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The Shoreline- Milwaukee was founded in May of 1992 as a Country Dance group. According to one of the founders, Alan Karbel, in a mini-history in the 1998 Round-Up program: "Twelve of us 'dance regulars' at the old 3B's bar decided to start our own line dance performance group. We worked hard that first summer under Jeff Pierotti's direction to get ourselves ready for our first performance at MAPfest. Our membership grew to include our first woman, Wendy Young. Wendy got the idea to hold a yearly Country dance fund raiser jointly with the Counseling Center. The first Country Dance Gala was held at the old Lake Park Pavilion and was a big success. The next year we moved it to the War Memorial Ballroom where it is still held. In 1997 for the first time we 'struck off all alone'. We expanded the Saturday Night Gala into a full weekend of country line dancing and two-stepping. We included workshops and dance-swaps, fish fries, and brunches. It exceeded our wildest expectations." The Shoreline group also helped to found the IACLCWDC (International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs). Shoreline held practices and dance parties several times a month at the Pulse bar (previously Fannie's) until that bar closed in 2005. Late in 2006 they found a new host bar with the opening of Hot Water, where they continue to practice into 2008. The Shoreline group continues to perform regularly at a variety of community events, especially PrideFest.
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Credits: Historical newsletters from Jerry Johnson Collection in UWM Archives.
Last updated: March-2007.