A STEP IN TIME
Note from Brian: This article was written by a friend of mine and a fellow square dancer. Thanks Dale!
WHY DO WE CALL IT SQUARE DANCE “LESSONS”?
I have talked to many, many non-square dancers about taking “lessons,” and the majority of the time I get the same answers: ”don’t have time,” ”had that in school”; but the most consistent answer I get is “LESSONS, I’ve had all the lessons I can stand, all the way from kindergarten through college, and I do not need more lessons.”
I have read many write-ups on this subject and talked to several major corporations about advertising. Corporations spend thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars finding ways to package their product to appeal to their customers. Look at some of the ads on television; they are tailored to appeal to the customer from children to retired people and everyone in between.
Yes, we as square dancers have a product to sell to the non-dancing community: square dancing, good/new friends, exercise both physical and mental, no alcohol, and no drugs. We have everything society is looking for in this day and age. I believe it’s time to change the way we package our product. We have to sell to the non-dancing community. Make it look like and sound like FUN. When did it change from “Come join our fun activity and make new friends” to “Take LESSONS. You will grow to like it”?
Do we actually have lessons or is it progressive dancing? Starting from the first night of lessons, we progress through basic to mainstream. OOPS, the new dancer/s never know the difference unless an angel tells them. Once they have graduated, it’s their choice to dance the mainstream level or progress to the next level of dancing.
on 
February 8th, 2010 at 4:55 PM
Lessons should be a Dance where you learn something new every time you come! If you take lessons you should have a goal as to where you want to end when lessons are over! (You want to dance with your friends at their club!) If I person is recruited to dance with their friends they shouldn’t be afraid to take lesson. But, the person who recruits them should be right there at there side every step of the way!
I just read a post on making sure that new dancers aren’t taught in Square Dance Jargon! It’s something we need to watch as there is nothing worse than having someone tell you what to do with your computer using Computer Jargon!
Square Dancing is sold by people watching you have fun, or hearing you talk about it, and feeling they are being left out of the fun. Right now I hear more people selling Advanced, and Challenge, and even ABC! Why would any caller who calls for a club want to sell ABC. Supposibly a stand alone program that can’t be raided! (My aunts fanny!) If you can sell someone on dancing once a year and they love doing it, I can sell them on doing it a lot more often! If it takes lessons, lessons, lessons to learn Advanced and people love it so much. Why would anyone be afraid to take a class to dance with their friends?
Lessons should be as fun as any Square Dance you ever go to if the Caller is worth their salt! And, if they are worth there salt there should not need to be any level tagged on what they are calling!
May 21st, 2010 at 9:57 PM
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