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Square Dancing? Isn't that just for old folks?
Absolutely not! Square Dancing is enjoyed worldwide by young and old alike, from teenagers on up!
Can I come alone?
Absolutely. Though the majority of people come to square dance with their square dance partner, a sizable number of both men and women come alone so that on most nights, all can find partners when the call "square up!" is made. And for single men and women, let me add: If you have tried the dating scene, including night clubs, bars. dating services and health clubs and even newspaper ads; and want a safer and more fun way to meet people, then give square dancing a try. You will never meet a nicer group of people than square dancers!
How many square dance calls are there?
There are about 50 basic calls, about 20 mainstream calls, about 30 plus calls.
Do I need to have any dancing experience?
No. Square Dancing is not really like dancing, but rather like walking through a set of patterns, called (or sung) by a caller. The Gold Dust Dancers have new dancer sessions, beginning in September each year. The sessions are open for the first three weeks, and the first week is free. After that there is a weekly fee of $5.00 per person. Session time is about one hour and fifteen minutes.
If I get behind, what can I do?
There is throughout the year a schedule of workshops, many aimed at the new dancer class. Workshops typically meet Thursday nights at the Pavilion, the smaller building adjacent to OCC. Workshops are informal and intend to work on those calls that many people are 'rusty' on. Check at the front desk for the schedule of upcoming workshops, they will normally have sign-up sheets; or ask the caller.
I learned square dancing in Kentucky (or Maine, or Japan). Are the calls here the same as the calls there?
They should be the same. That is because all licensed callers (and all the ones that call here are licensed) are required to attend an annual workshop at Callerlab, where calls are precisely defined, new calls agreed upon, old calls dropped, calls changed from for example Mainstream to Plus; for the whole world. It is this that has made square dancing standard throughout the whole world.