Looks like the Suite101.com square dancing site is being retired. Terry Weingart is moving over to a Mystery Novels and Authors site, so we’ll be losing her insights into square dancing. Fortunately, her articles will still be available on her site.

I’m always interested in how related dance forms market themselves. Here’s a flyer put out by the Glen Echo dance groups. [Note: this flyer is gone, but here’s a link to their current flyer.] Among all the features, about the only thing we have in common is the no smoking or alcohol. Beginners welcome? Maybe once or twice a year. All ages? We might say it, but we don’t really mean it, and we certainly don’t want any kids. No partner required? Yeah, sure, tell that to the single women sitting around waiting for a chance to dance. Wonderful live music? Not. And even when we do have a live band (like at the Nationals), it seems like they’re doing their best to sound like the recorded version of the song.

The Friday Night Dance at Glen Echo website, where I found the flyer, does have a link to a square dance site: Have Fun Square Dancing, Noriko Takahashi’s animated square dance moves site.

Off topic (unless you can find a Peter Pan singing call): Today is both Mary Martin‘s and Cyril Ritchard‘s birthday. I’ve always thought that Wendy (the song, not the character) might make a fun singer.

Today is also Bette Midler‘s birthday; singing call records include The Rose and My Hero (The Wind Beneath My Wings). She also did cover versions of Do You Want To Dance (Hi Hat 5150), Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (also Chicago Country 47), and Under the Boardwalk (Royal 211).