Any Square Dancers Here?

[jaybird0827]

Square dancing is the national folk dance of America. It became very popular with the masses in the 1960's and 70's and has been in decline ever since; in some areas no longer even available.

Mrs. Sulzmann and I took it up about 3 years ago when it was offered to primarily to homeschoolers through a local 4H.

We have found square dancing to be a thoroughly fun and enjoyable activity, with the side benefit of getting some good exercise. We belong to a local club here that dances twice a month.

 

[Ivan]

I am square, but not a dancer....sorry....

I remember in grade school that they taught us to square dance. Not sure why.

 

[LadyFlynt]

Ooohh, I so miss doing that! It was required in Jr High and High school until the old female gym teacher retired...the new gym teacher had us learn line dancing....boot scoot boogieeeeee!!!

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by Ivan
I am square, but not a dancer....sorry....

I remember in grade school that they taught us to square dance. Not sure why.

If you can imagine, in my 8th grade PE class, while wearing grey gym shorts, we were required to square dance to Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline. Oh, the humanity!

 

[Ivan]

Originally posted by LadyFlynt
Ooohh, I so miss doing that! It was required in Jr High and High school until the old female gym teacher retired...the new gym teacher had us learn line dancing....boot scoot boogieeeeee!!!

I felt awkward! I think it was done to teach us social graces.

 

[LadyFlynt]

At least we didn't have to dress out for the dancing Since we had co'ed gym (yes, even in highschool) the girls usually traded their gym shorts for sweatpants or put biker shorts on under the gym shorts. The boys usually did also...this is one class that should NEVER be co'ed! (okay, well maybe for the dancing sessions)

 

[jaybird0827]

Originally posted by Ivan
I am square, but not a dancer....sorry....

I remember in grade school that they taught us to square dance. Not sure why.

We had it in junior high and it was an opportunity for boys and girls to do something together. Funny part was nobody wanted to do it, the instructors were prepared to handle it, and by the time the unit was over we hated to see it end.

If you can walk, you are ready to begin square dancing. It requires physical activity while paying attention to instructions and executing them. You literally have to think on your feet. It also involves teamwork.

 

[jaybird0827]

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
If you can imagine, in my 8th grade PE class, while wearing grey gym shorts, we were required to square dance to Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline. Oh, the humanity!

Singing calls are especially fun. Songs get rearranged for square dancing in order to have a set number of steps. There are myriad ways to combine calls, and callers usually make up their own coreography.

They can be a challenge. You really have to listen because the caller will either be singing some of the words to the song or calling a movement. They often "stack" calls which means having to execute several instructions in the order given.

"Circle left ...
Put on my blue suede shoes and I boarded the plane.
Allemande left your corner, do si do your own, allemande left the corner, weave the ring
I was walking in Memphis, swing with your girl and you all promenade.
I was walking in Memphis, but do I really feel the way I do?"
Heads promeande three-quarters ..."

[Edited on 9-8-2006 by jaybird0827]

 

[jaybird0827]

Originally posted by LadyFlynt
Ooohh, I so miss doing that! It was required in Jr High and High school until the old female gym teacher retired...the new gym teacher had us learn line dancing....boot scoot boogieeeeee!!!

They usually throw in a couple of lines when our club dances and the round dance cuer (another topic) teaches it just before you dance it.

"It's electric ... it's electric..."

 

[Gregg]

Not a dancer myself, but really enjoy listening to an old time fiddler playing the music.

 

[Ivan]

Originally posted by Gregg
Not a dancer myself, but really enjoy listening to an old time fiddler playing the music.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

If You're Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have A Fiddle In The Band) -- Alabama

If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band
That lead guitar is hot but not for "Lousiana Man"
So rosin up that bow for "Faded Love" and let's all dance
If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band

I remember down in Houston we were puttin' on a show
When a cowboy in the back stood up and yelled, "Cotton-Eyed Joe"!
He said, "We love what you're doin', boys don't get us wrong
There's just somethin' missin' in your song"

If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band
That lead guitar is hot but not for "Lousiana Man"
So rosin up that bow for "Faded Love" and let's all dance
If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band

So we dusted off our boots and put our cowboy hats on straight
Them Texans raised the roof when Jeff opened up his case
You say y'all all wanna two-step
You say ya wanna doe-si-doe
Well, here's your fiddlin' song before we go

If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band
That lead guitar is hot but not for "Lousiana Man"
So rosin up that bow for "Faded Love" and let's all dance
If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band

If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band
That lead guitar is hot but not for "Lousiana Man"
So rosin up that bow for "Faded Love" and let's all dance
If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band

 

[jaybird0827]

Originally posted by Gregg
Not a dancer myself, but really enjoy listening to an old time fiddler playing the music.

That's known as hoe-down. I hear those are fun and no prior knowledge is assumed, everything's taught on the fly.

Square dance callers mostly use records and MP3's and call their own figures according to the standard program. Familiarity is assumed.

A lot of what's done at hoe-downs is called contra. Some contra uses square dance movements but the formations and figures are different. A good example is the Virginia Reel.

 

[Augusta]

We have done some folk dancing with families at church. One family from Georgia started it up. Their kids play violin and so we dance to tapes with fiddle on them or to the son and daughter playing.

They have taught us about 5 different dances. The Post and Jig being one of the harder ones and yes we do the Virginia Reel so I guess we are having "hoe-downs." It's very fun and very good exercise. I wish we had a regular schedule of it. I might have to take things in hand.

 

[jaybird0827]

Traci,

That is awesome! BTW, if you have any square dance clubs in your area, you might be able to get a caller to put on a one-time something for the homeschoolers.

Another way to work in a few square dances is to get recordings of singing calls. The guy who first taught us was not offically a caller but wanted to be and needed a way to practice. He taught us to do certain ones from the records. By the time we started the classes to be able to dance with the club, we were already way ahead.

Recorded singing calls are easy because the coreography is "canned". It's always the same pattern - opener, 2 figures, break, 2 figures, closer. The opener, break, and closer tend to have similar patterns. I've always found with the recordings that the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th figure will be exactly the same as the 1st. Live callers don't always do that.

Look for "basic" or "mainstream" level recordings. As a general rule, avoid "plus" because the figures are likely to be too complex for beginners.

Another thing - walk through the coreography several times before putting it to music. You WILL break down at first and have to start over. Eventually you get it worked out; everybody keeps up, and you have fun.

Oh, and don't be a bit surprised if the kids get it faster than the adults!

 

[Gregg]

Originally posted by jaybird0827

Originally posted by Gregg
Not a dancer myself, but really enjoy listening to an old time fiddler playing the music.

That's known as hoe-down. I hear those are fun and no prior knowledge is assumed, everything's taught on the fly.

Square dance callers mostly use records and MP3's and call their own figures according to the standard program. Familiarity is assumed.

A lot of what's done at hoe-downs is called contra. Some contra uses square dance movements but the formations and figures are different. A good example is the Virginia Reel.

Not too sure I can agree with that. I have an old recording of Fiddling Charlie Bowman playing a square dance with the movements being called circa 1927

http://www.1001tunes.com/fiddlers/bowman.html

 

[Augusta]

Originally posted by jaybird0827
Oh, and don't be a bit surprised if the kids get it faster than the adults!

Already experienced this. It took me forever to get the Post and Jig. I think I had it down last time. Of course that was over a month ago and its already fading.

 

[jaybird0827]

Originally posted by Gregg

Originally posted by jaybird0827

Originally posted by Gregg
Not a dancer myself, but really enjoy listening to an old time fiddler playing the music.

That's known as hoe-down. I hear those are fun and no prior knowledge is assumed, everything's taught on the fly.

Square dance callers mostly use records and MP3's and call their own figures according to the standard program. Familiarity is assumed.

A lot of what's done at hoe-downs is called contra. Some contra uses square dance movements but the formations and figures are different. A good example is the Virginia Reel.

Not too sure I can agree with that. I have an old recording of Fiddling Charlie Bowman playing a square dance with the movements being called circa 1927

http://www.1001tunes.com/fiddlers/bowman.html

Hoedowns can include square dances as well. Probably a lot depends on the community and who's giving it.

 

[Gregg]

Not really too sure what its called, but back then, it was probably a pretty popular community passtime.