Basic/Mainstream level graduates! Left to right: Carla Marquardt, Debbie Trapp, Linda Wright, Randy Wright, Donna Burton, Bill Burton, Pam Steube, and Milan Steube. Not pictured: Marc and Katie Lundgren.
Rebecca Williams
The Rancheros Square Club congratulated 10 dancers who completed the Basic/Mainstream level of calls in square dancing. There are 62 calls learned at this beginning level, and the group was able to master them in 12 weeks. In addition to a weekly lesson with nationally known caller, Bob Asp, the club has a review for new dancers of the calls learned at the lesson prior to their club dance. This has really helped the new dancers to hone their skills.
The next move for these dancers is to step up to the intermediate level calls known as PLUS. Once these 36 calls are mastered they are ready to join the club, which dances every Sunday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. year round. The PLUS lessons will finish by the end of May, and they will be ready to enjoy dancing with the club. The club has a short workshop planned ahead of the dances to again help new dancers with any calls they need reviewed. Providing lots of support for new dancers is key for the Rancheros and their sister club, the SaddleBrooke Squares.
Today’s square dancing is a far cry from the simple, repetitive steps used decades ago in grade school P.E. classes. It’s lively, friendly, fun, and provides both physical exercise and mental stimulation in a drug- and alcohol-free environment. Gone are the fiddlers and live bands, replaced by sophisticated sound systems and recorded music from a broad spectrum of genres. The club has enjoyed an “Elvis” night, a “beach” theme night, and other fun themes. In addition to the square dances held weekly, there are opportunities for special weekend dances and a national festival is held in a different city each June. It’s a great way to have fun while you tour the country since the calls are the same all over the world! Club members have danced in Germany, Sweden, Japan, and many other countries. And as we say—square dancing is friendship set to music!
Basic/Mainstream lessons will be offered again starting in early October. Check out our web page at the SaddleBrooke Ranch HOA website at saddlebrookeranchhoa.org under “Things to Do,” “Clubs,” “Dance,” and then “Square Dance—Rancheros.”