite comfortable. If you haven’t danced on the terrific hardwood floor of Homestead Hall yet, now’s the time to do it!

Admission is $10, which includes the dance lesson and snacks. BYOB (beer and wine only, please).

Homestead Hall is located at 821 Homestead Rd., Jenkintown, PA, right behind the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, at the corner of Homestead Road and Route 611 (Old York Road) in the center of Jenkintown.

Free off street parking. For more information, call (215) 780-1993.

Our June 6 Waltz Party was a wonderful afternoon of dancing to live Cajun music. Allan Willinger and Jo Schlesinger led a terrific group of musicians through a variety of waltz and two-step tunes to the delight of everyone present. Thanks to all of the players and dancers who made it such a fun day!

Our next Louisiana Champagne Waltz Party will be on Sunday, July 11. In order to avoid the heat of a July afternoon, we’re pushing the time back to early evening. We’ll start with a lesson on the basics of rotary waltz from 6:00 to 6:30, and then continue with a half hour introduction to Baisse Bas, the uniquely Creole style of waltz made popular in Louisiana. Baisse Bas (literally meaning “get down low” and pronounced like “BASE-bah”) is done to certain old Creole-style waltzes, and we’ll be playing some of them, along with a mix of great Zydeco tunes, for your dancing enjoyment.

Homestead Hall is located at 821 Homestead Rd., in Jenkintown, PA. This beautiful building has a great wood dance floor, plenty of ventilation, and free off street parking. The $10 admission price includes snacks. Since our Waltz Party will be in the early evening, we’ll have several kinds of sandwiches and beverages available for purchase at a nominal price, in addition to our usual spread of chips and dips, fruit and cheese. For more information, call 215-780-1993.