square dancing

I first knew about square dancing from a show on TV that my dad used to love to watch.
I wish I could remember the name of it......people would sit around on hay bales while girls in swirling gingham skirts and men in checked shirts and cowboy boots do-si-doed around the floor.
I loved it. Sat with rapt attention for every show.

Years later, in high school, for open day, my class had to do a display of folk dancing. I was in heaven! This, to me, was so much like square dancing.

I'm reminded of this by the TV show I'm watching right now. (Friday 11th)
Happy Days. The Cunninghams, and Fonzie too, are at a ranch, riding horses and doing other ranchy stuff....at the end of the day, they're in the barn watching the square dancing.

Took me right back to being seven years old again.

Now I'm wondering if I can find square dancing classes anywhere near me. At a time when I'm not working of course. I'd quite like to give this a try.

Comments

  1. Not too many people square dance any longer it seems. I grew up with it here in Oklahoma and when I moved back here I was looking forward to square dancing, but was told no one does it any longer. It seems mostly they do the two-step at dances. Wish they would bring it back cause it is a lot of fun!

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  2. Eeeyehaw... They still offer square dancing classes through YMCA or YWCA activities at least they do around here.

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  3. We used to do folk dancing at school every Friday morning and I loved it. I noticed later that the dancing in shows like Pride and Prejudice is really quite similar to what we used to do. I would love to dance like that, and if they threw in a Mr Darcy I wouldn't complain ;)

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  4. Manzanita is right here too. There should be some around - hope so for your sake.

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  5. Done all those dances in high school like you and it was really enjoyable. These days you have to go to a night club to dance if that's what you call dancing which i don't because there's no grace or style involved just bouncing around like a beach ball :-).

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  6. Scottish Country Dancing is similar, River, so if you can't track down square/folk dancing, give the other a go ;)

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  7. We HAD to do square dancing when I was about 12 or 13, and the boys hated it so they weren't much fun to dance with, but I LOVED it.

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  8. Rubye Jack; I haven't started looking around yet, but there's a couple of good suggestions from other commenters. I'm sure I'll be able to find something. Just hope it isn't too expensive.

    Manzanita; Yee-Ha! I don't even know where a YMCA is in Adelaide. I'll have to get the phone book and magnifying glass. (Because the book is smaller this year, so the print is tiny).

    permanently amanda; we did it in primary school, but only on days when the weather wasn't good enough for some outside sport.

    EC; I'm going to start looking in earnest after Christmas/New Year.

    Windsmoke; what they do at nightclubs these days isn't dancing to me. I can stand in one place and bop up and down right here at home, but it isn't much fun.


    Jayne; I hadn't thought of that, and I don't mind a bit of bagpipes.

    Toni; that was the trouble in high school too.It wasn't a regular part of the curriculum, we only had to learn 3 dances to show off for open day, the boys complained so much the teacher threatened to fail them all if they didn't smile about it on the day.

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  9. Sounds like fun, hope you find it happening near you ... a dosie doe and away you go, alieman left with your left hand ... no never did it just remember the call :)

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  10. I am a professional square dance caller / instructor. I travel all over the place: I've called dances in all 50 states and in 18 countries as well. I can assure you that, no matter where you live, there's a square dance group nearby . However, finding that group might pose a problem! Just google 'Square Dance" and the name of your city or state and you'll find a group. If you can't find a group, email me ... info@fundancers.org ... and I'll find one for you. You're exactly right, square dancing is a wonderful way to get fun, fitness and friendship ALL at the same time. I hope to see you at a dance somewhere soon!

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  11. I think you must mean Roger Cardwell's "Country & Western Hour" that was on Saturday nights. It was actually filmed in the Adelaide studios, though I think when Reg Lindsay took it over it moved interstate. But I also have very fond memories of that show and I dreamed of having a swirly gingham skirt.

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  12. Maybe I should have looked before posting! I see that you're in Adelaide, Australia. I'm booked to call for two weeks in Australia, in April 2013, so I certainly HOPE that there's some square dancing down there. :) :) If I'm wrong, can you please start some square dancing NOW, so that there will be some dancers when I get there in April 2013? Just kidding! You can surely find square dancing in Adelaide, in fact a good friend of mine "James Reid" is a very good caller in Adelaide. There may be others, but hey, James is the one I know.

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  13. Cherie; I hope to be do-si-doing next year.

    Anonymous; I'll be googling soon. Just waiting until all the christmas hoo-ha is over.

    Marie; Yes! Roger Cardwell's Country&Western hour! I always wanted a swirly skirt and cowboy boots too. Funny that I don't wear skirts at all now.

    Anonymous; yes, Adelaide.

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