Square dance is a Dance form, where four couples line up in a square and follow the announcements of an instructor=caller. The dancers dance to lively music in pop and western sound. Everything is teamwork at its best: without Caller the dancers would not move and without dancers, a caller has nothing to do. All are dependent on the interaction with each other.
There are no complete sequences learned by heart, but the dancers perform the step sequences, which the Caller announces. These figures are internationally standardized, so you can dance around the world with every other Square Dancer. Although the square dance language is English, you don’t have to learn to learn square dancing. In Germany the teaching language is German. You also don’t need any prior knowledge of another dance form.
Square Dance is not bound to any age. Even children can join in and for seniors it is the right thing to do. Main thing is that you can still move fast enough and mentally follow the prompts of the caller. Therefore, square dancing is an ideal hobby for the whole family.
In addition to club nights and beginner groups dance meetings dance are held on a larger scale. Regional events attract several hundred, some even thousand square dancers from around the world. In addition, square dancers do other activities of all kind: e.g visits to neighboring and more distant clubs. However, this is not a “must”. Everybody determines when and where he/she will participate in the events.
Square dance clubs exist all over the world. In Europe, we find them in England, France, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Italy and Norway. In the EAASDC (European Association of American Square Dance Clubs) – representing the European Square Dance Clubs – more than 400 Clubs are registered.