I spent the morning clearing out old (mid-80’s to mid-90’s) computer magazines (Dr. Dobb’s Journal and some IEEE and ACM publications (I almost got a Ph.D. in computer science…everything but the dissertation). There was probably still some good info in the journals, but computer technology changes so quickly (and the info is so likely to be on the web someplace) that it just didn’t seem worth the shelf space any more.

Square dance relevance? Other than sound delivery systems, square dancing doesn’t change all that much. I’ve managed to gather copies of caller note services from the ’70’s and ’80’s and find them useful…well worth the storage space. Choreography styles have changed somewhat, but not so much that one can’t gather useful info from the note services. Also, going back to some of the more “dated” patterns can add spice to an evening. I’d love to have complete collections of all the old note services; there’s some classic stuff there.

A nice informative site about recording dances on a laptop and dancing using dances recorded on a laptop. He also includes an intro to square dancing for non-dancers, from a challenge dancer’s perspective.

On Friday, some local dancers and I square danced for about 500 elementary (K-5) students at Bel-Aire Elementary School. Their coach had been teaching them square dancing for the past few weeks, and one of the aides, who’s also a square dancer, rounded up a couple of squares and a caller (me) to come in for a couple of assemblies. We danced some patter to both traditional and non-traditional music, the dancers and I answered questions (we were all surprised at how many questions the kids had), we did a singing call, and then we got some of the kids (the ones who wanted to) out to dance. They were mostly enthusiastic, and seemed to have a good time; the 1/2 hour we had with each group (K-2, and 3-5) went too quickly.

I found a page at QueerTheory related to gay and lesbian square dancing. It’s got a decent collection of links and a link for Texts: Square Dancing, which leads to an Amazon listing of books related to square dancing.

One of the listings is for Square Dancing (Let’s Dance), written by Mark Thomas for kids ages 4-8, and published in 2000. I got curious about what a book about square dancing for kids would say, so I did a google search on the title and author. I got three hits…and every single one led to the Amazon listing.

However, I persevered, searched without the subtitle, and got a wider variety of hits, including Just for Kids:

Offers consistent print placement, predictable text patterns, strong picture clues and interesting concepts. For ages 4 to 7. 24 pages with photo illustrations. A close-up look at the hard work of dance.

Hard work?!?

I couldn’t find out much more information, except that Mark Thomas has written a bunch of dance-oriented books for kids, none of his books are available in our local library system, and Square Dancing is available in both hard and soft covers.

While looking for stuff about Mark Thomas and square dancing, I came across a 50’s nostalgia site, where they noted:

Cowboy life was definitely in style!
cowboy fashions
square dancing
rodeos
dude ranches
country & western music

and included this graphic:

Look, ma…she’s wearing pants!

Anybody remember the 1996 Smithsonian Magazine article on square dancing? I’ll bet a lot of us have copies floating around. Here’s an abstract; too bad the Smithsonian won’t just put back issues on line.

Here’s a quote from a page related to River Of Song, a PBS series on American music:

“Roll up the rugs,” more than a call to let the entertainment begin, was literally the way dance space was created for at-home square dancing. Furniture was moved outdoors or into corners to make ample room for the two or more squares of dancers inside. At home dances were one of the many ways neighbors opened their doors to each other, drawing people together to play, socialize, and exchange information. Such informal music gatherings remain the places where old time, country, and bluegrass traditions are active. The square dancing that has ebbed since the 1950s, some feel, is undergoing a resurgence. In communities as demographically diverse as Columbia, site of the state University, to Ellsinore, population 362, in the southern reaches of the Ozarks, multigenerational groups come together on a frequent basis to dance to the music of live fiddlers and family bands. Square dance is being relearned as people in their twenties and thirties turn to the elder generation, former practitioners of these skills, to learn the calls, dance sets, and tunes that used to be done in these communities.

Busy day yesterday.

Went to the Wilde Bunch’s holiday party first. Numbers were down; we were actually able to do the gift exchange (the kind where people choose gifts in turn and can either choose a new gift or steal a previously opened gift) one at a time, instead of having three people open gifts at once, the way we have for the past several years.

Then off to the Lobo women’s basketball game, where the attendance was down slightly from yesterday, but our margin of victory went up.

Quick trip home to feed the dogs.

Off to the Flying Star Cafe (more commonly known as the “Double Rain…I mean Flying Star) on Rio Grande for dinner with a few folks.

Then on to a Jamie Anderson concert. The attendance was disappointing, both for the audience, and, I’m sure, for the organizers and for Jamie. Seems like it’d be a hard life, driving around from small concert to small concert, on the road for weeks. But then I thought about how much I enjoy calling for even one or two squares, so maybe Jamie enjoyed performing for a couple of dozen people.

Of course, I’m so monomaniacal about square dancing, that I listened to every song with an ear to whether it could be a singing call. None of them could (at least without major rearrangement). If you’re interested in hearing some of her music, check mp3.com. Several of the songs she did last night are there, including one of my faves, “I Want to Be A Straight Guy”.