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 demonstration—or better yet, an opportunity for people to actually try it—can introduce square dancing to people who might never walk through the doors of a club.

THINK BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL DEMO

The goal isn't to teach square dancing in a parking lot. It's to:

Get attention. Create curiosity. Let people experience the fun. Give them an easy next step.

Consider a 3–5 minute flash mob, a “Try It” dance at a farmers market, a college campus pop-up, or a short interactive dance at a community festival. Partner with local businesses or organizations that already attract the kinds of people you'd like to reach.

And don't just perform for people. Whenever possible, invite them to participate. A simple, successful first experience can be far more powerful than watching experienced dancers do something that looks complicated.

PERMISSION FIRST

Always contact the event organizer, property owner or sponsoring organization before planning your activity. Ask about space, sound, permits, insurance, event rules and whether you can distribute flyers or QR codes. Get the agreement in writing.

Then be ready for what happens next.

Have a simple flyer, a QR code and someone who can answer the question:

“I've never done this before. What happens if I come?”

One event may introduce hundreds of people to square dancing. It can also generate photos and videos for weeks of future marketing.

Don't wait for potential dancers to find you. Take the music, the energy and the fun to where people already are.

Want practical ideas, planning tips and examples? Download the full Take Square Dancing to the People guide.

Patty Greene: Who’s Going to Call for Us?

Clubs Have a Role in Recruiting the Next Generation of Callers

Most clubs don't think about recruiting callers until they have a problem.

The caller gets sick. Retires. Moves away.

Suddenly everyone asks: “Who’s going to call for us?”

Patty Greene believes clubs need to start asking that question before there’s a crisis.

Recruiting callers shouldn't be left entirely to the calling community. Clubs have a role to play in discovering, encouraging and supporting people who might become callers.

And the good news? You may already have potential callers sitting in your squares.

START LOOKING NOW

Patty's advice to clubs is practical: create opportunities for people to discover calling.

One of her favorite ideas is an amateur caller night.

Make it a party. Invite people to give calling a try—no experience necessary.

Provide a familiar song, a simple cue sheet or a short patter tip. Let friends come and cheer them on.

Patty has seen people step up to the microphone absolutely terrified and then say:

That's how you find potential callers.

And don't make it a one-time event. Make it an annual tradition. Start asking months ahead of time who wants to participate.

HOW CLUBS CAN HELP RECRUIT CALLERS

Look around your club. Who loves music? Who sings? Who seems to understand choreography? Who enjoys teaching? Who has a great sense of humor? Who naturally connects with people?

Ask. Some people have thought about calling but have never told anyone. A simple “Have you ever thought about trying the microphone?” can open the door.

Let people shadow a caller. Patty recommends watching callers teach classes, fun nights and attending dances with different callers as a way to learn what calling is really like.

Connect potential callers with mentors. But choose mentors carefully. Patty believes a good mentor genuinely wants to help someone develop—not protect their position at the microphone. A mentor needs to be willing to give a new caller actual microphone time.

Help pay for training. Caller schools, workshops and travel can cost more than a good potential caller can afford. Clubs can offer scholarships or contribute toward training.

Keep looking. Someone who isn't interested this year might become curious next year.

The goal isn't to produce a caller overnight.

It's to create a pipeline of people who have the opportunity to discover whether calling is for them.

THE NEXT CALLER MAY ALREADY BE IN YOUR CLUB

Clubs shouldn't wait until their caller announces retirement to start thinking about the future.

Start now.

Host an amateur caller night.

Ask your members who's curious.

Encourage someone who shows potential.

Connect them with a mentor.

Help them get training.

Give them microphone time.

And give them permission to be a beginner.

Because somewhere in your club may be someone who has never imagined becoming a caller.

Someone who thinks they can't sing.

Someone who thinks choreography is too complicated.

Someone who is nervous.

Someone who simply thinks: “That looks interesting.”

Your Club Can Have a Great Website—Without Spending a Dime!

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 TEN 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.