Newcomers
WELCOME!
Thank you for your interest in attending a dance at the Portland Heights Dance Club. This club offers an experience that can’t be found anywhere else in Portland. It provides you the opportunity to spend several romantic dinner-dance evenings throughout the year with your sweetheart, allows you to make new friends and deepen existing friendships, and gives you the chance to dress up in tuxedos and gowns and look terrific!
The Portland Heights Dance Club will hold six dinner dances this 2023-24 season in November, December, February, April, May, and June. Members are invited to enjoy all parts of the evening, including cocktails, dinner, dancing, and refreshments after dinner. The cost to attend a dance as a guest is $110 per couple, $55 per single.
If you are interested in attending a dance, send us an email informing us that you would like to be a guest at an upcoming dance. Please provide some basic information about yourself. Send us an email with the following information:
- Name(s)
- Email address
- Mailing address
- Phone number
Please also write a few sentences with information about yourselves that you would like us to know (your dance experience and interests, persons in the club you may know, etc.). This information will remain confidential to the club and may be reviewed by the PHDC Board if you wish to join as a member couple.
Click here to send us an email.
a night in the life
A special reduced introductory guest fee covers the entire evening for the couple. This includes…
COCKTAILS
The happy hour is a period for meeting guests, getting to know new members, and enjoying the company of longtime friends. Mixed drinks, wine, and snacks are provided in the balcony bar and the outdoor patio. All members are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy this segment of the evening.DINNER
A catered buffet with a sumptuous selection of salads, vegetable dishes, and main dishes is capped with dessert and coffee. Seating is planned to allow everyone to mix with members and guests.DANCING
Live dance bands offer excellent music for ballroom dancing. Members of the club include experienced and beginner dancers, ballroom dance students, ballroom dance teachers, and everyone in between. One thing our club members have in common is an enjoyment of ballroom dancing and a wish to know more.REFRESHMENTS
The bar upstairs and the outdoor patio are open during the dancing. Members are welcome to relax and enjoy socializing or watching the dancers from the balcony.
Please contact us via email for specifics on the next available event, to request admission, or if you have any other questions!
DRESSING THE PART
WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK
formal dress code
All the PHDC events are formal, except the June dance, which is semi-formal. At formal dances, men wear tuxedos or dark suits. Women wear formal gowns. Sometimes members are notified of a theme so they can add hats, masks, etc. to their attire. Guest men, you are welcome to come in a dark suit if you don’t have a tux.
There’s no need to break the bank to do this! We are huge fans of Ross and thrift shops. The most important thing is that you show up and have a magical night out.
ball gown shopping tips
One long-time member comes to the dances in amazing gowns. Her sources are no secret; she loves consignment shopping, as well as Goodwill and garage sales, and wants to share her bargain ideas with you all. Her message: “I’m sooo excited–I have a new (to me) dress for PHDC! Went consigning shopping today and bought a really pretty long ball gown for $9 (yes, nine!) dollars. Here are some resources for you:
- Consigning Women currently has a special $4 rack and a $9 rack, containing formal long and short dresses, skirts, and tops.
1235-B McVey Ave in Lake Oswego 97034 - Seams to Fit
2239 NW Raleigh, Portland
503-224-7884 - Assistance League
4000 SW 117th, Beaverton 97005 - Goodwill, garage sales, Ross
finding tuxes
There is no need to spend a fortune on a tux unless you have an event in two days or you need a specific color. Fred Blanchard reports that you can go to Mr. Formal anytime and find lightly used tuxes on sale at excellent prices. Top hats, vests, and tailcoats are often available in addition to choices of standard tuxedos. Their annual warehouse sale in October is when even more bargains can be found (1103 SE 7th in Portland, 503-239-6121). If that doesn’t work for you, check on Craigslist and Ebay.
Testimonials
AN INSIDE LOOK INTO THE CLUB EVENTS
“There are plenty of ballroom classes in the Portland area, but only this private club provides monthly events, orchestrated by members to enjoy hosted happy hour, fine dining, elegant themed balls, live music, and beautiful dance floor, with gracious members who have a similar passion for dancing. Refined formal venue and always memorable. …some new to ballroom dancing attend for the sheer joy of the event.”
It’s the people! We have met so many warm, friendly, welcoming, and interesting people through the dance club, people whom we wouldn’t have met otherwise. It’s a date night with your sweetheart to look forward to on the calendar. It’s leaving your cares at the door for a world of beautiful parties, the fun of getting dressed up, smiling faces, and the joy of dancing.
The Portland Heights Dance Club holds monthly events where you can dress formally, enjoy cocktails, sit to a great buffet dinner and then ballroom dance to music from a live band. We have been members of the club since 2018 and always look forward to the next dance. We have met some truly wonderful people at the club and enjoy seeing them each time. It's quite the social event where you catch up with old friends, eat a great dinner and dance to your heart's content.
