Last Sunday, Little Switzerland turned their Polka night into a celebration for couples that had met or married at the location. Pictured are Roy and Brita Winslow, who were married in the courtyard at Little Switzerland. Photo by Dyann Espinosa
Nearly 100 years before “Dancing with the Stars” waltzed onscreen, couples were dancing the tango, the waltz and the polka at an out-of-the-way dance hall in Sonoma. Little Switzerland has survived and thrived over the years, thanks to generations of loyal dancers, many of whom were first-generation European immigrants that longed for the music and dancing that they had grown up with. Some have met their spouses here and some have even exchanged wedding vows in the shaded courtyard.
When Roy and Brita Winslow first met in 1993, “I couldn’t dance a step,” said Roy Winslow. Love and the polka changed all that; today the couple glides around the dance floor like Fred and Ginger. Danish by birth, Brita Winslow felt strong ties to her homeland in the music, so when they married, it was in an outdoor ceremony at Little Switzerland with a Danish minister and a dance party afterwards.
Dancing is at the heart of the experience for the people who come regularly to the club, and nobody sits out a good tune. “We have dinner during the band’s break so we don’t miss any of the music,” said Marge Hetchler, who has been coming to Little Switzerland since 1962. Her husband, Ken, deserves the award for most mileage in a courtship. As a photographer for Lockheed, Hetchler lived in Mountain View, but after meeting Marge at Little Switzerland in 1962, he became a regular commuter to the dances. “Ken would drive to Petaluma to pick me up in his VW Bug,” said Marge, “then we would come here to dance, and afterward he’d take me home then go back to Mountain View.” Whether it was the miles or Marge’s smiles, the couple wed seven months later and are still together and dancing after 45 years.
As the dancers swirl around the floor, the partners change frequently. “That’s part of the fun,” said Margaret Curutchet, “everyone gets to dance, even if you come without a partner.” Curutchet first came to Little Switzerland with her parents for a German picnic and continued to come back to dance, “I even met my second husband here,” she said. Her dance partner, Ivan Basalnki, lives in Benecia, but comes up for Sunday dances regularly. “I met my first two wives here,” said Basalnki. Curutchet, who teaches a Weight Watchers class, recommends dancing to her students as a great form of exercise.
Something about dancing and the sense of community seems to be keeping the people who participate happy and healthy. Though the ages of the dancers are a wide mix, there are many who are over 70 years old and are still on the floor after the 30-year-olds have returned to their tables to cool off. “My parents brought my brothers and sisters and me here as a kid,” said Germania Bönn, a schoolteacher in San Francisco. Emma and Arriola Bönn are an international love story, as he is originally from Japan and she from Germany. They imbued the love of dance in their children. Said Germania Bönn, “We come back as a family for special occasions and I always realize that I should come more often because it’s a wonderful experience, the kind you can’t find anymore. There’s a real feeling of friendship in this group.”
Alina and Tony Garcia, Little Switzerland’s owners since 2001, have a special interest in keeping the music and the community going – they also met at the club. In 1970, Alina went with her parents to their favorite dance hall. Tony Garcia happened to be there with friends, and when he looked up and saw Alina enter the room, he announced to them, “I’m going to marry that girl.” They wed in 1973 and are now the guardians of the traditions that brought them together. “We want this always to remain a place to meet new and old friends,” said Alina Garcia, “where families are welcome and we can share the joy of this special community.”
Little Switzerland
401 Grove St.
707.938.9990
www.lilswiss.com
