See The Latest Dance (July 19, 2026 Mediterrenean Magic)
We danced at the Santa Ana Elks Lodge Great fun with friends!
The Starlighters had performed in ballrooms, barns, cruise ships, and one very confusing supermarket opening, but nothing prepared them for dancing in the Mediterranean. It began innocently enough. Their tour guide and current President, Bob Zaitz, pointed to the sparkling blue sea and said, "The water is calm today."
Unfortunately, Donna heard, "The water is calling today," and before anyone could stop her, she had kicked off her sandals and announced, "Places, everyone!"
Within minutes, twelve Starlighters were waist-deep in the Mediterranean, attempting their famous "Moonlight Mambo." The sea, however, had not attended rehearsal.
Chowing down to get energy to dance all night long!
Introduction To The Starlighters
A Random Thought
We are a social dance club of about 100 fun-loving members who gather six times a year — January, March, May, July, September, and November — to dance, laugh, and pretend our knees don't notice.
Our evenings are filled with great music, great company, and dance styles ranging from the early 1900s to the Texas Two-Step and beyond. Whether you glide, shuffle, twirl, or simply move enthusiastically in the general direction of the beat, there's a place for you on our dance floor.
Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to movement used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.
The term "ballroom dancing" is derived from the word ball, which in turn originates from the Latin word ballare which means "to dance".
In times past, ballroom dancing was "social dancing" for the privileged, leaving "folk dancing" for the lower classes. These boundaries have since become blurred, and it should be noted even in times long gone, many "ballroom" dances were really elevated folk dances. Consider joining the Starlighters!
A Short History Of The Club
In March of 1958 which was years ago a group of young men and women were inspired to form a dance club that would prove to endure to the present time.
They were good friends and knew each other through church and other community activities. They initially met in each others homes and danced in the garages and patios with recorded music (records!).
Dinner was potluck and cocktails were mandatory. With a stroke of genius some one named the group "Eadrianda" which meant "eat, drink, and dance".
With its peak in the 1970's and 1980's the club grew too large to dance at individuals homes so they rented halls and were able to provide live music!
As with all activities, interest in ballroom dancing waned in the 1990's. Meanwhile another ballroom dance group called "Tux n' Gowns" based in North Orange County and also founded in the early 1950s, seeing its membership drop off.
The leadership of the two organizations decided to join forces in 1998 in order to keep ballroom dancing alive and good friendships going. The newly merged group was named the "Starlighters" and the rest is history. With over fifty couples and new people joining the organization we are stronger than ever!