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 the answers. You simply need to care enough to step up and make something happen.

“Leadership is critical because without leadership, what happens? Nothing happens,” Eric says. And leadership isn't limited to callers or club officers. Everybody can become a leader.

But another important part of Eric's philosophy is this: don't try to do it all yourself.

His own club has a small, streamlined board. Leaders coordinate rather than control. They ask others to help. “I'll be glad to do this function, but I can't do it alone,” is the attitude he recommends.

That kind of leadership is especially important as clubs face a changing world. Eric encourages clubs to think long-term, experiment, learn from what doesn't work, and be willing to change something that isn't working. His own club reinvented itself after COVID and grew by choosing a different approach.

Square Dance Revival believes we need more leaders who are willing to do exactly that.

That's why we're offering SDR Leadership Training—to give people practical tools, ideas, and confidence to step forward and help their clubs thrive.

You don't have to know everything.
You don't have to have all the answers.
You don't have to do it alone.

You just have to be willing to step up.

If you care about the future of square dancing and want to help your club move forward, SDR Leadership Training is for you.

Leadership Training Registration is Open!

They Tried Something New—

77 New Dancers Walked Through the Door

What happens when a club tries something different? Heartland Squares found out—and the results were remarkable.

Heartland Squares recently decided to try a new approach to attracting dancers. Instead of relying primarily on traditional promotion and word of mouth, the club partnered with an HOAF-sponsored initiative through Rhythm & Roots Marketing to use targeted social media marketing to invite people who were “square dance curious” to an open house.

The goal was simple: Get people through the door and give them a fun experience they would want to repeat.

It worked.

127 people attended—and 77 were brand-new guests. Nearly 16 squares filled the hall with energy, curiosity, and dancing.

But the social media promotion was only part of the success. Heartland made sure the experience matched the promise of the advertising.

What Heartland Did That Other Clubs Can Copy

1. They invited people who were curious—not people who already knew about square dancing. The message focused on fun, dancing, friendship, and trying something new rather than assuming people understood square dance terminology or culture.

2. They made the first experience easy and unintimidating. Caller Mike Salerno mixed simple square dance with line dancing and popular social dances. Guests were moving instead of sitting and watching—and there were no intimidating expectations.

3. They created an atmosphere of FUN. The event felt like a party, not a lesson. That matters. People who are new to square dancing need to experience the enjoyment before they worry about learning the details.

4. They understood that hospitality is marketing, too. Club members provided plenty of food, welcomed guests, and made an effort to help newcomers feel comfortable. The advertising got people into the room; the people in the room made them want to come back.

5. They tried something new instead of simply doing more of the same. Heartland didn’t know for certain what would happen. They experimented with modern outreach, measured the response, and discovered plenty of people are willing to try square dancing when they receive the right invitation.

What Can Your Club Try?

You don’t have to duplicate Heartland's event—or spend a lot of money—to learn from it. Ask your club:

• Are we reaching people who don't already know about square dancing?
• Does our invitation make people curious enough to stop scrolling?
• Would a newcomer see our event as fun—or as a class they have to study for?
• What could we change about the first 30 minutes of their experience?
• Are we creating an environment where someone who knows absolutely nothing about square dancing feels comfortable?
• ​

Heartland Squares’ experience offers an important lesson: sometimes the people we’re looking for aren’t uninterested in square dancing. They simply haven’t received an invitation that speaks to them.

Try something new. Learn from the results. Adjust. Try again.

That’s how clubs grow.

For more information about the Heartland Squares' efforts to achieve phenomenal success, go to squaredancerevival.org to download their full story.

For more information on how to participate in Rhythm & Roots Marketing's reduced cost marketing services, go to rhythmnrootsmarketing.org . Rhythm & Roots was started by our own Board members, Deanna Hanna and Allan Dancie.

We are looking for club success stories!

Please send your club's revival story to sdr@squaredancerevival.org!

Our podcast season kicks off now with Mike Hogan, and you guessed it, the topic is marketing! He explains not only the what, but the why... Go to Square Dance Revival! Podcasts If you missed our 2026 winter/season, you can find those here

National Social Media Campaign Update!

“Busting myths. Welcoming dancers. Reviving the joy of dancing together.”

Based on Mike Hogan's advice about the importance of multiple social media exposures, we switched the campaign to run five ads on Instagram and five on Facebook. Of the 5 ads on each platform, 3 are for square dancing, and 2 are for round dancing.

Facebook may not get as many lesson searchers, but it exposes many more people to the joy of dancing and the friendship of the square and round dance community.

Here are the results over the last EIGHT weeks:

You may want to add your lesson campaign to Instagram, especially if you are in an urban area.

While it gets more clicks, Facebook reaches far more people, and the repeated exposure to square and round dancing on Facebook grows interest more than Instagram can.

"When you're marketing, you have to put the right message

in front of the right people often enough...

Have some faith and never give up…

It takes time; it takes continued effort to make it work."

— Mike Hogan

Your donation directly increases how many non-dancers we reach through this campaign.

Special Thanks to our newest donor: Lucy Brandon

A donation of $5 per month from each club would make an astounding difference

in how many people we can reach and how quickly we can achieve a Square Dance Revival!

100% of your donation goes to META advertising fees.

Round Dancer Interview Videos: Free for Your Round Dance Promotions!

Don't know how to attach an end card? We've got you covered!

Click the button below to access the videos - free for you to use in your promotions, along with instructions on attaching your own promotional end card in the free version of Canva.