Swing your partner! Square Dancing growing in popularity in Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. – Between the hoots and hollers of square dancing and the soundtrack of live folk music, sounds of laughter become contagious among those connecting with one another. “Get back home and swing your own!” says Adrienne Robertson, a caller with RVA Square Dance, which has seen a revival since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among younger generations. McEver Dugan, another caller with RVA Square Dance, says the event is a snapshot of the entire community and it’s an opportunity to “interact with all sorts of folks from all walks of life.” “You are going to be in a square, dancing… square dance… with four other couples and even if you came with a buddy and you want to dance with that buddy, you’re still going to be dancing with seven other people you might not know, and that’s one dance,” Robertson says. Square dancing has been an anchor in American society for centuries, according to the Square Dance History Project. The partner and group style of dancing has mainly flourished in rural communities and is now expanding to cities in its recent resurgence. RVA Square Dance is seeing a major increase in participation since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Robertson says it would have been “lucky” for 16 people to attend before 2020, but four years later, “a quiet night” is fewer than 200 people. RVA Square Dance's events always feature live music and live callers. “The caller’s job is to read the room," said Robertson. "Are there folks who are really digging in and we can try something a little harder? Or are we just looking for something easy and cruising?" Once dancers have attended a few times and have some skills under their belts, they’re given the option to wear a green button. This establishes which dancers are willing to answer questions for the newer crowd. “We usually try to have a lesson before the main dance,” Robertson says. This is a chance to learn the basics of square dancing. Callers also demonstrate the moves and formations that will be performed altogether. RVA Square Dance hosts one dance a month. Some events are held in the evening, which tends to mainly attract young adults, but the group recently started daytime dances to encourage more children and families to participate. Most of RVA Square Dance's event take place at Studio Two Three, located at 109 West 15th Street in Richmond's Southside. “Once people come to one, they don’t stop,” says Dugan, “I’ve had people say this is the best time they’ve had in years and years.”
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RICHMOND, Va. – Between the hoots and hollers of square dancing and the soundtrack of live folk music, sounds of laughter become contagious among those connecting with one another.
“Get back home and swing your own!” says Adrienne Robertson, a caller with RVA Square Dance, which has seen a revival since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among younger generations.
McEver Dugan, another caller with RVA Square Dance, says the event is a snapshot of the entire community and it’s an opportunity to “interact with all sorts of folks from all walks of life.”
“You are going to be in a square, dancing… square dance… with four other couples and even if you came with a buddy and you want to dance with that buddy, you’re still going to be dancing with seven other people you might not know, and that’s one dance,” Robertson says.
Square dancing has been an anchor in American society for centuries, according to the Square Dance History Project. The partner and group style of dancing has mainly flourished in rural communities and is now expanding to cities in its recent resurgence.
RVA Square Dance is seeing a major increase in participation since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Robertson says it would have been “lucky” for 16 people to attend before 2020, but four years later, “a quiet night” is fewer than 200 people. RVA Square Dance's events always feature live music and live callers.
“The caller’s job is to read the room," said Robertson. "Are there folks who are really digging in and we can try something a little harder? Or are we just looking for something easy and cruising?"
Once dancers have attended a few times and have some skills under their belts, they’re given the option to wear a green button. This establishes which dancers are willing to answer questions for the newer crowd.
“We usually try to have a lesson before the main dance,” Robertson says. This is a chance to learn the basics of square dancing. Callers also demonstrate the moves and formations that will be performed altogether.
RVA Square Dance hosts one dance a month. Some events are held in the evening, which tends to mainly attract young adults, but the group recently started daytime dances to encourage more children and families to participate. Most of RVA Square Dance's event take place at Studio Two Three, located at 109 West 15th Street in Richmond's Southside.
“Once people come to one, they don’t stop,” says Dugan, “I’ve had people say this is the best time they’ve had in years and years.”
