History of the Les Amies Dance Club
The Les Amies Dance Club was founded in 1921 following the disbanding of a similar club, known as "Entre Nous". The first Rose Ball was held on April 10, 1922 organized by C. Melvin Scott (President), J. Percy Page (Secretary), Ross Alger, Maurice Brown, G. Everton Smith, and Gerry Weaver, whose names remain engraved in the Archives of our history. An executive of 3 members consisting of C. Melvyn Scott, J. Percy Page and James W. Hill, remained unchanged for the first 25 years with new names appearing on the Executive Board from the late forties.
With the exception of just 3 dances, The Les Amies members dined and danced in the grand ambience of the Hotel Macdonald for the first 60 years of our history, and had to move to other premises when the hotel closed for extensive renovations in the late 1980's. While the "Mac" reopened in fine style in 1991, the small dance floor made it unsuitable for Les Amies.
During the early years of the club's history, the press provided detailed accounts describing the setting at the Rose Ball, with tables banked with roses and additionally decorated with lighted tapers, the parading by waiters with brown turkeys held aloft on silver platters and decked with sparklers, a second parade of baked Alaska (also with sparklers), and background organ or piano stylings to set the mood. Until 1943, the press listed in full the names of members and guests attending the Rose Ball -- a veritable "who's who" of Edmonton society when it was smaller and more intimate than it is today.
The history of Les Amies has been written and added to at each significant anniversary and is preserved in the new Provincial Archives building on Roper Road. In 2010-11, "the band still plays on" but a changing and evolving 21st Century environment. New bands and stylings, new approaches to membership and a host of new faces continue to make the Les Amies dances incredible evenings of great dancing, social interactions, Fox-trots, Swing, Waltzes, Cha-Chas, Rumbas, Sambas, Quickstep, Polkas, and Tangos. The Les Amies Dance Club continues to provide lovers of ballroom and social dancing, an opportunity to "dress-up" in their finest and to dance and celebrate with a live band on an excellent dance floor.
With the exception of just 3 dances, The Les Amies members dined and danced in the grand ambience of the Hotel Macdonald for the first 60 years of our history, and had to move to other premises when the hotel closed for extensive renovations in the late 1980's. While the "Mac" reopened in fine style in 1991, the small dance floor made it unsuitable for Les Amies.
During the early years of the club's history, the press provided detailed accounts describing the setting at the Rose Ball, with tables banked with roses and additionally decorated with lighted tapers, the parading by waiters with brown turkeys held aloft on silver platters and decked with sparklers, a second parade of baked Alaska (also with sparklers), and background organ or piano stylings to set the mood. Until 1943, the press listed in full the names of members and guests attending the Rose Ball -- a veritable "who's who" of Edmonton society when it was smaller and more intimate than it is today.
The history of Les Amies has been written and added to at each significant anniversary and is preserved in the new Provincial Archives building on Roper Road. In 2010-11, "the band still plays on" but a changing and evolving 21st Century environment. New bands and stylings, new approaches to membership and a host of new faces continue to make the Les Amies dances incredible evenings of great dancing, social interactions, Fox-trots, Swing, Waltzes, Cha-Chas, Rumbas, Sambas, Quickstep, Polkas, and Tangos. The Les Amies Dance Club continues to provide lovers of ballroom and social dancing, an opportunity to "dress-up" in their finest and to dance and celebrate with a live band on an excellent dance floor.
