People Dancing

Susie Kelly responds to Rachel Elliott's article on English folk dance, Animated Winter 2010

I've looked up the next issue of the magazine online to read Rachel Elliott's article (Animated winter 2010). I look forward to receiving my copy by post so that I can show it and discuss various points with the RPM Committee. (Set up by the Square Dance Callers Club of GB and the British Association of American Square Dance Clubs, the letters stand for Recruit, Promote, Maintain).

It puzzles me that more non-performance-based dancing isn't included in the magazine. From what I've seen it's the artistic side of dance that is prevalent. Couldn't more emphasis be placed on the fun and friendship within communities that occurs in square dance, folk dance, circle dance, etc?

I also want to express some of my (our) feelings about the way square dancing is viewed by the media. We sometimes manage to get on the radio or TV for short interviews or quick demonstrations, and every time the interviewer or presenter ends up making fun of us by giving us the old Hi-de-hi routine. I've never seen other forms of dance mocked in this way. Even line dancing receives viewing time, and ballroom dancing now has a cult following.

There's so much in square dancing outsiders just don't understand. It's an inclusive form of dance that almost any person off the street could do. Square dancers can move about the world and find immediate friendship. However in square dancing the caller is improvising, and the dancers have to know the moves well enough to react upon command. It may take six months to learn them this well, but there has to be a teaching period for any form of dance. (How many hours of practice go into learning just one of the dances in Strictly?) And once learned, the variety of choreographic intricacy possible is well-nigh infinite. It appeals to puzzle solvers and mathematicians, and keeps your brain stimulated as it promotes physical wellbeing. And you don't have to be beautiful, athletic or have perfect rhythm to do it. You just need to be able to walk, know your right hand from your left and enjoy having fun.

Susie Kelly, Hon Secretary of the SquareDance Callers Club of Great Britain. http://sites.google.com/site/squaredancecallersclub/

The content of this site is proprietary to the Foundation for Community Dance and any access to this site or the use of any content made by any person is expressly subject to these terms:

Unauthorised copying of any material (including artwork) on this site and the reproduction, storage, transmission or the distribution of any content, either in whole or in part and in any medium or format, without the prior written consent of the Foundation for Community Dance and, where appropriate, the author or artist, is not permitted.

Please read our website terms & conditions by clicking here

Animated: Spring 2010