Square Dance News Digest

Recent examples of square dance news on a variety of topics from various publications around the United States. Excerpts appear below, please follow the link to the original article.

September, 2010

It was a busy week . . .

Rappahannock News
Washington, Virginia
September 30, 2010

It’s been a busy, event-packed couple of weeks in not-so-sleepy Rappahannock, and the immediate future shows no signs of a slowdown. Here we have a few photos of the past week’s goings-on, including the 2nd Annual Rappahannock Farm Tour and the RLEP Barn Dance.

[ Photo Caption ] Dancers do their thing as the Trouts band and square dance caller Rob Craighurst do theirs at the RLEP Barn Dance Saturday night at Rappahannock Central.

Orientation: A busy time for Freshman

The Slate
Redding, California
September 29, 2010

Saturday was a busy day on campus at Simpson University. Hundreds of students were located to the Heritage Student Life Center, where they took their I.D. photos and received orientation packets, mailbox keys, information about campus assets.

The whole weekend was packed full with events to welcome the freshmen, including a square dance on Saturday, complimentary lunches and dinners in the cafeteria, a welcome Chapel, a women's soccer game (Simpson vs. Oregon Tech, Saturday), the traditional FYE competitions and Toga Party (Tuesday evening), and on Wednesday, there was a community movie night on the Grubbs Learning Center lawn.

State dance meeting to start here Friday

Times Record News
Wichita Falls, Texas
September 29, 2010

The Texas Federation of Square and Round Dancers will hold its Presidents Meeting on Friday and Saturday at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, 401 Broad St. in Wichita Falls.

Two informational panels are planned for Saturday afternoon. Butch Hayes, provost of Tyler Junior College, will discuss "Square Dancing & Your Community College." Loyd and Mary Cowan of the Lubbock Area Square and Round Dance Federation will talk about getting involved with the Children’s Miracle Network.

Couple reveals the keys to their 70-year marriage

Chillicothe Gazette
Chillicothe, Ohio
September 27, 2010

It all started with a little square dance at the old Eagles. The two met through friends and hit it off. "That's all we done, just ran around to square dances. We didn't have money to do anything else," Paul said.

"He was polite and so many of the fellas I dated were not," Kate said. "And I was a good dancer!" Paul added, getting a laugh.

Paul liked that Kate didn't smoke or drink. "I always imagined the woman I wanted, and she came pretty close to it," he said, adding it was mostly her shape that fit his daydreams. "The only thing she did was dance, and you don't find many of those."

MATURE LIVING: The extemporaneous dance

Standard-Times
San Angelo, Texas
September 25, 2010

Three centuries ago, Europeans immigrated to America and a dance evolved, influenced by the English contra and French quadrilles, that has become known worldwide as American square dancing. It has embraced many of the current technology benefits, like climate controlled environments and highly specialized computerized music delivery, and been molded into an international standard. Wherever you go in the modern world, square dance calls are in the English language.

Square dancing is a couples’ exercise set to music. The cadence of a caller and the beat of a band is a distraction from the trials and tribulations of life. A kinetic activity which is perhaps one of the most underrated cardiovascular workouts, it is a soft aerobic exercise that stimulates both body and mind, making us feel better about life and about ourselves. It helps us lose weight, stay healthy, keep a good attitude and frame of mind.

Square dance to benefit local wildlife

The Daily Athenaeum
Morgantown, West Virginia
September 24, 2010

The West Virginia Wilderness Coalition will host a "Wild Heritage Hoedown" square dance to honor the cultural traditions of the state at the June Moon Dance Pavilion Friday. Located five miles from downtown Morgantown, the June Moon Dance Pavilion often hosts popular dances, and the tradition will carry on with this fundraising event.

The goal of the WVWC is to protect the state's federal public lands by the use of legislative designations. That goal is on the way to being fulfilled with the passage of the historic Monongahela Act, which protects nearly 38,000 acres of the Monongahela National Forest. "In order for us to continue with the momentum, we need to raise more funds for all that it takes to get these bills passed," Sellers said.

Ontario Plowmen's Association-IPM 2010: A Celebration of Farmers

Benzinga
Dover, Delaware
September 24, 2010

Day 3 of the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) hosted by St. Thomas, Ontario began with attendance numbers for day 2 being released - 13,562 toured the Tented City and were attentive to the plowing competitions while 1,629 excited students attended the interactive education areas with their schools.

Thursday, the Team Farmall Square Dancing Tractors performed. The team says; "their men are men and their women are men too"! The men and "women" drove tractors from the 1940's era, turning and twisting the large tractors in tight circles to the dance music impressing large crowds with their abilities.

A Real Western-Style Dance in Tribeca's Washington Market Park

The Tribeca Trib
New York, New York
September 23, 2010

"Join hands and you circle to the left, circle left, round ya go," caller Howard Rich­man half-sung from the gazebo of Washington Market Park. "Now up to the center with a great big yell."

"Whooo!" the dancers shouted, their clasped hands held high. "I was do-si-do-ing with people to my side and to my corner who I had never met before," Kelly Stinnett said afterwards, "and it felt good."

"It’s just joyous for me," the Nebraska native continued, "to be able to dance with my kids and to watch them form a love for this kind of music and this kind of dancing."

BR Museum hosts dance

The Leader
Trementon, Utah
September 22, 2010

The Bear River Valley Museum board is hosting a fundraising barn dance on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Holmgren Historical Farm and Gardens, 460 N. 300 E., Tremonton. The dance will feature the music of "the Westernaires."

Laufenbergs inducted into Hall of Fame

Beaver Dam Daily Citizen
Madison, Wisconsin
September 21, 2010

Delores Laufenberg, retired square dance caller of Juneau, along with her husband, Maynard the caller’s hauler, were among the half-dozen recipients entered into the Square Dance Caller Hall of Fame during the 2010 Wisconsin Square and Round Dance Convention in Appleton.

Delores Laufenberg was a popular and devoted caller throughout the state and turned out competent dancers through her dance classes. She was well-known for her white western boots giving her the nickname, Boots. But it was her outgoing personality and charm along with her rich alto voice and yodeling that captured the dancers and brought them back time and time again for fun and friendship.

Fundraising square dance Saturday

The Repository
Canton, Ohio
September 21, 2010

Beech Creek 4-H members and the McNeil family of Alliance are having a fundraising square and line dance in the Art Hall building at the Stark County Fairgrounds Saturday from 7:30 to 11 p.m.

All proceeds from the "Squares for Hair" event will be donated to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation in honor of Jenna McNeil, a 7-year-old Beech Creek 4-H member who was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata in 2007. Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that attacks the hair follicles on the scalp and body.

Parking headache for Logan square dancers
*** International ***

The Reporter
Queensland
Australia
September 20, 2010

EVERY day of the week sees one community group or another converge on Crestmead's popular Logan City Square Dance Centre. But all this might be about to change with the group reporting a fall in the number of visitors accessing the hall after cars parked on the street began to regularly receive parking tickets.

The problems all began a few years ago when Magnesium Drive in Crestmead, where the hall is located, began to experience a significant hooning problem. In an attempt to battle this issue, Logan City Council imposed parking restrictions on the area with no vehicles allowed to park on the street between 6pm and 6am.

Hall administrator, Alan Rayner, said the group had contacted council after these restrictions were put in place and were told these new limitations would not apply to the hall. Mr Rayner said the group thought no more about the parking issue until recently when patrolling police vehicles began issuing parking tickets for visitors parked on the street, and attempts to rectify the problem had so far proven to be unsuccessful.

Grab your partner ... and do-sa-do

Gillette News Record
Gillette, Wyoming
September 18, 2010

Marla Sproul isn’t your typical square dancer. As she looks up to the men on either side of her Tuesday night, she seems a little bit out of place. The men are dressed in western shirts, jeans and cowboy boots. Their gray hair and beards betray their age.

They join hands with Sproul and begin to circle to the right at the direction of the caller. The 8-year-old looks up and smiles at her grandpa, Steve Sproul, before she wraps her tiny hand around his wrinkly index finger. The pair begin to promenade.

Marla is the youngest member of the Levis and Lace Square Dance Club. She is actually four years younger than the minimum age requirement the club prefers to enforce. Despite her youth, Marla graduated from the spring session of the club’s lessons and joined as a full member during the summer. She is now working with a new class of dancers to teach them some of the 68 calls that make up modern square dancing.

Want to stay young? Try square dancing

Davis County Clipper
Bountiful, Utah
September 18, 2010

They say three hours of square dancing can be compared to taking a brisk five-mile walk. But to see members of the Kaysville Komets square dancing club in action, it looks like the dancing wins out – at least as far as the fun.

And they’re trying to spread the fun to more people, with new members being accepted for the next several weeks. That means anyone aged 55 and over is invited to check things out, no matter what their experience. This group of dancers from throughout Davis and Weber Counties, includes dancers from their early 60s to others at least 20 years beyond that age.

Folks Step Into Square Dancing

13 WMAZ
Macon, Georgia
September 18, 2010
Video Segment

People headed to the Macon Centreplex Saturday afternoon for the State Square Dance Convention. Folks from all over the southeast including Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee came to the convention to get a chance to dance with their partners.

Along with square dancing, the convention also held 'Line dancing' and 'Round dancing' which they say is similar to Ballroom dancing. People were also able to buy some square dancing clothes to get into the festivities.

Square dancers gather in Prunedale each Wednesday

The Salinas Californian
Salinas, California
September 18, 2010

The sounds of rhythmic steps resonate from the Prunedale Grange on Wednesday nights as square dancers make their mark on the wooden floors.

"It's an American folk dance that started many years ago and we need to carry it on," said Lorry Canepa, who has been dancing with the Monterey Peninsula Sage Stompers since the group's inception 54 years ago. "I'm happy doing it, and I'll be back till the Lord takes me home."

39th Annual G.A State Square Dance Convention Kicks Off

13 WMAZ
Macon, Georgia
September 17, 2010
Video Segment

There were plenty of cowboy boots and crinoline at the 39th Annual Georgia State Square Dance Convention at the Macon Coliseum Friday night. About three hundred people from all over the southeast joined in on the toe-tapping-fun to dance the night away.

Edgar Baxley has been square dancing since 1990. He drove from Mobile, Alabama to Macon for the convention and says he hasn't missed one in fifteen years. "The people is the thing wherever you go, enjoying mingling together... then we grab our partners, square up, and do what we've been taught to do!"

Calling dancers to the square
*** International ***

Sentinel Review
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada
September 17, 2010

The caller's voice is calm and steady as the couples circle the dance floor. To the uninitiated, it makes no sense at all, but the couples on the dance floor understand. The words translate into a fluid, graceful waltz around the hall.

"It's like date night every night we dance," square dancer Avril Hayward says. "I love it." If it is dates Hayward wants, she gets as many as she wants with her husband, Austin. "It's not uncommon for us to dance four nights a week," Austin Hayward says.

"It's a growing couples activity," Avril Hayward says. "More couples want things that they can do together, and square dancing and round dancing is a wonderful activity that you can do together and you build a very large friend base very quickly. "It's exercise that is fun, it's a real stress reliever and it's a very good social activity."

A study from the Mayo Clinic determined that dancers burn between 200 and 400 calories in a 30-minute session. Regular exercise helps strengthen the cardiovascular system and the gentle side-to-side movement helps strengthen bones. The brain gets a workout too, listening to and following the caller's instructions.

Do-si-do!

Observer & Eccentric Newspapers
Detroit, Michigan
September 16, 2010

More than 200 people showed up to hear that classic square dance call and many others at the Salem Area Historical Society's annual Barn Dance Friday night at Three Cedars Farm in Salem Township.

"It was a huge success. Everyone that I talked to enjoyed it," said SAHS member Marcia VanFossen. "It was a good time for all ages. It sure was fun to watch the young children learn to square dance, too. All in all, people said they would return next year."

She's got rhythm
*** International ***

The Kingston Whig Standard
Kingston, Ontario
Canada
September 16, 2010

Vanessa Tennant, who will perform with the Limestone Dancers at the 180th Kingston Fall Fair on Friday (5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the entertainment tent at the southwest corner of the Memorial Centre grounds), is no stranger to dance. She has excelled in many forms -- jazz, tap, ballet, belly, ballroom, salsa and clogging -- since she was four years old and has a dance studio, including ballet bar, in her home.

Tennant, however, is unlike most dancers. The 47-year-old has been visually impaired her whole life. The impairment is caused by Rubella Syndrome; her mother contracted Rubella, commonly known as German measles, while pregnant with Vanessa.

Tennant described her first night at the club as "amazing. Everyone was so kind. My sister-in-law and I went with no one. We were included very quickly. People didn't see a sight-impaired person at first. They didn't realize how bad my sight was (because) I didn't take my white cane the first time."

Tennant felt comfortable the moment the music started -- the first song at her beginner's class was the instrumental theme from the Mickey Mouse Club TV show. "It had a really good beat and there was a good pattern to walk us through," she said.

Tennant has felt welcomed not only by the Limestone members, but by all new dance partners. "No one's not wanted to dance with me," she said.

Aural Fixation

Weekly Alibi
Albuquerque, New Mexico
September 15, 2010

You may remember a sweaty-palmed week in middle school when you were forced to square dance by an overbearing gym teacher. And you may shudder at the thought of repeating the event. Although contra dance has similarities to square dancing, there’s no need to be wary. People of all ages have discovered that contra dancing is fun. It might be time to heal the wounds and check it out. "The dance is having a renaissance around the country," reports NPR, "thanks to a thriving youth scene." The latest trend is dancing contra to hip-hop or techno, dubbed "crossover contra" or "contra-fusion." Although it might be happening all around them, many people may have never heard of the style.

Don't be Square - Dance!

Area Wide News
Salem, Arkansas
September 14, 2010

I got to watch several dances from the sidelines, marveling at the intricate steps and smiling faces as they went round the square, promenading, alemand-ing and even do-si-do-ing. And then, it was my turn....

As you can see from the photo, the smiling is contagious when you're square dancing - in my case, it was from having goofed a few steps along the way - but messing up is sort of half the fun, as everyone is supportive and laughs with you (not at you) and all help you get back into step and moving along.

Nebraskan makes career of square dance calling

The Imperial Republican
Imperial, Nebraska
September 13, 2010

The Chase County Fair has become known over the years for the top-name performers it draws. While that tradition centers on the grandstand entertainment, the same proved true at this year’s fair square dance.

This year’s caller, Jerry Junck of Wayne, holds his own national acclaim in square dancing circles. Junck is one of about 40 professional square dance callers in the country.

Here come the petticoats

The Telegraph
Macon, Georgia
September 13, 2010

My first few months in Macon were a crash course in just about everything. I had to learn to correctly pronounce Pio Nono, worked double shifts at the newspaper and survived a summer without an air-conditioned car. By the third week in September, I had somewhat settled into my new environment.

Then I went to Shoney’s for supper one Friday night and thought I might have opened the wrong door to the dining room. Nobody warned me about the invasion of the square dancers. I didn’t know Macon hosted the annual Georgia State Square Dance Association convention every September. Everywhere I looked, it was petticoat junction. I’ve never seen so many bolo ties under the same roof. The city was under a three-day siege of gingham skirts and belt buckles.

This wasn’t just a one-time event where they would leave their footprints on the dance floor and never return. The square dancers had a standing invitation to come back every year. And they did — by the thousands. That is why Carol Slentz wanted me to know "the petticoats are coming."

Exercise ideas for autumn

Helium
Andover, Massachusetts
September 10, 2010

Most communities have at least one square dance club. This is a great way to get some exercise, make some new friends, and laugh a lot at your own mistakes. Or you might try clogging, which can be harder on the joints but is a good choice for the young or those who haven't developed foot and leg problems. Any dance will do, so long as you and your body both like it.

Swing that partner for fun!

Tahlequan Daily Press
Tahlequa, Oklahoma
September 10, 2010

Several dozen Cherokee County residents do it twice a month, but many others prefer to indulge more often. After all, it's fun, healthy, and a good way to enjoy the company of old friends and meet new ones. "A lot of people refer to it as friendship set to music," longtime participant Judy Young said.

Square dancing sometimes starts as a pleasant way to pass an evening and later becomes a passion. Each year, Tahlequah's Kuntry Kuzzins square dance club sponsors a series of lessons for those new to the art, or merely those who haven't tried their hand (and feet) at it for years. They'll find themselves on the dance floor with everyone from teens to senior citizens, and those who complete the program of lessons will receive certificates.

Local square dancers take it on the road

The Commercial Appeal
Memphis, Tennessee
September 10, 2010

Thousands of dancers from all over the world gathered in Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky., for the 57th National Square Dance Convention featuring both national and international callers and cuers. Local dancers were among those that enjoyed the festivities. Richard and Alice Dieckhaus of Millington said "Being new to square dancing, this was our first national convention. Everything from the check-in to the last dance was extremely well organized. We never met a person that was not 'square dance friendly.' We had a great time."

On the other extreme were Eddie and Sally Ramsey of Memphis who said this was their 33rd national convention. Eddie was one of the callers for the convention specializing in contra dance. They helped with both the 1980 and 1990 nationals that were held in Memphis. Eddie is the caller for a square dance club that dances in Germantown.

Traditional square dancing makes for contemporary fun

Idaho Statesman
Boise, Idaho
September 10, 2010

Remember those do-si-do's from grade school? OK, let's not go there. Let's try this one: Can you figure out which way is "left" and which is "right"? And is that your toe tapping under the table?

Good. Then you're primed to have a great time at the Grand Ol' Time, a monthly old-time acoustic music series and square dance at the Linen Building. And you won't be alone. Last month's dance featured people as diverse as the finger-picking - from real old-timers to youngsters. Kids and teens, sneakers and cowboy hats, singles and couples, first-timers, music fans and dancing fans.

As for what to do and how to do it - Dorothy Shue has been calling dances for decades. "I always taught junior high," she says. "It's just about the same controlled chaos." Squares of eight form spontaneously - in other words, all you have to do is show up. Shue walks dancers through the moves before the music starts, knowing from experience where the tangles might occur.

"It's OK to make mistakes," she says. "I think it's more fun when you do make mistakes. And you realize it, and you enjoy that part, too."

Group offers public the chance to discover the fun of square dancing
*** International ***

BC Local News
British Columbia
Canada
September 10, 2010

It's been over 50 years since the fun and friendship started on the dance floor for the Westsyde Squares dance club. The group originally began in the Lakeview Heights district in 1958 as a project in celebration of the centenary of the founding of British Columbia.

Such longevity over the years is testimony to the enduring appeal of the social recreation of square dancing to bring people together. That fun and friendship through square dancing continues today as the club meets to dance weekly through the fall, winter and early spring.

Pretty much every year they have extended an invitation to everyone in the Central Okanagan to discover their New Dancer Sessions, starting this time around on Thursday, Sept. 16. Many eager newcomers have taken to the dance floor to find that the fun starts right away and it's easier to learn the moves than they thought.

Still hip to be square . . . dancing
*** International ***

Chilliwack Times
Bhilliwack, British Columbia
Canada
September 10, 2010

Square dancing has been called "friendship set to music" and aptly too. At the end of the Second World War, the friendly folk dance was an olive branch American troops brought with them to vanquished foes like Germany and Japan, and square dancing is still popular in those countries today.

Closer to home, the down-home dance has a tradition of bringing people together too, from sweaty-palmed teenagers in high school gym classes to retirees in local clubs. That's one of the reasons the provincial government has declared next week, Sept. 11 to 19, Square and Round Dance Awareness Week.

Salem Holds Sept. 11 Square Dance to Benefit Vets Memorial

The State Journal

September 10, 2010

Salem is turning its regular monthly square dance into a patriotic celebration this weekend. Organizers say it's just a coincidence that September's square dance falls on Sept. 11. It's also a coincidence that organizers are moving it to the National Guard Armory, where there's more room to dance.

What the Salem Chamber of Commerce has planned, however, is to use the proceeds to spruce up the Salem Veteran's Memorial along County Route 50/73.

Square Dance: New dance moves leave the first-years spinning

The Middlebury Campus
Middlebury, Vermont
September 9, 2010

Students donned plaid shirts, jeans and cowboy boots for the event, gathering in Forest Quad to move to the twang of Run Mountain, a local string band. Like many other events taking place during orientation week, the dance served as an ice-breaker.

"It was something new for a lot of people," said Sarah Boyd, 14, "It was fun to learn how to square dance with people who didn't know how."

International students asked their American peers if square dancing was a common event here in the states, although most (yes, even the southerners) were largely unfamiliar with the moves of the dance, so for some, the dance was just as confusing as it was fun.

Run Mountain definitely set the right mood and left an impression on its audience. "The band was so cool," exclaimed Molly Benedetto, 14, "If I could play any instrument, it'd be the banjo."

Only on The Editor's Log

The News & Record
Greensboro, North Carolina
September 9, 2010
Video Segment

This Sunday, reporter Tina Firesheets writes about square dancing, and we've posted a fine video of Cleo Barker, a well-known square dance caller in advance of the newspaper publication.

But here is something you won't see in the paper or showcased on the website. It's a video of Tina dancing with Mr. Barker. Now, be sure to read her story Sunday.

Foundation's fundraiser is a hoedown

The Berkshire Eagle
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
September 8, 2010

On Friday, the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation will be hosting its Harvest Hoedown fundraiser and square dance. Cliff and Senta Brodeur and the Square One Band with guest Bobby Sweet will play and call the dance, giving guests a snippet of their history with this form of social dance.

Cliff Brodeur, for example, has been the club caller for the area's square dancing group, the Pittsfield Squares, for more than 25 years. He's been a caller for more than 40 years, first as a successful solo caller, and more recently with Square One, a quintet of virtuoso instrumentalists with a repertoire of studio recordings and concert performances.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein Offers Tips On How Grandparents Can Connect With Grandchildren
*** International ***

PR Urgent
Switzerland
September 7, 2010

Parents today are literally overwhelmed. Most parents are frazzled, living on the edge of exhaustion and deep into multi-tasking. But who has the time for the magical moment with a child? Most likely it will be the grandparent. If grandparents realize how important they are they can take the time to step up to the plate.

In grabbing those magical moments a grandparent will be doing a great service to the next generation. The grandparent will be helping them grow in three basic ways that no one else in the world may have the time or patience to attend to:

1.Grandparents can help grandchildren develop curiosity.

2. As grandparents we can help our grandchildren develop their intellects.

3. As grandparents we can help grandchildren develop social skills. You have the time to teach manners; perhaps how to set a table or how to open a door for grown-ups. You can teach her how to ballroom dance, or maybe square dance.

What is the result? The grandchild may grow up to be a fine, caring, knowledgeable person with a desire to help others and be able to socialize with people of all ages.

Eleven-year-old earns national dance title

The Tennessean
Nashville, Tennessee
September 7, 2010

In the 6th grade at Fairview Middle School, Shelby has been dancing for about four years, learning clogging and square dancing while in the second grade at Fairview Elementary School during an after school enrichment club taught by Tommy Jackson of Rocky Top Review in Franklin.

Shelby has been dancing with Rocky Top Revue on the Jackson Hollow Square Dance Team ever since. She has also been competing in square dance, individual clogging and buck dancing competitions since she her lessons.

While she has won numerous awards, Shelby says she reached the top, winning the Smithville Jamboree, which is the National Championship for Beginner Musician and Dance. She won her title in the 12 & under age category.

State dance draws eyes at Oregon State Fair

Statesman Journal
Salem, Oregon
September 7, 2010

Several Oregon groups hosted dances during the fair's 11-day run with the last one held Monday, the final day of the Oregon State Fair.

Bouncy skirts flipped out revealing ruffled red slips as the ladies turned to the music. Janice Cronk from Eugene moved her hips from side to side. "It makes you want to dance," she said. Isabella Birtcher, 2, jumped up and down to the beat with a French fry in her hand.

Wendel Mann, a member of three local square dance clubs, said center stage near the food venders was the perfect spot to show off their moves. In the past they danced in a gazebo where few people could see them.

Mann started square dancing about eight years ago, and that's where he met his wife. He also touts it as a great physical and mental workout because you have to remember the steps and keep up. "I think it keeps your mind sharp," he said.

Pensacola area dogs cut a rug to educate

Pensacola News Journal
Pensalcola, Florida
September 5, 2010

Angus Coale looks good on the dance floor. Energetic and attentive, he is the perfect partner -- dark eyes never leaving Rebecca Coale as they trot and twirl. As the lively country tune comes to a close, Rebecca smiles. Angus wags his tail. Another performance by the Country Canine Square Dancers is complete.

Square dancing dogs? Connie Fleming, special events coordinator with the Five Flags Dog Training Club, knows it's a stretch, for some folks. "You really have to see it to understand it," she said, laughing. "But people seem to love it."

A feather in the arts' CAPP

Daily Globe
Worthington, Minnesota
September 3, 2010

"The Minnesota Academic Standards for the Arts were significantly altered in 2008 -- the state legislature approved the revision this past spring -- so district music and art educators have worked with the Perpich Center for Arts Education consultants over the past three years to update and align our curriculum to meet those standards," said Jenson.

"Dance was not addressed anywhere in the district's curriculum," noted Mammen. "We have done some things with multicultural dance, some limited work in physical education classes with folk dance and square dance, but those efforts have been sporadic."

"Nowhere in the curriculum did we identify the five elements of dance -- body, action, space, time and energy -- and there was little done with improvising or choreographing dance, or comparing and contrasting the characteristics of various dance works or performances," continued Mammen.

Gathering of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association

Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine
Charlottesville, Virginia
September 2, 2010

The gathering includes information on journeys throughout America and the world. Among the many slated for this year are workshops on the Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails. Previous gatherings have included seminars on treks in New Zealand, Canada, England, Europe, Africa, Asia, how to dehydrate your own trail food, tips for better photography, and even a workshop on how to get to Antarctica for free.

It's not all seriousness, though. Pick-up Frisbee games, a used equipment flea market, impromptu storytelling around a bonfire, and usually a concert by some hiking singer/songwriter provide entertaining diversions. A favorite is the Saturday-night square dance. Since many attendees don't know the moves, there are a fair number of good-natured collisions amidst the dosey-does and promenades.

Leapin' Lizards: Contra dance caller leads band at Glen Echo

The Gazette
Gaithersburg, Maryland
September 1, 2010

Carol Ormand didn't dream of becoming a dance caller. While attending Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., she joined a folk dance club. Then, after moving to the Twin Cities, a friend asked if she wanted to take it one step further.

"We were sitting around the table [at a restaurant] and the caller for that day's dance turned to me and asked, 'Have you ever thought about becoming a caller?,' and I said, 'No,' " recalls Ormand. "He asked if I'd like to, and I said, 'Sure.' I was fresh out of college and young enough to not really think things through."

Ormand became the first female caller in the Twin Cities, and for the past 20 years, has been calling dances all over the country. She will visit Massachusetts, Kentucky and North Carolina before the calendar turns over to 2011.

"It's a lot of fun to stand at a microphone and tell people what to do and watch them do it," Ormand says with a laugh. "But the thing that keeps me coming back is that no matter how many people are at the dance that day, I get to facilitate them having a great time."

Disclaimer: Links to other websites are informational and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the San Diego Callers Association or any of its members.