Recently I had the privilege of attending a production of “People Along the Way” at the Youngstown Playhouse in Youngstown, Ohio. This unique play was written by Terry Shears about impactful people from his life. The talented and diverse cast was directed by Maria Petrella-Ackley, in her directorial debut at The Playhouse.
Maria and I met many years ago while acting together in a local theatre group in Sharon, PA. I was happy to hear Youngstown chose her to direct this play in their intimate Moyer Room setting. Some of the characters reminded me of people from my own life and sparked memories of family, friends and acquaintances from my past.
My stroll down memory lane inspired this month’s article, as there have been many people along my way as a line dance teacher. Four different bars that I have mentioned in previous articles have, unfortunately, closed their doors to line dancing and have not reopened; they are, in no particular order: Bootleggers Saloon, Bourbon House, Social 45, and Rodeo.
I’m sad to say that I may have to add another venue to that list; Rolling Mills Bar and Grill in Girard, Ohio, which, by the time you read this, might have a new owner. Rolling Mills is going up for auction on May 11, 2022 because the owner has decided he wants out of the bar business. Over my years of teaching line dance at Rolling Mills, I didn’t have much contact with him; however, I consider his manager, Jackie, as a piece of my life who I will truly miss.
It was October 16, 2017 when I taught my first line dance lesson there; I continued to teach weekly classes until March 2, 2020. We all know what happened to our world shortly after that, and Rolling Mills temporarily shut down. When they opened back up, we still weren’t permitted to have line dance indoors, so I decided to move on to teach at the Scope Centers.
Jackie and I stayed in contact and discussed the possibility of me going back to teach line dance at Rolling Mills. I agreed to teach there in March for two different events; I was humbled by the amount of people who showed up for my lessons. Regrettably, the wheels were already in motion by the owner to sell; the decision was made to put it up for auction.
Throughout my years at Rolling Mills, I met many staff members, customers, dancers, and students who wouldn’t have crossed my path had I not stepped across that threshold. I have many fond memories of the people who entered my world during those years. I sincerely hope that someone buys the bar and keeps it alive for myself and many others to enjoy!
Here are the first and last dances that I taught at Rolling Mills:
Dori Yez teaches Country Line Dancing at these Ohio SCOPE Centers: Howland on Monday evenings (Seasoned Beginners) and Wednesday evenings (Improver & Intermediate) plus the same level in Cortland on Friday afternoons. Due to room size and attendance, Dori can no longer accept new students in any of her classes. There is a waiting list for a new “novice/beginner” class.
