Mary Klootwyk
Dancers from SaddleBrooke Squares hit the road again to attend a two-day square dance festival held in Bakersfield, Calif., this past November. The trip started three days earlier with a stay in Lake Havasu to visit the local sites, including a picturesque ferry ride departing just north of the famous London Bridge and arriving at the Havasu Landing Resort. One of the most unforgettable adventures was the scenic round trip to Arizona’s oldest mining town by way of the iconic Route 66 to meet the famous Oatman free-roaming burros. The town is home to more burros than people, and it’s not unusual to see dozens of burros wandering the main street, sticking their heads through the rails along the wood-plank sidewalks and nudging people for a treat.
After enjoying the local sites, the group headed to the weekend dance. This festival brought in 420 dancers from various states who danced in two halls to the energetic calls from five different callers from Alabama, San Diego, San Francisco, and Mesa.
These callers transferred their high energy to the dance floor as they called out instructions in time with the music, keeping everyone moving. The weekend consisted of laughing, dancing with a team of friends, and fixing “the square” when something went wrong, which is all part of the fun. More importantly, the weekend was spent catching up with old friends and making new friends! After a much-enjoyed weekend, dancers said goodbye to their new and old friends, with plans to see them at the 2025 dance.
What is a simple definition of square dancing? There are eight people in a square, which is broken down to two persons on each side of the “square.” A caller instructs or “calls” the moves for the dancers to make, following the beat of a song, with the objective of making sure that when the song ends, the dancers are in the same square position in which they started. Square dancing is performed to any music having a steady count of four beats. If you can count to four, you can square dance! If you can walk, you can square dance—even if you have “two left feet”!
Learn to square dance and enjoy square dancing! This activity was founded on fun and fellowship. Make new friends and have fun with moderate exercise. Partners are not required. Couples and singles are welcome. Dress is casual. No dance experience is required, and it’s not competitive!
For more information on how you can join in this great activity, visit www.saddlebrookesquares.com.
Live Lively—Square Dance!