Square dancing is party time every time you do it. Square dancing brings people together for fun and fellowship, even when learning how. The fun starts right on the very first night. You meet new people and make new friends. And the fun keeps right on going as long as you dance. Most square dance groups meet once a week. It's a wonderful way to share common interests with other people, and to escape the worry and pressures of today's busy world.
It's a Challenge
Modern square dancing is a mental and physical challenge. It is dancing, it is thinking, it is teamwork. Moving in rhythm to the music keeps you physically fit. Reacting quickly to the square dance caller's calls keeps you mentally alert and on your toes. And your
Modern square dancing is a mental and physical challenge. It is dancing, it is thinking, it is teamwork. Moving in rhythm to the music keeps you physically fit. Reacting quickly to the square dance caller's calls keeps you mentally alert and on your toes. And your
team of eight dancers depends on you to keep those toes moving.
Learning the basic steps is easy. Experienced square dance callers teach you the moves and the names of the calls that you dance. You practice those moves until they feel as natural as walking. Then even more fun begins as you join a dub. Your square dance caller combines the basic moves and steps into whole dance patterns.
It's American Folk Art, too
Modern square dancing has an American heritage. The ancestors of this dance came to America with the earliest settlers. The "traditional" roots of our heritage dance are well established in the United States as well as Canada and New Zealand to name a few. Over the centuries it has changed into what we know today as modern square dancing. It is as American as 4th of July parades, barbecues and ice cream socials. In recent decades square dancing mushroomed in popularity as more and more people got in tune with this traditional art form. Square dancing is still on the move. Callers are always putting together new routines so you never have to worry about being bored with what is sure to become your favorite pastime or hobby.
Learning the basic steps is easy. Experienced square dance callers teach you the moves and the names of the calls that you dance. You practice those moves until they feel as natural as walking. Then even more fun begins as you join a dub. Your square dance caller combines the basic moves and steps into whole dance patterns.
It's American Folk Art, too
Modern square dancing has an American heritage. The ancestors of this dance came to America with the earliest settlers. The "traditional" roots of our heritage dance are well established in the United States as well as Canada and New Zealand to name a few. Over the centuries it has changed into what we know today as modern square dancing. It is as American as 4th of July parades, barbecues and ice cream socials. In recent decades square dancing mushroomed in popularity as more and more people got in tune with this traditional art form. Square dancing is still on the move. Callers are always putting together new routines so you never have to worry about being bored with what is sure to become your favorite pastime or hobby.
It's the New Generation of Square Dancing
Perhaps you think you know square dancing from your school days. Well, think again, because this is not your father's dance routine. You will hardly recognize modern square dancing. There is new music, from Golden Oldies to current hits. There are new levels of dance calls to learn, exciting new patterns that keep changing, and unique calls to learn. No more rough dancing in the barn.
Perhaps you think you know square dancing from your school days. Well, think again, because this is not your father's dance routine. You will hardly recognize modern square dancing. There is new music, from Golden Oldies to current hits. There are new levels of dance calls to learn, exciting new patterns that keep changing, and unique calls to learn. No more rough dancing in the barn.
Modern square dancing happens in school gyms, dance halls, convention centers, resorts and cruise ships. Square dancers travel to new places all over the world. Even people who don't speak English square dance! You will find square dance clubs within most countries of the world including Japan, Sweden and
Germany. They dance in English, but they don't speak it. Learn to dance and a whole new world of opportunities for fun and fellowship will open up for you.
It's About People
Square dancers are all kinds of folks sharing a love of action and teamwork. Square dancing is movement set to music. It is done in couples, with teams of four couples. It is not a spectator sport. It is for the active of heart and mind. Square dance clubs are ready-made groups of friends. When you travel there are dance clubs to find on every continent, in every country, in every state or province. There is no better way for active, contemporary people to meet each other and build a circle of friends.
Square dancers are all kinds of folks sharing a love of action and teamwork. Square dancing is movement set to music. It is done in couples, with teams of four couples. It is not a spectator sport. It is for the active of heart and mind. Square dance clubs are ready-made groups of friends. When you travel there are dance clubs to find on every continent, in every country, in every state or province. There is no better way for active, contemporary people to meet each other and build a circle of friends.
Basic Principles of Modern Square Dancing
Modern square dance, like traditional square dance, is directed by a square dance caller. In modern square dancing, the caller strings together a sequence of individual square dance calls to make a figure or sequence. These calls are the building blocks of the choreography that is danced by the square dancers in the squares. There are eight people (four couples) in each square; one couple makes up each side of the square. At a dance, there may be many squares. Generally speaking, each of these squares dance independently of each other, with the exception of specialty or "gimmick" dances, where there might be some crossover of dancers from one square to another.
The square functions as a "dance team" for the duration of a square dance tip, a group of dances usually separated from the next tip by a break of 5 to 10 minutes during which round dancing might be offered. Then the dancers regroup into new squares for the next tip. A square dance tip is usually composed of a combination of patter calls and singing calls, which are the two types of square dance calls.
Patter calls
Patter calls, also known as hash calls, are based on a quick and fluid succession of spoken ("pattered") or sing-song delivered calls, often to the accompaniment of an instrumental piece of music that it is not necessarily recognizable as a song. Choreography may appear "on-the-fly" with calls randomly strung together, but it conforms to strict choreographic rules. Most patter calling is improvised by the caller as the dancers are moving; if the tempo of the calling is done at a fast pace allowing the dancers to flow from one move to another without pauses, it may be called hot hash.
The primary purpose of patter calls is to give dancers a challenge by surprising them with unexpected choreography.
Many callers are very well known for their ability to put calls together to create a unique, smooth-flowing dance. Some callers are also known for the unusual and interesting formations they move the dancers through. To listen to a sample of a patter call from national caller Scot Byars press here
Singing Call
Singing calls are based on a sung delivery of calls, most often to a recognizable melody, and square dance calls are mixed in with the song's original lyrics. Many widely recognized songs have been turned into singing calls. The primary purpose of singing calls is to relax, dance well together as a group, and enjoy the song and the caller's performance.
Some callers are very well known for their voices, and for how well they can perform singing calls.
Singing calls, like patter calls, vary in dance difficulty, and are rarely improvised in full. They are uncommon above the Advanced program, although there are famous singing calls at the highest challenge levels. To listen to a singing call by nationally known caller Jet Roberts press here You can access Jet's website http://www.jetroberts.com/ for more information
Programming
A modern square dance tip is composed of a combination of patter calls and singing calls. Usually one patter call is followed by one singing call to make a tip, although this is not universal.
There are a number of ways that a caller programs the evening's entertainment. The caller might feature a particular music theme (such as a Rock and Roll party, or a Halloween festival), or might include variations of a particular dance call throughout the night.
Generally, callers start the evening slowly to warm dancers up, and to give them chances to succeed during the first tip. Then tempo and difficulty increases and peaks for most of the evening. At the end of the evening there is usually a slower dance number at the end to relax the dancers, and to let them wind down.
Learning modern square dance
Dancers learn the individual square dance calls required to square dance at classes, which are usually taught by square dance callers, and are usually sponsored or organized by square dance clubs. In addition to sponsoring classes, clubs also sponsor special social and dance evenings, as well as larger dances, which are usually open to the general square dance community (i.e. non-club dancers).
The individual square dance calls are categorized as belonging to a particular dance program, or level of difficulty. Each dance program has a list of defined dance steps, which is associated with it. These lists of dance steps are managed, and universally recognized.
Callerlab, the International Association of Square Dance Callers, the largest international square dance association, manages the most universally accepted and recognized lists. There are four main levels, some of which are divided into sublevels: Basic/Mainstream (List), Plus (List), Advanced (2 sublevels) (List), and Challenge (5 sublevels). In general, the first three levels are more physically active than the challenge level (often referred to as challenge square dance). Challenge square dancing is more cerebral, and focuses on problem solving.
When a person learns modern square dance they learn all the steps in a specific dance program over a period of time. There are many opinions as to how long it should take to teach and learn a dance program, and as to what is the best teaching style. Some clubs, especially those with younger or more motivated dancers teach at accelerated rates.
Regardless of how long it takes to learn a dance program, there is, generally speaking, universal agreement that the result should be confident dancers that can handle themselves on a public dance floor with a variety of callers, unfamiliar choreography, and the challenge of dancing with strangers at the learned level. The majority of clubs in Montana will dance at the Mainstream level with Plus tips added during the evening.
It is important that the dancer is thoroughly comfortable with all the steps in a specific dance program (level), and that the dancer can apply these steps in many different positions and situations, before advancing, because advanced dance levels are built on the foundation of previously learned levels.
The square functions as a "dance team" for the duration of a square dance tip, a group of dances usually separated from the next tip by a break of 5 to 10 minutes during which round dancing might be offered. Then the dancers regroup into new squares for the next tip. A square dance tip is usually composed of a combination of patter calls and singing calls, which are the two types of square dance calls.
Patter calls
Patter calls, also known as hash calls, are based on a quick and fluid succession of spoken ("pattered") or sing-song delivered calls, often to the accompaniment of an instrumental piece of music that it is not necessarily recognizable as a song. Choreography may appear "on-the-fly" with calls randomly strung together, but it conforms to strict choreographic rules. Most patter calling is improvised by the caller as the dancers are moving; if the tempo of the calling is done at a fast pace allowing the dancers to flow from one move to another without pauses, it may be called hot hash.
The primary purpose of patter calls is to give dancers a challenge by surprising them with unexpected choreography.
Many callers are very well known for their ability to put calls together to create a unique, smooth-flowing dance. Some callers are also known for the unusual and interesting formations they move the dancers through. To listen to a sample of a patter call from national caller Scot Byars press here
Singing Call
Singing calls are based on a sung delivery of calls, most often to a recognizable melody, and square dance calls are mixed in with the song's original lyrics. Many widely recognized songs have been turned into singing calls. The primary purpose of singing calls is to relax, dance well together as a group, and enjoy the song and the caller's performance.
Some callers are very well known for their voices, and for how well they can perform singing calls.
Singing calls, like patter calls, vary in dance difficulty, and are rarely improvised in full. They are uncommon above the Advanced program, although there are famous singing calls at the highest challenge levels. To listen to a singing call by nationally known caller Jet Roberts press here You can access Jet's website http://www.jetroberts.com/ for more information
Programming
A modern square dance tip is composed of a combination of patter calls and singing calls. Usually one patter call is followed by one singing call to make a tip, although this is not universal.
There are a number of ways that a caller programs the evening's entertainment. The caller might feature a particular music theme (such as a Rock and Roll party, or a Halloween festival), or might include variations of a particular dance call throughout the night.
Generally, callers start the evening slowly to warm dancers up, and to give them chances to succeed during the first tip. Then tempo and difficulty increases and peaks for most of the evening. At the end of the evening there is usually a slower dance number at the end to relax the dancers, and to let them wind down.
Learning modern square dance
Dancers learn the individual square dance calls required to square dance at classes, which are usually taught by square dance callers, and are usually sponsored or organized by square dance clubs. In addition to sponsoring classes, clubs also sponsor special social and dance evenings, as well as larger dances, which are usually open to the general square dance community (i.e. non-club dancers).
The individual square dance calls are categorized as belonging to a particular dance program, or level of difficulty. Each dance program has a list of defined dance steps, which is associated with it. These lists of dance steps are managed, and universally recognized.
Callerlab, the International Association of Square Dance Callers, the largest international square dance association, manages the most universally accepted and recognized lists. There are four main levels, some of which are divided into sublevels: Basic/Mainstream (List), Plus (List), Advanced (2 sublevels) (List), and Challenge (5 sublevels). In general, the first three levels are more physically active than the challenge level (often referred to as challenge square dance). Challenge square dancing is more cerebral, and focuses on problem solving.
When a person learns modern square dance they learn all the steps in a specific dance program over a period of time. There are many opinions as to how long it should take to teach and learn a dance program, and as to what is the best teaching style. Some clubs, especially those with younger or more motivated dancers teach at accelerated rates.
Regardless of how long it takes to learn a dance program, there is, generally speaking, universal agreement that the result should be confident dancers that can handle themselves on a public dance floor with a variety of callers, unfamiliar choreography, and the challenge of dancing with strangers at the learned level. The majority of clubs in Montana will dance at the Mainstream level with Plus tips added during the evening.
It is important that the dancer is thoroughly comfortable with all the steps in a specific dance program (level), and that the dancer can apply these steps in many different positions and situations, before advancing, because advanced dance levels are built on the foundation of previously learned levels.
Examples of Singing and Patter Calls
Singing Call
This is an example of a Plus level singing call. Even though it has Plus level calls, the majority of the calls are Mainstream. This is why it is important to learn the Mainstream calls well before proceeding to higher levels.
Patter Call
This is an example of a Advanced level Patter call. There are about 25% Mainstream, 25% Plus, and 50% Advanced calls in this routine. Patter calls are not restricted to the length of a song so these calls can be as short as 3 minutes or as long as 30 minutes. This particular example was from a 2007 Danish square dance convention.
