Steve and LuAnn Johnson (center) getting their square dance graduation certificate from J.P. Blount (left) and Cindy Blount (right)
Steve and Lu Ann Johnson
When we say square dance clothing, what comes to your mind? Maybe women dressed in wide colorful skirts with multiple layers of crinolines, petticoats and even petti pants? Maybe men dressed in long-sleeved western styled shirts, bolo ties, kerchiefs, metal tipped shirt collars, cowboy hats, and boots? That was our vision of what you had to wear when square dancing. So, when Richard and Donna Martin knocked on our door and asked if we had a few minutes to hear their sales pitch about the SaddleBrooke Square Dance Club (called the SaddleBrooke Squares), we were inclined to say, “We are quite sure our next-door neighbors are former square dancers, and you should go talk to them.” However, we were new to SaddleBrooke and looking for ways to make new friends, so we said, “Sure, come on in.” (We also wanted to avoid getting off on the wrong step with our neighbor.)
Richard and Donna spent several minutes telling us that you get both physical and mental exercise square dancing, you meet some great people, anyone can learn it, and the SaddleBrooke Square Dance Club had many non-dancing social events throughout the year. We got to thinking, sounds pretty good, but going through LuAnn’s mind was the thought that even if the square dance dresses with multiple layers of petticoats help you maintain social distancing, wearing one was not on her bucket list.
Well, they must have been reading LuAnn’s mind, as Richard and Donna went on to say that modern day square dancing has done away with the requirement to wear traditional square dancing clothing, and what you choose to wear while square dancing is entirely your decision. They said some dancers still liked wearing square dance clothing, but others choose to wear casual clothing, including jeans, knit shirts, skirts, slacks, and the like.
Well, we decided we could live with that, and we went to the SaddleBrooke Squares free introduction to square dancing night. To make a long story short, we loved square dancing and have been doing it ever since.
If crinolines, petti pants, bolo ties, and Western shirts are not your thing, don’t let that thought keep you from giving square dancing a try! You can wear just about anything you want, absent Department of Corrections’ orange jumpsuits, tight fitting spandex pants, and the other weird clothing you sometimes see people wearing in Wal-Mart.
We encourage you to learn more about the SaddleBrooke Squares by visiting our website at www.saddlebrookesquares.com.