Dancing Witches spread happiness through performance

JOHNSBURG | Whether you know them as the Dancing Witches of Gem Radio Theatre or the Adirondack Dancing Witches, one thing is for certain; when you see a group of cackling sorceresses with brooms cutting a rug in September and October, you know exactly what they are up to. "Performing brings so much joy to us, and we bring so much joy to our audiences," said Robin Jay, or "Shabby" as she is known by her witch alter ego. "When our performance dance is over, we invite everyone to join us in turning on classic rock or other genres and invite everyone to dance with us and feel good and bring the happy vibes." What began as a small group back in 2021 in the post-COVID era has blossomed into a roster of 18 witches (and even one warlock) who make it their mission to spread peace, love, and healing via dynamic dancing performances in the area. Their initial (and trademark) dance was to the German song 'Schüttel deine Speck,' by Peter Fox in honor of witches, and since, the group has grown into a coven of individuals that support one another in the good times and the bad, providing solace and an entertainment outlet to cut loose and channel positive energy. "People just found a sisterhood and comfort and healing and support from each other," Jay noted. "Witches kept coming for different reasons after the pandemic, some simply came for the company of it all, talking and laughing and having fun learning dances." Others came for emotional survival. One witch had a husband who was in the last stages of a battle with cancer, and she joined us as a distraction from that awful reality. Once her spouse eventually passed away, she still came to dance, the love and comfort offering a form of healing. Another witch was fighting her own battle with cancer, and following a day of rest after chemotherapy, would head to the witch's practice, a remarkable feat in itself. "Our warlock is a husband of one of our witches (her name is 'Gentle' because she is a gentle soul), and she always was very quiet and was looking for a way to cut loose a little bit and show a different side of herself," Jay recalled. Mr. Warlock would drive her all the way down from Indian Lake for practice, and he would watch the practices. "It turned out he was being the caregiver for a family member that was in the final stages of Alzheimer's; he really, really needed the support that we had to give, so then he joined us the following year and has been with us ever since," Jay said. Wrapping up their fifth season, the Dancing Witches range in ages from 40 all the way up to 85 ("Those 85-year-olds, I'm telling you, they can really move," Jay quipped). Though the group is based in the Town of Johnsburg, the witches fly in from all over the Adirondack Park- Indian Lake, Warrensburg, Minerva, and Olmstedville. Each witch is responsible for creating her own alter ego pseudonym and signature costume look, embracing personality traits and quirks and crafting an entirely new persona. "Our newest witch loves the ocean and the moon, and her witch's name is Cora Luna," Jay said. Brooms and hats are outfitted with lights for nighttime dance numbers, adding magic and mystique to performances. The witches gear up with practices in July, with their performance season starting as soon as August this past year with two performances. "We did six performances in September, 15 in October, and two in November," Jay said. Rehearing twice a week in Johnsburg at the river or beach pavilion, the witches are generally ready to reveal their new numbers by early September. Though the Dancing Witches spread their dance steps and infectious joy for free, they do accept donations, which go towards the purchase of new equipment and advertising expenditures. "Sometimes people give us a drink in exchange for our dance, and we greatly appreciate that," Jay said. In addition to the 'Schüttel deine Speck, the witches' repertoire consists of rock N' roll numbers, often with sound effects. "I describe what we perform as a mini production of sound, music, and dance," Jay explained. "This year, we have two short pieces of classic rock and our main dance this year is "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi. Several witches lend their hands at yearly choreography, with witches 'Whimsy' and 'Mermaid' taking the lead for this year's numbers. The numbers are infused with brook clicking and ribbon twirling, interacting with the audience for a 15-minute performance, Next year, Jay said the witches will be branching out and incorporating more of their lighted globes into the performances, and will also be looking to pay homage to their roots. "Since we have been going for five years, we have been talking about pulling out pieces from each of our dances for the last five years and putting them together as a review of what we have done and how far we have come," Jay shared. "Our audiences have grown, our support has grown, we go to different places each year and every year we are reaching farther and farther out. It makes us feel good to bring our healing and peace vibe to different places." For witches or warlocks who would like to become part of the fun, please visit Gem Radio Theatre on Facebook for updates on rehearsals. For those interested in booking the witches, also please get in touch via Facebook or email gemradiotheatre@gmail.com. "Our plate is really full, but we will do our best to get to everyone who would like to see the witches," Jay said. "We just get around- we fly everywhere." Now that witching season is coming to an end, some of the witches can still be seen in Gem Radio Theatre's next radio play, 'Christmas with Fibber McGee and Molly, which will run at Tannery Pond Center the weekend of Saturday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m.

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Dancing Witches spread happiness through performance

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