Square Dancing

By Jere Hough Meteorologist / Feature Reporter

Around the world countries seem to have their own folk dances...passed town from generation to generation and enjoyed especially in rural areas. For the United States, our folk dance is probably the square dance...but it's moved to the city!

Published: Fri, May 02, 2008 - 4:20 pm
Last Updated: Tue, May 06, 2008 - 4:05 pm

Jere Hough

One of the great things about square dancing is that someone is always telling you what to do next.
It's also the Official State Dance of Alabama.
There are Square Dance Clubs in the area who get together once a week for fun, socializing, and...good exercise!
Gordon Satterwhite with the Mobile Square Dance Association says, "This is what we call modern square dancing, which is very energetic, electric...somewhat aerobic...and exercises your mental capability...(it) challenges you to think through what the caller is asking you to do."
Tonight's caller is Jerry Story...world-renowned, and here for the final dance of the annual Azalea Square Dance Festival. Satterwhite explains, "He freely calls from whatever he's thinking and however he wants the square arranged and moved and so everybody has to pay close attention."
The dance is groups of four couples in a square.
The appeal of square dancing is summed up nicely by one dancer, "It's a lot of fun, a lot of good exercise, and you meet a lot of awesome people."
The banners of clubs, past and present hang from the ceiling in Azalea Hall.
Meteorologist Jere Hough reads some of the banner: "The Spanish Twirlers, the Springhill Stompers, the Shirts and Skirts...Square Dancers have fun coming up with names too!'
There are eight square dance clubs in the Mobile Association, six are in Mobile County, two are in Baldwin County. For more information call (251) 625-2812.