Introduction to Square Dancing: Beginner's Guide for Adults and Kids

A Kid's and Beginner's Guide to Square Dancing

Square dancing roots back hundreds of years from European traditions like English country dances, French quadrille, and African-American call-and-response dances. This folk dance involves dancers forming a square pattern with one couple on each side. Originally practiced for fun, today it remns an enjoyable form of exercise that doesn't require too much prior knowledge to start dancing.

Two mn forms of square dancing exist: Traditional Square Dance relies on simple repetitive steps led by a caller, making it beginner-frily and emphasizing the importance of listening and responding without delay. Modern Western Square Dance incorporates a variety of unpredictable steps with both hash calls - rhythmically spoken instructions - and sung calls, which accompany musical tunes.

Square dancing has various regional variations as well. The German dance Franccedil;se shares similarities with the French quadrille but features a faster tempo, while Scandinavian countries also partake in square dances like Sweden's hambo or Norway's halling. Dutch culture includes lancier-a playful form of square dancing that involves jumps and hops.

Basic Square Dancing Calls:

1. Allemande Left: Partners face their corners the neighbor on the side, hold hands, then dance around each other to return to starting positions.

2. Circle Left: Dancers join hands in a circle formation while walking counter-clockwise together.

3. Do-Si-Do: Partners facing each other walk around back-to-back and return to original spots with hands held.

4. Grand Right and Left: Half of each couple rotates clockwise, the other half counterclockwise as they pass through each person's hand alternately in a weaving pattern.

5. Promenade: Partners hold hands then walk together in circles until back at start positions.

6. Swing: Either swing your partner or swing your corner, dancers form ballroom-style hold and rotate around.

Vocabulary for Square Dancing:

1. Caller: The leader guiding dances with instructions to the participants

2. Corner: The person beside you perpicular to your direction of movement

3. Figure: A specific sequence of movements

4. Head Couple: The couple facing or turned toward the caller

5. Partner: Your neighbor on the same side as you stand in the square

6. Sashay: Step sideways

7. Side Couple: Couples standing at right angles to the caller's direction

Tips for Teaching Adults and Kids:

• For adults, start with basic calls, provide clear instructions, encourage questions, repeat steps without music initially, then incorporate rhythm once learned.

• For kids, simplify the explanation by framing movements like grand rightleft as a snake game. Use upbeat songs matching their interests to make learning fun and help them internalize step rhythms.

• Encourage kids through prse as they progress and consider organizing performances or group dances for showcase.

Square Dancing Resources:

Explore Square Dancing 101, Benefits of square dancing, Top Ten Things About Square Dancing, Demonstration videos, A Brief History Overview, Instructional resources for children, kid-frily facts about square dancing, insights into its origins, basic calls breakdown, and knowledge on health benefits associated with square dancing.

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