Bow to your MeFi
May 20, 2005 4:39 AM   Subscribe

So you're sitting there thinking to yourself, "Square dancing is for grandma", aren't you? You're as wrong as wrong can be you whippersnapper.

Origins start in England, dosado through France, and promenade west to the states. Callers can get carried away,dancers need engineering degrees, sometimes the dances break out into gang wars with bunting, and there are whispers of dark conspiracies across our great land. Square dancing is so much fun, drag queens on tractors and our pals tehgayz even have their own half sashay families. Now box that gnat and promenade home.
posted by DeepFriedTwinkies (14 comments total)
 
That is exactly what I was thinking. Are you Michael Howard?
posted by teleskiving at 4:44 AM on May 20, 2005


Are you Michael Howard?

Yes. Tell no one.

Mathowie is really Cherie Booth as well.
posted by DeepFriedTwinkies at 4:51 AM on May 20, 2005


Up here in my neck of NH, we have a well known weekly Contra Dance where the "unpopular people" - those unfavored by the regulars - call the in-crowed Contra Natzies. God help you if you can't remember the entire dance after bening given lightnig fast instructions, only once! Quite the sub-culture.
posted by johnj at 5:06 AM on May 20, 2005


Origins start in England, dosado through France, and promenade west to the states.

ha! great sentence DFT.
posted by three blind mice at 5:07 AM on May 20, 2005


Are you Michael Howard?
reads more like an english pynchon, imho...
posted by andrew cooke at 5:39 AM on May 20, 2005


When I was in the Scouts, we trained for long backpacking trips by Folk Dancing with our boots on. I enjoyed that so much, I ended up taking 2 years of Folk Dancing in my High School. I have a sneaking suspicion that very few high schools offer that as a PE class today.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:37 AM on May 20, 2005


In high school we had to square dance. HAD TO. We were graded on it; it was our midterm grade for gym.

This was in New Jersey.

In 2000.

Now I would probably enjoy it, but at that point in my life I had such seething hatred toward my school that I took the whole thing as an affront to my personal dignity. Which it sort of was.
posted by deafmute at 7:07 AM on May 20, 2005


Great post! When I was in high school (1977-1979), square dancing was taught in gym class in preparation for the Sadie Hawkins Dance (where the girls asked out the guys - perfect for a nerd like me!). And my nerdy friends and I loved it! We even started doing square dancing in the summer at the local park. Lots of fun!

I will now scour the links to find info on local square dancing. I am still such a nerd!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:54 AM on May 20, 2005


My late uncle used to tell us that he was a morris dancer, but had to give up when he fell off the bonnet.

Only Brits of a certain age would get that.
posted by veedubya at 8:22 AM on May 20, 2005 [1 favorite]


After that I guess he needed an escort.
posted by adamvasco at 8:35 AM on May 20, 2005 [1 favorite]


my father is a fairly well-known caller in the new england area. I'm a little surprised you didn't include MIT's tech squares in your links.
posted by jmackin at 9:18 AM on May 20, 2005


My high school, as well, taught square dancing to the seniors for their public performance of it at the May Day celebration. For as un-cool as it should have seemed, it was definitely a much anticipated high point of the senior year and something most of us had been looking forward to since junior high.

In the last five years, I've become involved with salsa and latin dancing and have come across casino rueda. Same idea, a little sassier, but just as much fun.
posted by Frisbee Girl at 9:33 AM on May 20, 2005


ObscureReferenceMan: look for "Contra Dancing"; that's what you probably remember from school. "Square Dancing" now usually refers to Western square dancing, often involving string ties, hats & poofy skirts. Contra dancing's usually done in street clothes.
/Mom's a caller/"Dance Nazi"
posted by obloquy at 9:54 AM on May 20, 2005


adamvasco, veeduby: how can I book you guys?
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:43 PM on May 20, 2005


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