Old time waltz Folks from all over Central Minnesota travel to Motley twice a month for the Step into the Ten-Hi in Motley on the second or fourth Tuesday of every month; and you’ll most likely be greeted by polka music and a lot of seniors with happy feet.

Yep...for at least 60 grey-haired dance fanatics, it’s the place to be from 1 - 4 p.m. on those sacred Tuesdays.

“We have a good time together,” says Bernie Hendricks of Motley, a former owner of the Ten-Hi and the person credited with starting the bi-monthly dances over 20 years ago.

“Some of the residents at Sunny Pines contacted me and said they wanted to have a senior dance here,” Bernie recalled. “That was the same year as the town’s Centennial (1987). It was a hit and we’ve been holding them ever since.”

Although Bernie sold the Ten-Hi to Hank Smith and Rudy Bjerga years ago, he continues to help out with the dances.

“When I first started hosting these, I didn’t like to dance,” Bernie confided, “But I always liked to put my arms around the girls,” he adds with a smile and a quick wink at his sweetheart Jenny Goehtz, from the Lincoln Lakes area.

Entertainer Mike Elsenpeter is a frequent performer at the Old Time Dances held at the Ten-Hi in Motley. Elsenpeter, an accordionplayer from Maple Lake, plays a variety of old-time music. These days, Bernie’s one of the first to get out on the dance floor, sharing a waltz and a lot of memories with Jenny.

At a pre-Christmas dance Dec. 22, the Ten-Hi was packed with dancers, all dressed in holiday attire, their feet gliding across the old wooden floor. They traveled from all over the area for the occasion... Little Falls, Ironton, Clarissa, Brainerd, New York Mills, Staples and Motley.

“People come to dance; but they also come to meet up with their friends. We always share a potluck dinner together,” Bernie mentioned.

But mostly, they come to dance and enjoy the live music from a few different bands booked for the seniors’ event.

Two-steppin’ it Dorothy Brand of Baxter and Bernie Hendricks, of Motley tore up the dance floor during the Carl Perkins classic song, Mike Elsenpeter (aka Michael James & Midi) was the entertainer Dec. 22, playing a variety of old-time music on his accordion...waltzes, polkas and two-steps.

He travels from Maple Lake for his gig in Motley; and Mike says he thoroughly enjoys himself.

“People think old time dance music won’t be any fun; but I’m here to tell you that these guys know how to move. Young people could learn something from them..this is an art form,” Mike says.

It’s also good exercise, it’s fun; and it sure beats sitting home watching television, is the consensus of many who make the Tuesday pilgrimages to the Ten-Hi.

“We get a pretty good crowd here every time,” Bernie said. “Everyone has a lot of fun.”

It’s become a support system as well for many of the folks who attend the dances. “We’re like family,” says 81-year-old Virginia Goeden of Staples.

Jenny Goehtz agrees.

“I broke my leg in August and you wouldn’t believe how many cards and phone calls I got from these people,” said Jenny. “They all knew I was missing the dancing.”

Many of the dancers are in their mid-70’s to 80’s; and a few ‘kids’ just barely out of their 60’s have been known to stop by for a song or two.

Lenny Rutz, 88, from Little Falls and his wife, Betty, 86, dance as much as possible.

“We’ll be celebrating 60 years together in 2010; and we’ve been dancing together since day one,” Betty says.

Lenny’s favorite song is the “Johnny’s Knocking” polka; and he won’t let Mike put his accordion away before he hears it.

“It’s a great song and I hope to be dancing to it for many more years,” Lenny says.

That shouldn’t be a problem, Betty chimes in. “One of Lenny’s school teachers is 102 years old and she just got her driver’s license renewed. So, I’d say we’re still pretty young; lots of time yet to dance,” she adds with a smile.

For newlyweds Paul and Florence Jensen of New York Mills, the old-time dances hold special significance.

“That’s where we met and fell in love,” says 80-year-old Florence with a grin. “We got married Oct. 8, 2009.”

She lost two husbands before meeting Paul, Florence shared. “He’s ten years younger than me...I guess I robbed the cradle,” she laughs, heading back out to dance the “Baby Doll Polka” with her hubbie.

For 89-year-old Herb Johnson, Little Falls, the two-step is the best dance of all. “Polkas and waltzes...they’re all right,” Herb says, “But the two-step is what I like best.”

In addition to being fun, dancing is good for your health, says Edith Siegel, 70, of Sebeka. “Research shows that it helps prevent aging. They say it’s the number one exercise for older people to combat Alzheimer’s and to help fight heart disease.”

Edith and her husband, Jerry, dance whenever possible. In addition to the Ten-Hi, the Siegels attend dances in Park Rapids and at other dance halls in Central Minnesota.

“If you ever watch the ‘Big Joe Polka Show’ you’ll probably see a lot of the people here dancing on it,” adds Richard Allen of Staples. “A bunch of us have traveled to the Medina Ball Room when they were filming there.”

In fact, he and his wife, Leila, have even traveled to South Dakota to participate in the famed polka show.

“We love to dance,” says Leila, adding that she and Richard used to host old-time dances at T Maxwell’s in Staples. “You can’t find better music anywhere.”

As if on cue, Mike breaks out his accordion again; and voices can be heard singing along as he plays favorite songs like “Goodnight Marylou” “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “Tonight the Bottle Let me Down.”

Judging by the smiles on the dancers’ faces, no one appears to feel that they’ve been let down by anyone.

“I think people leave here feeling happier than when they came,” Bernie says, looking out at the folks lining up for the next two-step. “Dancing, it’s good for the soul.”