Memories of the Innisdale Dance a Thon

During the United Way Week, Innisdale Student's Council held a Dance A Thon in the school cafeteria.  I attended the 1999 and 2000 Dance a thon.  After midnight, some songs were played twice due to requests at the booth.  This was my first all night dance experience.  I attended the 1999 and 2000 Dance a thons.  Students had to raise 20 bucks each for United Way by collecting pledges in their neighbourhood.  I raised a lot of funds for this event both years I attended the Dance a Thon.  The Dance a Thon started at 7 PM and went till 7 AM, the next morning.

The DJ Company was called Sights and Sounds.  Their setup included two large video screens, track spots, and two flash panels on the floor.

The Grand prize was a pager, sponsored by Rogers

In 2000, I won a Rogers Pager at the Dance a Thon because I dance most of the night away.

Here is a list of some Memorable songs that were played by the Sight and Sound DJs

All Around the World, ATC, Played at the 2000 Dance a Thon

American Pie, Madonna, this song was the final song at the 2000 Dance a thon. 

Barbie Girl, Aqua, Played at the 1999 and 2000 Dance a thon
Blue, Eiffel 65, Played Twice at the 1999 and 2000 Dance a thon
Boom Boom Boom, Vengaboys, Played Twice at the 1999 and 2000 Dance A Thon,
Confusion, New Order, Played at the 1999 Dance a Thon
Cotton Eye Joe, Rednex
Last Resort -- Pappa Roach Played twice at the 2000 Dance a Thon
Put your hands up in the Air, Daft Punk, Played twice at the 1999 Dance a Thon
Sandstorm, Darude, Played twice at the 2000 Dance a Thon

Superman Theme (Jungle Remix), Aphrodite, Played at the 1999 Dance a Thon

We Like to Party (The Venga Bus), Venga Boys, Played at the 1999 and 2000 Dance A Thon 
Why Are You So Quiet, Aquagen, Played at 5:45 AM at the 2000 Dance a Thon

During the late 1990's Hip Hop was requested too much.  I wanted to dance to upbeat music like cotton eye joe, Put your hands up in the air, Why are you so Quiet, etc.

Keep your ears to the tracks for more songs that were played at both Dance a Thons.

Carnival Ride Dancin

When you go to a midway, carnival, or fair, there are great rides to ride like the Polar Express, Music Express, Himalaya, Break Dance.  Many of these music based rides have a great great DJ / MC in the booth hyping up the passengers as the ride speeds up and slows down. 

Why did I dance infront of Midway Rides

In the Summer of 2001, I was not old enough to get into the Roxx or the Queens.  When I turned 19, I was expecting the nightclubs to play the same music that Z 103.5 was going to play.  During this last summer under age, I spent the time dancing in front of the midway rides that played good music.  The music and the lights were a part of the atmosphere of the dance floor of one at the best midway rides of Barrie, ON.   I also purchased tickets to ride these rides because I also loved riding them too.

Summer, 2001

In 2001, I spent the summer in Barrie, Ontario hanging out at the midways of Promenade Days and Kempenfest. 

Over the Promenade Days weekend, Conklin's World's Finest Shows brought an awsome Midway ride with a great DJ to dance to called the Cortina Bobs.  This ride is also known as Break Dance.  This ride has a bobsled theme.  Once the ride starts rolling, the DJ will hype up the passengers before putting at full speed.  The DJ will say, "Do you want to go faster?"  Than the Crowd on board will scream and cheer.  The DJ will sometimes flicker the lights to the music while the ride is moving.   Every Day, I spent time dancing to the music that the DJ was spinning.

On Kempenfest weekend, Robertson Amusements brought a great ride everyone loves known as the Polar Express.  The DJ of this ride got me dancin to the music as passengers board and disembark the ride.  The DJ Hyped the riders encouraging them to cheer and scream as the ride reaches full speed.  When the ride is at full speed, a fire bell will ring.  Some Polar Express rides, there may be a siren when the ride is at full speed.  On the first day of Kempenfest, this ride went both forward and backwards and the rest of the weekend, the ride only went backwards.  After sunset, the lights and strobes in the back made the ride more exciting to ride and dance in front of.  On the last day of Kempenfest, the back cover and centre panels were removed and you can see the whole ride in motion and the music was still great.

Robertson Amusements brought two other rides with DJs.  The first one was called 1001 Nights (Nachts) and the second was Crazy Fliper. 

The Crazy Flipper (Top Spin) DJ played some weird Happy Hardcore music for their riders and I have danced to it.  The Crazy Flip ride had a single Top Spin Gondola that seats 40 passengers per ride cycle.  

The 1001 Nachts ride is a large pendulm ride as seen below.  I have danced in front of this ride when the DJ played a great track.  I was the only one dancing in Kepmpenfest midway.  .

 The Lights on the base of the ride platform shine down to the pavement after sundown.  This creates the mood for dancing to the beats from the DJ.

This was not a ride at Kempenfest.  In the afternoon of Monday, I walked to Heritage Park and stumbled upon a great band known as the Martels.  The dance floor was exciting and I just went in and started dancing to the Martels on the hot summer afternoon until their concert ended.  Every year since 2001, I went to watch the Martels.  In 2009 and 2010 I was out of town camping and missed the concert

Summer 2002

After I turned 19, I was old enough to go into the nightclubs of Downtown Barrie.  Most of them music that was played in the Downtown Barrie Bars was Hip Hop and top 40 Dance.  In March, 2002 found a flyer for a friday night series called Frantic Fridays at The Boiler Room.  The Boiler Room is the side room of the Roxx Nightclub they played some great dance music along side of the Junk of the Main Room.  The theme of the Boiler Room was Psycho Circus Side Show.  There was a great line up of DJs including Vertigo, NY Ghost, Raygun, Shasta Elliot, Capital Vinyl (Flatline), and many more.  Since I found this hopping spot, I have not danced in front of midway rides ever since.

Exciting links of Kempenfest

Kempenfest (Top 100 Festivals of Canada)

The Martels


Robertson Amusements, The only Accident Free Midway