A Few Spots Left: Sign up for Leadership Training, Find Info Here TAKE YOUR SQUARE DANCE CLUB TO THE PEOPLE Creative Ways to Reach New Dancers Dancing on the Royal Gorge Bridge near Canon City, Colorado If we want new people to discover square and round dancing, we can't always expect them to find us. Go where people already are. Farmers markets. College campuses. Art walks. Street festivals. Shopping centers. Community concerts. Parks. Food festivals. Downtown events. A short, energetic...
16 days ago • 5 min read
Eric Henerlau: Leadership Doesn’t Have to Be Scary “Don’t make leadership scary. Make it easy. Make it fun.” “You don't have to know everything. Just step up, ask for help, AND MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.” — Eric Henerlau That may be one of the most important messages square dancing needs to hear right now. In his recent conversation with Square Dance Revival, caller and longtime leader Eric Henerlau offered a refreshingly simple view of leadership: you don't need a title, a long résumé, or all...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Marketing Square & Round Dancing: Stop Talking to the People Who Already Dance Here’s an uncomfortable truth: much of the marketing square dance clubs do isn’t really marketing to new dancers. Mike Hogan, a beloved longtime caller and marketing professional, points out that clubs routinely promote upcoming dances, callers, locations, and schedules. That information is useful—but primarily to people who already understand square dancing. The much bigger challenge is reaching people who don’t...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Are We Helping Our Clubs—or Holding Them Back? The well-intentioned habits that may be making square dancing harder to join, learn, and love What if some of the things we do because we care about square dancing are actually making it harder for square dancing to grow? We help beginners through every move. We tell new dancers what they should enjoy. We keep doing things the way we've always done them because they worked for us. We assume someone who looks confused needs our intervention. We...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
No Caller. No Dance. It's That Simple. Every Great Dance Begins with a Caller. Without Callers, the Music Stops. Our Future Depends on the Next Caller. Who Will Be Holding the Microphone Tomorrow? Nobody needs to tell a square or round dancer how important a great caller or cuer is—but too often we don't think about developing the next one until we're facing a retirement, illness, or a club without anyone to call. As International Caller Patty Greene joked, clubs usually start talking about...
2 months ago • 6 min read
A Different Approach to Lessons—and a Club That’s Thriving What if beginner lessons weren't simply a path to graduation, but a fun and valuable part of square dancing in their own right? Washington State's Happy Hoppers Club offers an interesting example of how rethinking the traditional lesson model can create an active, welcoming dance community. One of the larger clubs in the state, Happy Hoppers credits much of its success to the model established by longtime caller Jim Hattrick and...
3 months ago • 6 min read
Success Isn't Keeping Everyone—It's Gaining Someone One of the most discouraging moments for club leaders comes after beginner lessons. "We started with 18 students, but only five are dancing a year later." It's easy to focus on the 13 who didn't stay. But what if we looked at it differently? You didn't lose 13 dancers—you gained five. While there are no national statistics tracking square dance retention, many experienced callers and clubs report that only about 30–50% of those who begin...
3 months ago • 4 min read
The Bad News: Younger Dancers are less likely to take lessons if they have to commit for 12 to 20 weeks. The GOOD NEWS: Modern clubs offer options that attract more people & deliver the same results One of the biggest challenges facing square dance clubs is not attracting interest—it's offering lesson formats that fit modern lifestyles. Many younger adults are looking for fun, social activities, and meaningful connections, but they are often reluctant to commit to six months or a year of...
4 months ago • 4 min read
SDR Launches Leadership Development Initiative Strong leadership has always been essential to the success of square and round dancing. As clubs and organizations face new challenges—from attracting new dancers to developing future volunteers and leaders—Square Dance Revival (SDR) is beginning work on a comprehensive Leadership Development Program designed specifically for the square and round dance community. Drawing on proven leadership models used by successful nonprofits, associations, and...
4 months ago • 4 min read