There’s a new version of CSDS available: 1.11.02. Mostly looks like minor tweaks.

Did a google search on “Why I dance”:

• A student and pilot
• Jive Magazine readers
• Jay Robinson
• Sherezzah
• Jalilah Sahar
• Miscellaneous ballroom dancers
• Darie (look for the 3/12/2001 entry)
• Raven Davis
• Roeland M.M. Hogt
• Linda J. Doerksen
• Ali Braden
• Kalay Mordock

A national dance?

As you know, I’m not in favor of square dancing being declared the United States’ official “national dance”. But that’s because I’m not in favor of any dance being the official national dance. Should every nation have a national dance? That’s the premise of this article. The author says, “Why ignore such a simple way to communicate something about the character of a country?” But what is the highly multi-cultured US’s character? And what would square dancing say about our national character?

Probably some pretty good things: teamwork, cooperation, looking for new challenges, unwilling to tolerate boredom. And some other things: not in touch with our bodies (square dancing almost discourages any body moves other than walking and (for girls) swishing skirts), rigid gender roles, lack of creativity (only the caller gets to be creative).

What else would square dancing say about our national character? Add your comment by clicking on Comments at the end of this article.