Dance to live music with the Merry Mixers

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Merry Mixers dance to live music on the third Saturday of each month, September through May, at the Coronado Center ballroom.

Dances start with a 7 p.m. lesson and dancing is from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Admission is $10 per person with a discount of 30 percent for subscribers to the club program.

It is the only group in the Village that offers live music at every dance.

While originally oriented toward ballroom dancing, the club has evolved with the times and now offers a large variety of groups and venues including ballroom, Latin, rock, country, and line dancing during the evening. There is something for everyone, and all levels and types of dancer are welcome.

The club swings to a variety of bands including: The Village Big Band, Blue Velvet, Warren Crow and the Classics, Larry House, the Mullen band, and the Fab 3.

Dancers often bring snacks or munchies and there is a cash bar operated by the Property Owners Association. Various parties are held throughout the season with individuals sharing hors d’oeuvres.

Membership is not restricted to HSV residents, and the Merry Mixers attracts dancers from Hot Springs, Conway, Benton, Maumelle and Little Rock. The Coronado Center is known as one of the best dance floors in the area.

Ballroom dance groups have been part of HSV since its early years. The two major ballroom dance groups have been the Merry Mixers Dance Club and the Village Ballroom Dancers.

The Merry Mixers organizing by-laws date to Nov. 1, 1978. During the first few decades, the two clubs operated independently and had full membership rolls, often with a waiting list. The early copies of the bylaws limit the Merry Mixers Club to 125 couples or single members and the Village Ballroom Dancers had a limit of 100 couples/singles.

In the late 1990s, the two clubs combined under the name of the Merry Mixers Dance Club which continues to sponsor live music dances on the third Saturday of each month.

Call 501-915-8111 for more information.