Dempsey Community Arts Center

Auburn, Alabama

Larry Belcher, Caller

"Be there - be a Square."

Like many things presumed to be uniquely American, square dancing is in fact an extension and refinement of numerous foreign influences brought to this country by early immigrants. Owing its origins to the French Quadrilles, the Irish Jigs, the English Reels, and the Spanish Fandangos, square dancing evolved from the Country Dancing of New England, the Confederate Reels of Virginia and the Carolinas, and the Running Sets of Appalachia. This evolution culminated in the mining towns of Colorado and California where the "smooth" or modern western form of square dancing emerged.

Today, square dancing is unique among all other forms of folk dancing. It is the only dance form for which all the dance movements are extemporaneously announced by a designated "caller," who combines the dancers' knowledge of an average of 120 distinct moves to develop an original and unique dance sequence. The four-couple "square" and caller format allows for the infinite variety of dance experiences that continue to delight both veteran and beginning dancers. The building-block structure of modern square dancing makes mastery of the techniques easy and attainable for all ages.

The INTERNET offers numerous links that provide additional insight into exactly "What is square dancing?" Among the best of these is Robert French's site dosado.com. Additionally Yahoo maintains a reasonable square dance site. But none is any better at answering the "what is it" question than Gerry and Chuck Hardy's site "A New Song and Dance Routine." Everyone knows that dancing is fun, but the studies cited by Gerry and Chuck that define the clear health benefits associated with square dancing should be of special interest.

The most essential and enduring aspects of square dancing are fun and fellowship. The Village Squares have a considerable history in this form of fellowship. We have been "joining hands and circling right" since 1980. We encourage anyone who has an interest in square dancing to join us. Club-level dancers who plan to be in this area find that there is much to see and do in Auburn, "The loveliest Village on the Plains," or in Opelika, a city of considerable historic significance, or at Auburn University. Dancers who are also golfers find the Auburn/Opelika area an especially attractive stop along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

The Village Squares is a constitutionally governed club located in Auburn, Alabama. We hold club membership in both the Montgomery Area Square Dance Association (MASDA), in Montgomery, Alabama, and in the Alabama Square and Round Dancers Association (ASARDA) in Birmingham, Alabama. We are a couples-only club. Our membership is quite varied both in background and in age. On any given evening we might have at least one square of youth (beginning age 13) and maybe one square with an average age well over fifty. Dues for both members and beginning-class dancers are $20 per couple, with dependent children dancing free. Visiting dancers are always welcome and dance free-of-charge for their first three visits to the club. After this introductory period, visiting dancers are expected to seek nomination for full membership.

The dance attire is often as varied as our members' ages. Traditional outfits, to include prairie skirts, are appreciated since they add considerably to the communal square dance experience. But there is no insisted-upon dress code, and many of our members come simply in slacks and long-sleeved shirts. An active social committee schedules non-dance functions throughout the year to include ice cream socials and steak nights as well as numerous light-snack dance parties.

The Village Squares club is committed to promoting Modern Western Square Dancing wherever and whenever possible. To this end the club routinely performs outreach demonstrations for charitable and community service organizations.