Ideas for Hosting
a Square Dance
Square Dance Parties
Square dancing at your party or event can
add a lot of fun to an evening. No one needs to have prior experience. All dances will be taught first and then danced.
If the party is a western theme party, ask
people to wear appropriate bandanas or cowboy hats. Casual dress is also appropriate
if the party is for a birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or other holiday.
Daddy/Daughter Dances
or Mother/Son Dances
These can be lots of fun for children ages
6-12. They are appropriate for school groups, boy scouts, girl scouts, youth
groups, etc. Be sure that each child signed up has a parent or adult as a partner.
Youth Group &
Singles Clubs Dances
Having an old fashioned barn dance can be
a lot of fun for a teen-age youth group or a group of young adults. Square dancing
is a great social type of dancing, without the one on one intimacy of most other types of dancing. It is a great mixer for singles clubs also.
Church Hoedown
Square Dances can be a fun part of a Church
Hoedown, Picnic or Harvest Festival. A party like this is perfect for a fall
Harvest party, or a mid-winter get together. Square Dancing is a great way to
socialize with other members of the church and have fun! Throw in some other
western type games or have people dress in the western style for extra fun!
Local Festivals & County Fairs
Hold a square dance as one of the events
at your town’s summer or fall festival, or at your county fair. It adds
a touch of old-time American culture and fun to your festival or fair, and is a relatively inexpensive form of participatory
entertainment. Advertise it as a dance that anyone can participate in, without
any experience.
Living History Demonstrations
Square dancing can be an especially good
addition to any type of living history demonstration. Hold the square dance in
conjunction with Civil War Musters or encampments, antique tractor show, blacksmith demonstrations, or agricultural show. Square dancing goes hand in hand with almost any old-time American or rural type of
event. Be sure to make the dance open to anyone attending the Living History
event.
What do you need
to Host a Square Dance?
First, you need a location. It can be a hall, a room or gym at your church, or even in your basement, garage or on your patio. Almost anywhere will work, as long as the room is appropriately sized for the amount
of people you have. Try to have about 20 square feet of space (or more) for each
dancer.
Second, you need a square dance caller. The caller will typically bring all his own equipment including a turntable, amplifier, speaker, records
& microphone. You are usually responsible for providing him a place to plug
the equipment in, and sometimes a table for the equipment.
Third, you need to invite people to come to the
dance, and arrange for food or refreshments for the party, if you are going to offer them.
