The people were a great mix of old and young alike. All nice, small town people. There was a hound dog wandering about watching the people dance as if to spot them or keep them in line. Occassionally it would bark at people that were getting too rambunctious, or it would get underfoot and someone would inevitably trip over him.
JD went with us and even he danced! He was pretty good too, except he did have some difficulty telling his left hand from his right. But that's OK, JD, I did that too and so did some others.
I learned what a promenade and a dosey-do was and why they call it "square dancing". The main structure of the dance consists of four couples standing facing each other basically forming a square. The person next to you that is not your partner is call your "corner". There is a lot of switching partners and getting dizzy - so don't eat a huge meal before going to one of these dances. Also, you will get hot! even if it is 6 degrees outside like it was tonight. Wear layers because after a few dances you'll be sweating!
I even got to use my knowledge of "strip-the-willow"! I know I said that I had not done any square dancing in my life, but I inadvertantly lied about that. Square dancing comes from Celtic dancing which I did a lot of last summer! Strip-the-willow is part of a very popular Celtic wedding dance in which many a wedding-goer gets injured. I ended up with a bruised arm and foot the first time that I participated in it. The worst injury I got tonight was two blistered feet.
I definitely want to do this again. They'll be having another one in February and I plan to go again with my friend and possibly SSB if I can talk him into it. It will be good to get him out interacting with people, developing his social side. He was a big hit at the karaoke party after all!
-
sideshow bob said... I'll go.
- Sylvana said...
OH JOY!!
- nope said...
Yes, Syl, the post was most excellent - but - the comments between you and SSB were better, only because it feels like eavesdropping on a personal love conversation. You two are so cute!
- Sandy said...
That was pretty adorable! Sounds like the square dancing was good for a giggle. I'm glad to hear things have worked out on the job front. It sounds like you have come to a good place with your friend also. If you expect nothing you might be rewarded with something. Does that make sense??
- Shamus O'Drunkahan said...
My beef with that kind of dancing is I have problems with authority. So how do you think I feel being told what to do on the dance floor? I'll do "the robot" if I damn well feel like it!
- Sylvana said...
Indiaiynke, yeah, we make people sick! With jealousy!! ;)
Sandy, I'm pretty content with the way that things are working out. A huge problem with my friends is that they are not very honest with themselves about the way that they are. They want to be a certain person and really can't deal with anyone telling them that they are anything but that person. I find, actually, that a lot of people are like that. And square dancing was a blast!! LOVED IT!!
Shamus, it's sort of like Simon Says, only faster and with lots of hand holding.- Maria said...
I suck so bad at square dancing. It looks more like squiggly-spazz dancing when I do it.
- Shannon said...
I'm so glad you had a lot of fun! Like I said, the one time I went it was a blast. I say next time you go, you wear some of funky dresswith a nice poofy petitcoat. Heck, make SSB wear it!
- sands of time said...
I went to one once.I didnt think it would be my kind of think.But i have to admit i had lots of fun.Glad you enjoyed it.
- Lyvvie said...
I have a pal who calls strip-the-willow "Fling her knickers!" because he flings his partner so much her skirt rides up and you can see her pants! than again, his skirt rides up too, but he's such an exhibitionist.
- Sylvana said...
Maria, we had a pretty good caller. She went through all the steps before we started each dance to make sure that we all knew what we were doing. But even then some of us got a little more than confused.
Shannon, having fun is cool, so square dancing must be cool! And I'm afraid that SSBs dress wearin' days might be behind him. But we'll see!
Pink Lady, thanks! I always thought that square dancing was really stuffy, but it is really an exciting time!
Lyvvie, the Scots would make fun of us Americans for wearing our pants on the outside. I can imagine the ears that must have been wiggling when we would talk so openly about our pants!- Wendy A said...
I remember being forced to square dance in primary school. We to dance with a boy...Tramatic at that age. I just remember having to hold hands with the booger-eater boy in our class. It just ruined me on square danceing.
- Elizabeth said...
I love square dancing. We had to do it in PE in school. I think I actually got a cramp surpressing a smile.
- Irb said...
My first exposure to this thing you kids call "square dancing" was on a documentary I saw about rabbits and hillbillies. At one point, the rabbit tricked the hillbillies into beating each other up by calling a "square dance."
"Grab a fence post, hold it tight.
Womp your partner with all your might.
Hit 'im in the leg. Hit 'im in the head.
Hit 'im again, that critter ain't dead."
They also dropped an anvil on a coyote, but he survived. He walked away from the incident on his hind legs, making accordion sounds.
Now that I think about it, it might have been a cartoon...- Sylvana said...
Ew! Booger-eater hands! Yuck! I can see why you still have lingering bad feelings about square-dancing, Wendy A!
Elizabeth, welcome to my blog! Face cramps suck! Sometimes SSB gets me laughing so much that I get one or two. And it is always exasperated by my TMJ.
Irb, no, I think we did that one too!- DrMax said...
Wait...did he say allamande left? CRAP! Sorry! I AM PROMENADING!!! Son of a...SASHAY, he said SASHAY damn it! He's going to fast.....OW, who stepped on my corn? Was it you pal? I'll do-si your do if you don't watch your.....I AM PROMENADING!!!!
- sideshow bob said...
irb- I always think of that cartoon when I think about square dancing...
My favorite part is when the are fighting in the creek:
trout, trout, purty little trout
one more splash then come right out- Sylvana said...
DrMax, you sound like a square dancing expert! I'll come to you if I need anything.
SSB, I loved that cartoon! Square dancing is either about feuding or wife swapping, or feuding over wife-swapping.- ORF said...
Didya wear your cowgirl boots? I secretly used to like to watch the line dancing on CMT sometimes. Square dancing's a lot of fun too. Just a good, friendly, fun time.
- Sylvana said...
ORF, I wore my hiking shoes. You need something with serious traction for square dancing!
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