Square dance, as the name suggests, is a folk dance in which four couples take part forming a square. This way in total there are eight dancers. All dancers face the inside of the square.
Square Dancing is a very old celebration dance. There are chances that it has seen some changes throughout its journey of time. But the core structure has not been changed at all.
Square dancing became involved with romanticism after its association with cowboys and the country lifestyle in the twentieth century. After that, the dance saw some changes. It became even more popular among the modern audience after that. It was divided into two separate dance forms; Modern Western square dance, and Traditional square dance.
- The traditional square dance- It involves dances of all regions with specified choreography.
- The modern western square dance- This dance form is an evolved version of cowboy dance.
History of Square Dance
Initially, Square dances were famous in France. They are said to be traveled from France to North America with Europeans who settled in America during the 19th century. The origin of the Square dance can go back to the 16th to 17th century. It was famous in countries like Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
Square Dance Facts
Even though some square dances are strict about the number of dancers involved in the dance there are other dances as well that allow more dancers. These dances also allow other routines of dances as well.
- If there are more dancers added to the dance routine in the middle it is called ninepins variation.
- If there is one extra dance couple added in the middle of the square it is called the winter solstice.
- When there is an additional lady present at each side of the square it is known as the twelve reel.
- Additional couples for the head position is termed as hexitation.
Each couple in square dance can be of one male and one female but if they both are males or females they need to decide before starting the dance which one will do the male steps and which one will do the female ones.
The female partner is called “corner” and stands on the man’s left side. Similarly, the male partner is also termed as her corner who stands at her right. In the next step, couples are numbered and the square rotates anticlockwise. Original partners will not stay your partners all the time because in some steps partners are changed.
Some dance groups rely on a caller to perform this dance where some dance without one. They rely on their experiences of the past. If there is no caller, the head dancers (one couple from the group) work as leaders and control the flow of the dance. They teach some steps to the other dancers and help them whenever they are struggling with the steps.
Square Dance Dress
In some places, the dress code is insisted because then you will be able to enjoy it more. But in other places, there is no requirement for a costume. Men are asked to wear long-sleeve shirts with trousers and leather shoes. Women are asked to wear long skirts with petticoats or innerwear that give their skirts a lift and make them look bulky. It is advised to wear good and comfortable shoes as there is a lot of spinning and swinging.
Social Perception
Square dancing was once a very famous dance, but it is being forgotten with time. Today’s generation does not have time to go out and find joy in these activities.
To preserve square dancing 31 states have made it their official state dance. It has also gained the status of folk dance due to its popularity and repetition in different places in the United States