[Squaredancing] Question

[Ken Robinson]

At 11:40 AM 6/8/2005, Dick Callander wrote (in part):
>  Our club has  just recently  begin having single members or solos 
> as they can be called.
>
>     My question is , What is the proper accepted way for a single 
> lady to acquire a dance partner ? Should she sit on the sidelines 
> and wait to be ask, or simple stand in a square and wait for a man 
> to fall in beside her ?

Dick,

I feel that it really depends on the traditions of the club. Since 
your club is just starting to accept singles (solos), then what ever 
you decide to do is fine within your club, just warn your single 
dancers that other clubs may have different rules.

For example, the Mainstream club (Rutgers Promenaders 
<http://www.rutgerspromenaders.org/>) where I am the President (for 
life???) started out as a singles college club. Officially, we are 
still a singles club, although we are no longer affiliated with the 
college, and most of our members are married couples. In our club any 
dancer can try to start a square and any single dancer can jump into 
an opening in a square. Also, most of our dancers are bi-dancual 
(they can dance either part), so it's not unusual to see a square of 
5 women and 3 men or any other combination. BTW, many of our married 
members will also dance as a single dancer for a tip or two if their 
partner is tired or doesn't want to dance for some reason.

Other clubs that have single dancers do things differently, asking 
that the single dancer find partners before getting into a square. 
There are single rotation schemes and other ways of mixing the partners.

As I said, whatever your club decides on and works, is the way for you to go.

Ken Robinson
kenrbnsn at rbnsn.com