It’s the new sensation:Dancing can be for fun or exercise, or it can be a spectator sport. Long before the hit reality television show Dancing with the Stars, 8,500 people gathered to watch 800 dancers at Jermain Park, the site of the Toledo Recreation Festival square dance competition. In addition to square dancing, there was modern dancing and some ”chicken” dancing to the music of Little Richard and His Plainsmen. In this August 26, 1955, photo by Toledo Blade photographer Don Flory, a chain of women and girls are showing the audience how to do the “Bunny Hop,” one of the newer dances performed during the festival. The line dance was created at Balboa High School in San Francisco in 1952. Orchestra leader Ray Anthony saw the dance and he, along with composer Leonard Auletti, wrote the original song “Bunny Hop.” Ray Anthony & His Orchestra recorded the song and released the record in April, 1953. The flip side of that 45 RPM single? The “Hokey Pokey.”
THE BLADE/DON FLORY
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Debbie Knab of Lambertville, with balloons, waits for her daughter, Codylynn Knab, and more than 200 Airmen from the 112th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to return to the 180th Fighter Wing Air National Guard Base at Toledo Express Airport near Swanton Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The squadron served a three-month deployment to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
The Blade/Dave Zapotosky
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Lt. Col. Michael DiDio, commander of the 112th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, is embraced by his children, Maddi, 9, and Brendan, 11, right, after he and over 200 Airmen returned to the 180th Fighter Wing Air National Guard Base.
The Blade/Dave Zapotosky
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Tech. Sgt. Jerry Watts is embraced by sons, Brayden, left, and Jacob, both 5, and daughter Kenzie, 3, after he and more than 200 Airmen from the 112th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron return to the 180th Fighter Wing Air National Guard Base.
The Blade/Dave Zapotosky
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'Lucy,' a cat at Paws and Whiskers Cat Shelter in Toledo, sits on a perch in the main adoption room at the shelter, Monday, April 18, 2016. The shelter is expanding after purchasing the building it has been renting space in.
The Blade/Dave Zapotosky
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Nia Thomas, 12, center, and Ylisia Crawford, 15, right, work with teammate Aoveon Gould, 13, to set up their boards during Chess Club practice Wednesday, April 20, 2016, at Jones Leadership Academy in West Toledo. The three girls are part of a team that recently won the 2016 All Girls Team Chess Championship for Non Rated Students 4-12th grade in Columbus.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
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Alexander Craig, 6, is surrounded by Explorers from left Tyler Ware, Lucas Harmon and Chris Teare during his Make-A-Wish party at the UAW Local 12 Hall in Toledo, Ohio. With him is his registered nurse, Jacquel McCadney, who is also going to Disney.
The Blade/Lori King
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Development coordinator Sara Thompson, left, and operations assistant director Patrice James play with light inside the Think Tank, an exhibit inside the Idea Lab at the Imagination Station in Toledo, Ohio.
The Blade/Lori King
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Cafe worker Zeenat Wallace, left, and Michael Scott play in the Flying Stuff exhibit inside the Idea Lab at the Imagination Station in Toledo, Ohio.
The Blade/Lori King
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CTY MARATHON25 04/24/2016 The start of the Glass City Marathon in Toledo. The Blade/Lori King
THE BLADE/LORI KING
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CTY MARATHON25 04/24/2016 Newport, Kentucky resident Robert Gititu wins the Glass City Marathon in Toledo. The Blade/Lori King
THE BLADE/LORI KING
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CTY MARATHON25 04/24/2016 North Carolina resident Laura Berry is the first woman to cross the finish line during the Glass City Marathon in Toledo. The Blade/Lori King
THE BLADE/LORI KING
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Elmore resident Matthew Riggle approaches the 13.1 mile finish line in full firefighter gear during the Glass City Marathon in Toledo.
The Blade/Lori King
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Metalsmith Dave Grocki, left, speaking at the jewelry counter with Sherry Veith fourth from right, holding her granddaughter Mia Mae Veith, 2; Shawna Dickman, and artist Jeff Kennedy, all of Toledo. Standard Loan Jewelry Store and Pawn Shop holds an auction of all of its contents as the business shuts its doors after 35years, in downtown Toledo, Ohio on April 24, 2016.
Jetta Fraser
Original 45 records for sale during the Glass City Records Show at the Knights of Columbus Hall on April 24, 2016.
The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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Luke Merryfield, center, of Gibsonburg, holds up an album to negotiate a price during the Glass City Records Show at the Knights of Columbus Hall on April 24, 2016.
The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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A yet-unnamed new female Polar Bear cub plays in the pool as her 16-year-old mother bear Crystal snacks nearby Wednesday, April 20, 2016, at the Toledo Zoo. The pair will go on display together in May.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
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The new female Polar Bear cub plays in an enclosure as her 16-year-old mother bear Crystal looks for food.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
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The unnamed new female Polar Bear cub gets a close-up from members of the media.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
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The unnamed new female Polar Bear cub goes after a ball.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
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Actor Austin Packard and the cast rehearse Noises Off at the Thomas B. and Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre at the BGSU Wolfe Center for the Arts in Bowling Green, Ohio.
The Blade/Lori King
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Perrysburg25 Siblings Aubrey Bostater, 8, and Brayden, 6, duke it out during this year's Parents' Club Family Fun Night Friday, April 22, 2016, at Woodland Elementary School in Perrysburg. The annual event, now in its fifth year, features indoor and outdoor games for kids. Proceeds go to the elementary school to help pay for field trips and other activities. Last year the fun night raised more than $5,000. Organizers said they were expecting about 600 children and their parents to attend and were hoping to raise more than last year.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
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SJcentralBaseball20p St. John's Jared Telecky (10) connects with the ball during the top of the fourth inning in the Tuesday, April 19, 2016, against Central Catholic at Mercy Field at the CYO Athletic Complex in South Toledo.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
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The Toledo Mud Hens' Steven Moya hits a home run against the Charlotte Knights during baseball action at Fifth Third Field on April 24, 2016.
Blade/Amy E. Voigt
Anthony Wayne's Cailey Miller is called out on the force and double play at second by Springfield's Erika Case during softball game at Springfield Sports Complex in Holland, Ohio.
The Blade/Lori King
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Anthony Wayne's Gretchen Rudolph cheers from the dugout during softball game at Springfield Sports Complex in Holland, Ohio.
The Blade/Lori King
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Mark Shieldcastle, research director for the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, holds an American goldfinch he just banded during a University of Toledo upper-level conservation biology class at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Magee Marsh on April 18, 2016.
The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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Mark Shieldcastle, research director for the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, holds an American tree sparrow in order to band him.
The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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A newly banded and released red-winged blackbird perches on a tree.
The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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Cardinal Stritch's Stephen Johnson (9) scores against Gibsonburg catcher Brent Hayward (7) during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday April 21, 2016, in Gibsonburg, Ohio. Cardinal Stritch defeated Gibsonburg 10-0 in five innings.
THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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Liberty-Benton's Michaela Butler wins the Girls 100 Meter Dash before Findlay's Taylor Lavey, left,and Lauren Micham, right, during the Larry Kohring Eastwood Relays at Eastwood High School on April 22, 2016.
The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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Mitchell Kubicki reacts to crossing the finish line first in the Boys 4 X 100 Meter Relay during the Larry Kohring Eastwood Relays at Eastwood High School on April 22, 2016.
The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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New Albany's Michael Fenster pulls ahead of Bowling Green's Eric Rine in the Boys 100 Meter Dash Wheelchair during the Larry Kohring Eastwood Relays at Eastwood High School on April 22, 2016.
The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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Kellie Shirley of Waterville holds her son Jackson, 4, before the Toledo Walleye play the Reading Royals during game 5 of the ECHL quarter finals Friday April 22, 2016, at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Jackson got to ride the Zamboni.
THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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Keri Schoen of Holland cheers as the Toledo Walleye play the Reading Royals during game 5 of the ECHL quarter finals Friday April 22, 2016, at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.
THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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Bags of artificial turf wait to be placed in bags outside the Glass Bowl at the University of Toledo Friday, April 22, 2016, at the main campus in West Toledo. The university is also renovating a portion of the Eastern part of the stadium and expanding the Grogan room inside Savage Arena.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
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