What’s up with Square Dancing Anyway?

You might think of square dancing as something your parents did in a barn, or something you had to do in 4th grade. Modern square dancing is very different!

You might wonder why people of all ages are getting so interested in square dancing. First of all, it's very social. Even before the pandemic, it presented a great way to get out, be active, meet a lot of nice people, and do some traveling. After the pandemic this is going to be even more desirable!

Rather than just a few calls that repeat themselves over and over, a square dance caller is calling 'live' as they see a puzzle unfolding in front of them in a square of 8 people. Callers use modern music, mostly set in beats of 8. This makes it easy to keep time and do what the caller says in time to the music.

For some people, the challenge of learning and remembering lots of calls is the draw. It's a challenge. Square dancing builds upon itself. While beginners learn about 30 calls, there are levels that dancers can do if they choose, that have 30-50 additional calls. At Massachusett's Institute of Technology there is a really popular college group that consists of a lot of STEM students, who love the challenge of square dancing.

But for those just interesting is socializing, square dancing at the Mainstream level is just fine. Square dancers also like to eat, and there's lots of excuses to celebrate--graduating classes each year, celebrating holidays, summer picnics.

For those counting steps for heart health or a workplace challenge, it can't be beat. It's not unusual to log more than 5,000 steps at a dance. It's a great activity for a lot of reasons, and people young and older enjoy it just as much. Most clubs have enough single dancers to keep everyone on the floor. Try it out! It could become your new hobby.