I came across a web site (by clicking the Random link in the webring box) that represents the antithesis of what I believe about square dancing. Of course, I think square dancing is great for mental and physical exercise. And of course I think square dancing is lots of fun. BUT, I think the dress code is a handicap, while this author thinks wearing the costumes is practically a moral obligation:

Changing square-dance dress code to alleviate personal discomfort, in the hopes of pacifying and retaining dancers, is ludicrous when you examine the whole picture. Think back. What prompted you to become a square dancer? Why would we want to give up the only major form of free advertising that exists in the square-dance world–the trademark and hallmark of our national folk dance?
…
Each dancer is an ambassador for the activity, a promoter of its benefits, and the voice of square dancing. If you love this folk-art art form and have reaped its numerous benefits, then you have a moral obligation to preserve it for others.

Well, some publicity might be worse than no publicity. Sure, the costumes make people notice…but do they make people want to join in? Personally, I started dancing in spite of the costumes, and probably wouldn’t have started at all if gay groups had any kind of dress code.

Throughout the site, the author describes square dancing as the national folk dance. That’s just wrong. There is no “national folk dance,” despite the efforts of some square dancers to make it so.

The author says:

It is our national folk dance and was officially declared so in an Act of Congress signed by President Reagan in 1982.

This is sort of true. There was an act that made square dancing the national folk dance for 1982-1983. But that was 20 years ago. There have been attempts since then, but all have failed.

For a history on this, see Julie Mangin’s widely-cited article, The State Folk Dance Conspiracy: Fabricating a National Folk Dance. I mentioned this article back in 2000, and continue to agree with it. I like modern squares. I like traditional squares. I like contras. I’m unsure on whether I consider MWSD to be a folk dance, although it certainly evolved from a folk dance tradition. I don’t care. I like to two-step and swing, and I don’t consider those to be folk dances. I like MWSD because it’s a unique dance form that combines elements of game-playing and puzzle-solving, while still being a dance. I’d like to be able to keep doing it, which means I want more people to join in, which means I want to see it well-promoted. But not by lying and calling it the “national folk dance”. It just isn’t.