Square Dance

Square dance

SQUARE DANCE, what is it?

It is a dance in square, with 8 dancers, 2 by 2 opposite each other. The step is a "slipped" in all directions. There are 70 Square dances, from the most simple to the most elaborate figures. Musical styles may vary greatly and range from traditional tunes to "old time" country, to modern music.

The "Modern Western Square Dance":

One of the main features of MWSD (compared to European folk dances) is the fact that dancers do not follow a series of movements that are learnt by heart and that are associated with a piece of music. The dancers create their own patterns.

Prior to that, the dancers must know a quantity of basic movements. The movements all have a name, as for example: 'Circle', 'Dosado', or 'Square Thru'. These names are commonly used as people dance in the USA, in Germany, in France, etc...

A second characteristic is the presence of a leader to the dance: the 'Caller'. He announces the movements to be performed to the rhythm of the music. The 'Caller' is responsible for the harmonious variety of the steps and patterns of the dance and the music.

The Square:

In Modern Western Square Dance, the dancers are divided into groups of four couples who form a 'Square' which is the starting position of each dance. Two couples are face to face and two other couples face to face, perpendicular to the first couple to form a square.

The women are to the right of the men. The Lady's left hand, Palm down, is in the right hand of the man.

Each couple is dependent on the position it occupies in the Square. During the course of a dance, the dancers are called upon to change partners with the execution of various movements. The 'caller' must be able to bring dancers back to their place of departure and their original partner.

History

More than 200 years ago, emigrants left Europe for the new world carrying in their bags their own music and their traditional dances and instruments such as: the Polish Fiddle, the Irish jig, the French Quadrille, the Dutch Polka, the Spanish Flamenco....All of these dances are the found of modern square dance.

At night, when the pioneers and cowboys were at camp, they had carts side by side, in squares or circles to protect them from any Indian attacks. Then, under the stars of this new world that they struggled to conquer, they found all the echoes of their respective countries to the sound of the fiddle or harmonica.

Taken at all times to dance with new partners so that everyone ran the same figure at the same time without needing to know "the" dance, they had to explain the movements and measures.

Thus the square dance was born.

The clothing and footwear of the dancers

Men are required to wear pants (no shorts), a shirt with long sleeves (not T-shirt), and a tie

The ladies wear a dress or a skirt (No Pants) with a petticoat in most clubs and shoes to moderate heel

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