While “researching” (read surfing) square dance competitions, I found this article on the decline of mountain community square dances in North Carolina. The whole article is interesting, but I was particularly interested in theories about the decline:

What happened to this rich tradition of mountain square dancing and why did it die out after decades of vitality? I have interviewed many dancers who were active during those heydays of square dancing, and I’ve heard a number of answers. According to Jackie Hyatt, whose husband danced with Soco Gap and who herself was a “square dancer” with the Sylva team, the rise in popularity of the Texas two-step at local dance halls is what put an end to square dancing. Joe Sam Queen suggested that with the coming of rock-and-roll, community socialization became more stratified by age group, thus inhibiting the passing on of traditions to the next generation. Better transportation may have also contributed to the break-up of formerly tight-knit local dance communities, and certainly the lure and addiction to television was not conducive to community interaction or participation.

MWSD seems pretty much an age stratified activity. Sure there are a few teens and twenty-somethings who square dance, but based on my experience, I’d say most square dancers are in their sixties and seventies…that is, the parents of the kids who were listening to rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960’s and 1970’s, when MWSD peaked in popularity. I wonder if MWSD, with its rigid gender roles, dress codes, and rules of behavior, was a reaction to the societal changes that were occurring as the boomers came of age. What do you think?