May 21, 2003
Festival gets at the square root of dance
Northwest Michigan Spring Square and Round Dance Festival held in TC
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Thaaaaank You!
Winding up a tip where they passed the ocean, made dandelions, bent the line and circulated, members of each square form a circle, grab hands and chorus their appreciation for a dance well done.
Welcome to the world of square dancing, whose vernacular, customs and humor reflect a worldwide movement dedicated to promoting this traditional American dance form.
Traverse City St. Francis High School swirled with the bright colors, rustling petticoats and upbeat music this weekend as more than 320 square dancers gathered for the 48th Northwest Michigan Spring Square and Round Dance Festival.
The three-day event featured a variety of workshops and dances that kept the gym and cafeteria of the school vibrating with fun. The big dance Saturday night fielded 37 squares of dancers in the school's gym. The Northwest Michigan Square and Round Dance Council sponsored the event.
"We love everything about square dancing, the people, the camaraderie, the travel from state to state," said Steve Oleszczuk of Cadillac, who has danced with his wife, Loretta, for nine years. "It's great, we have a lot of fun. It's like a family reunion here."
Arnold Reger of Portage met his future bride Kathy Grigsby of Union City on the dance floor a year ago. The couple will marry in June and their wedding reception will feature a square dance caller and a cuer, as round dance callers are known. They want to both thank and entertain their many friends from the Golden Eagles Club where they met. Their honeymoon will be spent - where else? - at the 52nd National Square Dance Convention held this year in Oklahoma City.
"It's a special interest we like to share," said Reger, who has been dancing since 1987.
Besides the fun, many square dancers point to the aerobic benefits of the sport. Weaving the intricate patterns as directed by the caller requires constant movement and attention, keeping both muscles and brain toned. The four couples of a square can work up a quite a sweat during a tip, which is a series of dances between breaks.
Jan Buhler of Grand Rapids clocked the average square dance evening as the equivalent of walking three miles.
"It is great on the legs and you really get a great workout for the bottom half of the body," said Buhler, who with her husband Keith is a member of the Flutterbys Club in Grand Rapids. "We've met so many friends, too."
The Spring Festival's program included workshops for mainstream and plus dancers as well as round dancing. Callers came from Alabama, Arizona and Texas and in addition to leading the workshops and dances, put on a showcase of their talents.
Jim Bolek of the Coat Tree Dance Apparel was on had to provide a variety of western-style dance clothes for dancers of all ages. A dancer himself, Bolek said he backed into the apparel business.
"I got into this quite by accident because my wife bought a coat," recalled Bolek, who is based in Oshkosh, Wis. "Before I knew it I was selling petticoats."
Bolek has seen the square dance fashion trends change over the decades. In the 1940s, at the beginning of modern square dancing, women wore long skirts only. This look evolved into the typical look of a female square dancer: shorter skirt and wide petticoats. However, he noted that the slimmer styles have been making a comeback, perhaps reflecting the efforts to get younger people involved in the sport.
"About 15 years ago it was allowed to wear either shorter skirts and petticoats or a longer skirt," he said.
Bolek said the national and state conventions often draw many younger dancers.
"There are youths at these conventions and they really dance up a storm," he noted. "The kids have their own little room called the Youth Hall and they really dance and move."