The Cleveland Federation of Dance Clubs is a non-profit conglomerate of sixteen dance clubs in the Greater Cleveland area. We provide an interface for an exchange of ideas and fellowship between area clubs and dancers, as well as with other federations in Ohio and Internationally. (Yes! Square Dancing is a worldwide activity with calls always in English.) We welcome all who wish to learn and preserve America’s National Folkdance.
It is a known fact that exercise and social activity are key contributing factors to a long life. Square dancing offers both in abundance. People are always surprised when they see how America’s National Dance has changed. Today's dancers move to modern music, meet in air-conditioned schools and recreation halls, and come from all walks of life.
A pleasant mix of Country, Classic Rock, Top 40, Latin, and "Oldies" is used at most Square Dances today.
Square dancing traces its ancestry to many early English and French dances, including reels, quadrille and contra dances. In the United States, folk dancing evolved into the New England Country Dance, which eventually became the Eastern Square Dance, and the Appalachian Mountain Dance, which became the Western Square Dance. Henry Ford was an avid square and round dancer and built a dance hall for his employees. Ford, together with Benjamin Lovett, published the book "Good Morning" in 1926 that popularized these dances. The book "Cowboy Dances" by Lloyd Shaw in 1939 was the definitive work on Western Square dancing. Shaw traveled all over the United States documenting the dances he saw.
In the early 1930's, Henry Ford became interested in the revival of square dancing as a part of his early New England restoration project. His efforts captured the interest of other individuals who then modernized the activity so that it would appeal to contemporary America while retaining its basic flavor. Square dancing groups began to form hither and yon. By 1948, square dancing had reached the level of a fad. The people who had rediscovered this activity were determined to retain it, to perpetuate it and to share it with others. In the process of revival, the hillbilly band with its whiny fiddle was replaced by modern combos, which provided uniform performance through the medium, of high-fidelity recordings; the nasal-voiced, almost unintelligible caller was replaced with an articulate professional assisted by a public address system. The barn, the pitchfork, the bale of hay and the little brown jug disappeared from the scene and square dancing moved into the urban centers. Name tags, worn by all dancers, put everyone on a first-name basis and thereby created instant informality and good fellowship.
The first large square dance was the Diamond Jubilee in Santa Monica, California, in 1950. At this event 15,200 dancers participated and there were more than 35,000 spectators. Today national square dance conventions draw dancers from every state and many countries.
As interesting and enjoyable as square dancing is, it is not difficult. This activity can be enjoyed by young and old alike. All that is necessary is a thorough familiarity with a number of basic figures or movements, which are called in various combinations on the dance floor. Knowledge of and practice in these basic movements are best obtained through instruction, which is offered in a series of weekly sessions.
Having learned to square dance, new hobbyists find themselves in a brand new world. They are now among the millions of dancers active in the United States and internationally and because of standardized figures, they can dance throughout the United States and other countries.
In short, everyone can find niche at a Square Dance. It doesn't matter who you are, or what you do, just that you like having a good time with friendly people. Square Dancing has often been described as "Fun and Friendship Set to Music".
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