Jerry Rubin dances with his wife of 26 years Marissa at the Santa Monica Pier during the 25th Anniversary Twilight Dance Series' tribute to the famed La Monica Ballroom on Thursday, July 23, 2009.

La Monica Ballroom Redux Event Commemorates Santa Monica Pier’s Iconic Role in Ballroom Dancing

Thousands put on their dancing shoes to swing on the 5,000 square foot dance floor at the Santa Monica Pier during the Twilight Dance Series’ La Monica Ballroom Redux. Honoring the Centennial of the Santa Monica Pier with a throwback tribute to the experience of the La Monica Ballroom (1924 – 1962), with a grand entrance reminiscent of the beloved heart of ballroom dancing.

As part of the Twilight Dance Series, a set of free summer concerts on the Santa Monica Pier now in its 25^th season, La Monica Ballroom Redux is one of the events leading up to the Santa Monica Pier’s Centennial Celebration on September 9, 2009.

The bands that performed for La Monica Redux are leaders in the Western swing sound that made La Monica Ballroom famous during its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s. Johnny Vana and The Big Band Alumni performed authentic music of the 1940s including the songs of Benny Goodman, Billy May and Glenn Miller.

Also performing were the Squirrel Nut Zippers, musical giants in the modern swing movement and known for a unique “30s punk” sound. The Squirrel Nut Zippers played some of their hits as well as performed new arrangements of classic numbers created especially for the La Monica Ballroom Redux event, providing a well-received surprise to Zipper fans.

“The Santa Monica Pier is an iconic piece of American history and the story of La Monica Ballroom has remained an enduring symbol. Reliving the era of La Monica Ballroom is humbling,” said Ben Franz-Knight, executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation. “The Santa Monica Pier has created long-lasting memories for many generations and will continue to entice generations to come.”

The Santa Monica Pier Centennial Celebration will take place on its birthday, September 9, 2009, and will be marked by a grand rededication ceremony with civic and government officials, local and national celebrities, as well as the largest fireworks spectacular over Santa Monica Bay in twenty years.

Adds Franz-Knight, “Each of these celebratory events aims to bring our communities together and commemorate a place that is entertaining in uncountable ways.”