December 30, 2007 - Inactive
We haven't been dancing much the last couple of months. We've been busy with the holidays, company, business, and some family issues. Hopefully we'll be able to get back to some dancing in the new year.

October 26, 2007 - Fire in San Diego
I've been receiving word from and about north county dancers all week. It seems our square dance friends have been very lucky. Though many were evacuated, and some had fire quite close to their neighborhoods and homes, thankfully they have all come through the ordeal with little damage. Most are back home now, though a few are still waiting for power. We are so very grateful for our good fortune. Our hearts go out to those who suffered losses.

September 22, 2007 - A-List
Steve Kopman writes:
"About one month ago I had a Wed. night DBD plus group that was dancing quite well. On this particular night only four plus level teenagers showed up and were flanked by two squares of advance dancers. So I thought it would be fun to teach them some Advanced calls. Well, two hours later they had completed the A1 list. The next week I showed them the 1st half of A2, and we completed the A2 list the following week. The next week we just practiced the calls they were exposed to. (Yes, they learned the whole advanced list in three weeks.) Now comes the Gatlinburg Advance & Challenge Convention and they came and were incredible! Never have I called for kids with such enthusiasm and amazing precision."
Wow. The whole A-list in three weeks. And we thought we went through it fast in three months.

September 21, 2007 - Gone to the Dogs
At Camp Gone-to-the-Dogs (a summer camp for dog lovers and their canine "kids") there are many activities offered, including "doggie square dancing, doggie swimming lessons, and a doggie bathing suit pageant and costume parade, as well as traditional classes in Frisbee-catching."
Doggie square dancing?? I think I'd like to see that.

September 9, 2007 - Dance First
"Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order." - Samuel Beckett

September 8, 2007 - Looks Like Fun
I've heard people say, "If we could just show people what square dancing really is, more people would want to take classes." Of course they also mention overcoming the problem of the traditonal dress and music.
I recently watched two square dance videos on YouTube.
The first was labeled Hot Hash, and though it was nowhere near the speed of the hash we used to do, the calling was fast and lively, as well as smooth and rhythmic. It was a group of dancers in traditional SD attire doing a singing call of mostly Mainstream calls. All four couples were moving in time to the music, doing a swing each time they met in a right and left grand, and again at home. They were doing the full star through and left allemande movements as well as adding twirls and flourishes throughout the dance, while whopping, cheering, clapping, and singing along with the music. They all had smiles on their faces and looked like they were having fun.
The second video was of a group of Challenge dancers. They were dressed in everyday shorts and Ts, walking through the patterns with no regard for the rhythm of the music, accompanied by a caller basically calling "Do this call. . . Do that call. . . Now do this. . . Now do that. . ." in a monotone speaking voice, eliciting no excitment from the bored looking dancers who barely made eye contact with each other and, between the eight of them, never cracked a single smile throughout the entire dance.
Now I realize that these people must be having fun, or they wouldn't be doing it, and I understand the challenge of the puzzle solving aspect of the dance, but having fun yourself while doing something and transmitting the possibility of someone else having fun while doing it are two different things.
Granted this was Challenge dancing, but more and more of Mainstream/Plus dance is adopting the pared down-all business-nothing extra style of Advance/Challenge dance. Hardly anyone even does a swing anymore.
So despite the full skirts and country music (which a lot of people actually do like), I think the first video would be a better representation of square dance fun than the second for bringing people into the activity.
If we want to promote that Square Dancing is fun, then we really have to make it look like fun.
Appearance does matter.

September 7, 2007 - Dance Attire
I dance with some clubs where traditional SD attire is the norm and others where casual dress is worn. I like both options. I seldom wear a dress in my everyday life, so sometimes it's fun to get all decked out for an evening of dancing, and I personally like the flouncy skirts and petticoats. Other times, dancing in pants is just more comfortable.
I haven't seen a negative response to my SD clothes andI don't think the clothes are a "turn off" to young people. I think that is an older attitude projected onto the youth. Young people actually seem to like "costuming." They dress in vintage to go swing dancing and in cowboy style to go line dancing. A lot of their everyday fashion wear has a costume-like flair or flamboyance. When we stop for a bite to eat on the way to a dance, it's usually the young girls who come over and tell me that they like my skirts. And it's usually the younger people in the classes who are asking where they can buy dance clothes.

September 6, 2007 - Family Activity
It's September, the time for new square dance classes to begin. It will be interesting to see what kind of response the Wranglers get for their new class, starting the 19th. Dave has been going door-to-door throughout the neighborhood, passing out flyers and talking to people all summer. There is also a flyer prepared, promoting square dance as a family activity, to be sent home from school with each child. We are very optimistic that the efforts will pay off.
Square dancing is a perfect family activity that all ages can enjoy together; children, parents, and grandparents. So many youth activities leave parents spending endless hours just sitting, waiting, and watching. Why not get everyone involved in something together? Years ago there was a successful square dance club for all ages in San Diego called Family Squares. Maybe it's time to actively promote square dance as a family activity again.

Other new classes: Magic Squares' class starts tonight. Ruffles 'n Beaus' starts on Sunday.

September 4, 2007 - Too Hot
We didn't dance at all this last weekend, which was probably just as well, as it is just too hot to dance. It's a little cooler today, at least not 100+ as it's been, but it is still HOT.
The room we dance in on Tuesdays (tonight) supposedly has air conditioning, but as only one vent seems to work, it only cools approximately 1 square foot of floorspace. So in between dancing we all gather in the small space under the working vent. It always reminds me of the dairy pasture we used to drive by. On hot days all the cows would be huddled together in the shade of the one tree, leaving the rest of the field empty.

August 28, 2007 - Anniversary Dance
Attendance for the Ruffles 'n Beaus Anniversary Dance was disappointing compared to previous years. It was still a fun dance, held in the beautiful Balboa Park Club, with Charlie Robertson from Colorado calling, a good BBQ dinner, and lots of door prizes and raffle prizes. It's just a shame there weren't more dancers there to enjoy it.

August 27, 2007 - Dancing by Numbers
Friday was the Whirlaway's dance with Nasser Shukayr calling. He is always so much fun and he always has some new novelty gimmick for one of the tips. This time he was calling "dance by numbers" Starting with circle left (that's ZERO), then square through four (We'll just call that FOUR) and square through three (THREE), he then added star through (a star has five points, we'll call that FIVE), right and left through (uses two couples, so call it TWO), bend the line (kind of looks like a SEVEN), and so on. By the end of the tip he was just calling out numbers. Sometimes he'd "forget" and call the name of the call and the dancers would then yell out the number. Several tips later people were still shouting "ELEVEN" every time we did a left allemande.

July - I've been busy.