When Shirley Link's doctor said "Keep dancing," she took him at his word.

"Dancing is a lot more fun than going to the gym!" she said.

Link, who lives in Shawnee, and her partner, John Kellogg, Lenexa (they've been going steady for six years), seldom miss an afternoon tea dance at the Camelot Ballroom in Overland Park—where Ed Smith and his saxophone have been entertaining older adults for years.

"We go to other dances, too, but the Camelot's our favorite," Link said. "We just like Ed's music. He's the best, period. And we've made a lot of friends at dances. Everyone goes by first names."

Smith's music has been a top attraction at Camelot tea dances since the ballroom opened on New Year's Eve 2001. His band was featured opening night.

"I've known Wade Qandil (Camelot general manager) since the 1970s, when he had ballrooms in Kansas City and Independence," Smith said. "My home is in Independence, but the Camelot is my home base. I've played in about every retirement home in Johnson County, in addition to dances at the Camelot. I play all the senior dances, so I'm here most of the time."

Smith added that he enjoys playing for seniors because he's one of them, and "We like the same kind of music."

Smith has a full band on call, but for tea dances and at retirement homes he goes solo, backed by a synthesizer. He encourages requests.

"I know all the songs," he said. "I should; I've been playing them long enough!"

Most frequently requested is "In The Mood," followed by "The Tennessee Waltz" and "Let Me Call You Sweetheart."
Smith admits that he's been stumped a couple of times on requests from his longtime friend Norman Sherwood, a retired engineer from Olathe.

"I've known Ed for 15 years or more," Sherwood said. "I've been coming to the Camelot since it opened. I've been to other places in the area, but they don't compare. There's not a better dance floor around."

Smith and Joe DeFio, another professional musician who performs frequently at Johnson County retirement homes (The Best Times, February 2010) team up occasionally at the Camelot for dances. DeFio plays the piano and pop organ and, like Smith, plays music from the 1930s, '40s and '50s.

Smith's musical career began at Manual High School in Kansas City, Mo., where he played clarinet in the high school band.

"Later I switched to saxophone because a band leader said 'I need a sax player,'" Smith said. "I've been playing it ever since."

Smith played with several bands around the city, often in the old New Orleans Room just off 12th Street, where he played for 17 years, six nights a week, no vacation.

"I think I hold the record for playing the longest in one place," he said with a chuckle.

A sampling of the 45 to 50 couples attending a Thursday Camelot tea dance confirmed Smith's popularity with seniors.
Harold Gersh, a retired counselor at Shawnee Mission High School, seldom misses a Camelot tea dance. He usually dances with Isabel Holden, also of Overland Park. They both like Smith's music.

"Ed is my favorite," Gersh said. "He plays what we like to dance to, and the Camelot floor is the best!"

Marvin Cleveland, Kansas City, Mo., is a regular at the Thursday and Sunday dances.

"There's always someone to dance with, and it's a nice place to socialize," Cleveland said. "I like what Ed plays."

Ardyth and Clarence Wendte, Overland Park, have been dancing at the Camelot for years and are Smith fans.

"We're here for about every [dance], unless we're out of town," Ardyth said.

The same is true of Wilma and Bill Dalen, Overland Park; Daisy and Don Brown, Olathe; and Karen Meyers and Leo Marcel, Olathe, who make the tea dances nearly every week.

"We see many of the same people at each dance," Karen said. "We've made some good friends."

Diane and Mike Whittier, Shawnee, enjoy the tea dances and also make an occasional night dance at the Camelot. Smith usually brings a larger band when he plays Saturday night dances, which often are semiformal.

Fannie Simpson lives in Lee's Summit, Mo., but attends most of the tea dances at the Camelot, especially on Thursdays.

"I never have any trouble finding someone to dance with," Simpson said. "I usually have a regular partner on Thursday."
Wade Qandil and his wife, Bridget, are available for dance lessons most weekdays.

"We teach all styles," Wade said. "Ballroom is probably the most popular with the seniors. We also offer lessons to the younger set, too."

Admission for Thursday dancing, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., is $7 per person; for Sundays, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., it's $10 per person. A full-service bar and refreshments are available.

The Camelot Ballroom is at 6635 W. 151st St. in Overland Park. For more information, call 913-897-4622 or go to www.camelotballroom.com.

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