Swing that lady and Load the Boat.
Bob White
OK, this isn’t quite the call we use in square dancing but it could be used for a Christmas party square dance. This call is usually Load the Boat and is a call that gets everyone in the square essentially coming and going. It is a good call to get the festivities of a party going.
Thursday, December 1, 2016: Christmas was still a few weeks away but it was not too early for the SaddleBrooke Squares (SBS) to have their Christmas party. This annual event is always looked forward to by the Squares as it is a time to really get-together and share stories, eat a hearty buffet dinner and best of all to dance.
It all got started when the support personnel for HOA 1 converted the Activity Center from a card playing room to a dinner and dance hall. At 3:30 p.m. the action began as tables were rearranged according to drawn up plans and then the decoration committee moved in and covered tables with table cloths sewn up by SBS members. The tables were further decorated with garlands and dancing figurines. By 4:30 p.m. the salad, casserole and dessert brigade began arriving with all the special dishes and epicurean delights. The food was blessed, thanks were given and the eating part of the party began.
The next part of the party was to convert the dining area to a dance hall. It was not long before music and square dance calls were filling the room. So the square dance students and club members could all dance, both red light and green light tips (a series of calls) were called. The red light tips are the more advanced calls while the green light tips covered only the calls that the students had learned and practiced. This is actually a very good practice for everyone. The last dance came all too soon but was followed by forming a giant circle and the singing of Silent Night filled the room.
What makes these square dance parties so special is that they include working with one another to put the party together, then sitting down and eating with friends and then best of all dancing in squares of four couples with old friends and new friends. Square dancing is unique in this way, one does not dance alone, one does not dance with just one other person, but one dances with a group of seven others making it like a team dance filled with fun, laughter and yet a challenge to keep the team going. Hope your holidays were filled with fun and excitement and all the best for a happy New Year from the SaddleBrooke Squares and, oh yes, see ya round the square.