The ABA has a Hall of Fame which recognizes members of the dance community that are current members of an ABA regular member club with exceptional character and have rendered exceptional, noteworthy service to the preservation and promotion of Swing, Bop, Jitterbug, or Shag dancing. Nominees are submitted by regular member clubs, reviewed and voted upon by the current Hall of Fame members. The final selections are then inducted to the Hall at an ABA convention.
LRBC Hall of Fame members are:
Jim Laux & Lennie Laux
Inducted Sep 1, 2001
Jim joined the Midwest United States Imperial Club in 1990 and served as President for 2 years and Dance Instructor for 4 years. He later joined the Little Rock Bop Club where he has served as President. Jim has chaired the ABA Hall of Fame Committee and the ABA Bylaws Committee. He has been an ABA Director since the ABA’s inception. Lennie joined the LRBC in 1993 and has served on the Board for 5 years. Together Jim and Lennie have chaired LRBC’ s annual event, Bop on the Lake, have designed the dance instruction program, taught dance lessons weekly, and have also managed to increase membership and attendance at the weekly dances.
Tommy Roberts & Emily Roberts
Inducted Nov 9, 2002
Dancing since 1950, Tommy has taught dance classes, won dance championships, judged competitions, and held board positions in many dance clubs in the US and overseas including the Little Rock Bop Club, where he has held the positions of VP, Membership Director, Newsletter Editor, and now Webmaster. Introduced to partner dancing in 1991, Emily joined the LRBC in 1992. She co-founded the Ballroom, Latin and Swing Social Dance Assn, promoted all dance events, and built a support system between both dance communities. In addition to serving as the LRBC’s Web Goddess, she has also served as their Membership Director. Together, Tommy and Emily are a 2-for-1-powerhouse team dedicated to promote their love of dance.
Jim Stanton & Virginia Stanton
Inducted Nov 13, 2004
Jim and Virginia Stanton joined the Little Rock Bop Club in 1996 and jumped full swing into club activities. They helped organize the first Bop on the Lake and have worked admissions, dance floor, hospitality, decorating, entertainment, and cleanup every year since. They have served as club officers, dance instructors, and goodwill ambassadors for swing dance resulting in dozens of new dancers. Jim and Virginia Stanton’s many years of effective hard work, dance talent turned to service of others and willingness to go anywhere and do anything for the dance community made them an exceptional choice for induction into the ABA Hall of Fame.
Mike Nelson & Kim Nelson
Inducted Jul 3, 2010
Kim and Mike have been making exceptional contributions to dance clubs, dancers, and to the swing dance community since they met on the dance floor in 1999. They were even married on the dance floor just before a LRBC dance in 2003. The couple has served on the board of directors and planning committees and cam be counted on to be the first to pitch in when it is time to create choreography for skits. LRBC is their beloved home base, but they have served the wider community with generosity as well. Their teaching has introduced hundreds of people in Arkansas to swing dance, bringing many of them to LRBC. With their exhibitions ranging from the sublimely smooth to sublimely silly, the Nelsons have been popular performers for ABA club conventions across the country. At home or away, you can often find them in a corner with new dancers who ask for help with basics or experienced dancers who are trying to pick up a new move.
