History of Sesame Dance Club

The Sesame Dance Club started in June 1961 with ten people who each invited several others to dance. The Sesame Dance Club was a singles only club for 30 to 40 year olds. Word of the Sesame Dance Club spread rapidly and by March of 1970 there were 371 members. The men all wore ties with sport jackets.

The first dances were held at NE 17th and Alberta from 1961 to 1964, and then shifted to the Tiffany Center at NW 14th and Morrison. After a temporary stay at the Sellwood Masonic Temple a new home for the dance club was found in 1974 at the Norse Hall at 111 NE 11th Avenue. The Sesame Club may be one of the longest running tenants of Norse Hall.

We have seen a lot of changes over the years. In the beginning only single people came to the dances. Eventually couples and married people were also attending.  Although dances now primarily use DJ music, before year 2000 music was typically provided by local bands. The early bands included Pete’s Rhythm Kings, Dr T and his Orchestra and the George Sievert Quartet. In those early days, news of upcoming dances in Portland was available via subscription to In Step dance magazine which was mailed out to subscribers monthly.

The Sesame Dance Club is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers who love to dance. Our Mission is to see the art of ballroom dancing flourish in the greater Portland, Oregon area. Sesame dances are open to the public. We welcome singles, couples, beginning to advanced level dancers and all ages to enjoy the experience of ballroom dancing at our club.

The Sesame Club continues to strive to be a great asset to the Portland social dance scene. If you enjoy the club and would like to volunteer time to the club, please talk to anyone at the front desk or talk to one of the Sesame board members. The health of the club depends on it.