[Squaredancing] Square Dancing at Schools and promoting Teen Clubs

[M0220sr at aol.com]

Group:

In the middle 80s for about five years I was the club caller for a teen 
square dance club in southern Louisiana. If any of you have done likewise you know 
it can be a challenging yet rewarding experience.  

I remember all the fun things the teen club did in the past but I also 
remember all the troubles involved when kids didn't always get along and tempers 
flared.  Thankfully the good times overweighed the bad.  

Teen clubs in our area sometimes had a bad reputation in that "they are too 
rowdy with all the kicks and twirls and yelling they do. "  "They hurt my ears. 
" "I almost fell last time when a teen tried to twirl me."   I put a limit on 
all the kicks and crazy "fun" things they did in a square only if we visited 
an adult club.  At the club they danced their way on regular open tips but  
listened and were attentive when we did workshops and saved the "wild things" 
for after the workshop.  A lot of my teens frequently followed me when I called 
at other clubs.  All I stated was that if any of them were in a mixed 
adult-teen square, they were to dance in a "normal" way, no kicking steps, lavish 
twirls, etc.  The other rule was that they were to be polite and treat all adults 
with respect.  In their own squares, away from the adult squares so as  not to 
interfere, they could do what they wanted.  They abided by that and the 
reputation for our club and the other teen club in the area changed in that the 
people in the adult clubs didn't cringe or have scowls on their faces when teens 
walked through their door.  

The ultimate achievement for that teen club was when they danced at the New 
Orleans' World's Fair in 1984.  We had so much fun!  All the kick steps, 
twirls, yelling and whooping, etc. brought the spectators from far away to find out 
what all the noise was about! :)  It was a great day for promoting square 
dancing and those kids certainly did their part.  

I have been contacted by a teacher at a junior high school about doing 
something with square dancing at the school.  What she is mainly looking for is a 
regular club to come in and give her music students a demonstration of square 
dancing.  That would not be a problem as the club we dance with frequently does 
demos for nursing homes, etc.  I could handle both the calling and cueing a 
round or two for the demo.

But I also see this as a possible opportunity to return teen dancing to our 
area.  We used to have two teen clubs in our area but all of them are gone now.

What I am requesting is a response to this group email (and a copy to my 
personal address---m0220sr at aol.com) giving information about promoting teen square 
and/or round dancing in schools.  Who should I contact?  Who are the 
callers/cuers deeply involved in teen clubs?  Brochures to send for?  Music kids 
like....especially this part. What music do kids like that can be used for teen 
dancing and would any of the record dealers have suitable music?

I have no idea where all of this will lead but if  something can be achieved 
to bring teen dancing (square or round) back into the local area, I'm for it.

Please send info.

Thanks.

R. S. Matthews
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