[Squaredancing] Re: CBS Wednesday, 2/1/06 - Still Standing "Still Flunking" Episode -Square Dancing - Bob Fisk

[Clark Baker]

I watched Still Standing last night.  It was a 30 minute sitcom and it 
wasn't very good (not just the square dancing aspect, the whole thing).

Their writers wanted to use square dancing for comedy and, knowing the 
stereotypes that most of us hold about square dancing, their humor was 
about what we could predict and expect.  We even had a bale of hay in 
the corner (I occasionally get this when I call a ONS).

My question for you is, why should any of us be surprised at the way 
square dancing was portrayed on a show that was using it for comedy?  I 
don't believe that the general public's attitude has changed one bit 
since 1970 to today.  Why do we think we can make a change and, if we 
can't, why do we keep getting so worked up over it?

Sure, Callerlab should do something.  Perhaps the ARTS should do 
something.  But what if nothing is to be done?

What other activities do you know that have had a reputation like 
square dancing has with the general public (just ask any teenager) that 
has turned that reputation around?  How did it happen?

As for square dancing being the state dance in many states, this is 
nothing I am proud of.  I thought that each state was different, with a 
different history and heritage and its state dance should reflect that. 
  How did so many states end up with the same state folk dance?  Answer: 
it was a reaction to not being able to get it proclaimed our national 
folk dance.  Why were we trying to get it named our national folk 
dance?  So we could get greater access to free and inexpensive halls.  
How many "national" symbols does this country have?  Answer: 4.  Do you 
feel that a national folk dance holds the same stature as our existing 
4 symbols?  I don't.

How many other dance forms did we trample over in our haste to get 
square dancing proclaimed a state folk dance?  Notice that sometimes we 
include round dancing and sometimes we include traditional squares 
dancing.  However, usually we just want our for of square dancing -- 
the modern one -- to be the state dance.  How many MWSD dancers have 
ever done folk dancing?  Or traditional squares?  Or contras?  Do you 
even know these people or attend their dances and conventions?  You are 
welcome to as they don't require lessons.  They can't attend our dances 
because of our lesson barrier.  They consider lessons an anathema; we 
consider them a requirement.

Square dancing is a great activity and it can provide many hours of 
fun, exercise, and mental stimulation.  It doesn't make a good 
spectator sport, and just its name alone will forever lend it to be the 
butt of jokes.  Get people into it one by one but don't expect to 
change the average American's opinion of it.

In college, when I headed out to a dance, my friends would ask of I was 
going tap dancing again.

--
Clark Baker, Belmont, MA
cmbaker at tiac.net