Today’s square dancing is a far cry from the simple, repetitive steps used decades ago in grade school P.E. classes. It’s lively, friendly, fun, and provides both physical exercise and mental stimulation in a drug- and alcohol-free environment. Gone are the fiddlers and live bands, replaced by sophisticated sound systems and recorded music. The barns and fields have given way to modern, air-conditioned halls, with larger dances being held in hotel ballrooms and major municipal convention centers. Local square dances are held weekly in various cities, along with special weekend dances—and a “national” festival is held in a different city each June.
Twenty-two SaddleBrooke Squares Club dancers, along with 189 other dancers, participated in just such an event on Jan. 20 through 22 at the Casino Del Sol Resort and Convention Center. As the first notes of the irresistible, toe-tapping music sounded, the large ballroom floor quickly filled with brightly costumed couples in traditional square dance attire, along with couples in jeans and western shirts, ready to twirl and promenade through a weekend of square dancing. The mood was especially festive and friendly, with two exceptional national callers, as well as local Tucson callers, creating choreography on the spot, as well as holding dance workshops to teach new calls. By the end of the festival, dancers had made new friends and made plans for the next big dance. And as we say, “Square dancing is friendship set to music!”
Check out our website www.saddlebrookesquares.com for more information.