The group, which formed about 20 years ago, is inviting area residents — and those further away, too — to step out and try the dance that can be traced back to 16th-century England and to even earlier traditional folk dances.

Square dancing was popular at social gatherings as it gave participants a way to meet, and today’s gatherings aren’t much different, as those who turn out for the dances have the opportunity to chat with each other between numbers, during breaks and before and after the meet.

Swinging Squares in Altoona and the Do Si Do group in Everett are two of the few clubs in the area that still survive, said square dance caller Brad Deibert of Greensburg.

With the clubs in Hollidaysburg, Bedford and State College all folding, those who like the style of dance have to travel, sometimes quite a distance, like Susan Michaels from Clearville, Bedford County, who is also a member of the Everett group.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Swinging Squares (from left) are Steve Koehle, Susan Michael, Denny Lancy and Carol Graham.

Bill Pakstis, who travels from St. Michael, said he didn’t know about a square dancing group in the region before joining the Swinging Squares.

Now that he’s a member, he’s trying to get others involved, too.

“We are trying to put out advertising to say we are still here,” he said.

For those new to square dancing or any form of dance, he recommends just coming out and giving it a try.

“I started with two left feet and now I’m even round dancing, too,” Pakstis said.

He first became involved through a co-worker, attended the startup event last year and has been a regular attendee ever since.

The size of the group has dwindled over the years, though, said Kay Weyandt of Hollidaysburg.

When she started attending, there were at least five or six squares, she said, but as people got older, the numbers dropped.

She and her husband love square dancing at different locations, such as St. Michael, Sidman, Pittsburgh and State College.

“There was one year we took three bus loads of people to New York and we took a cruise,” she said.

Club President Steve Koehle and his wife, Karen, who is co-president, started dancing in high school with the Chimney Rock Squares, then they took an extended break while they started a family.

“We drifted away from it to raise a family, and as the kids got older, we got back into it,” Karen said.

For Ed Claar of Altoona, club secretary, dancing is just plain fun.

“It has been an awesome experience,” he said, noting he’s been square dancing for 27 years and round dancing for 25. “It is great fun.”

He’s met people from all over the state, he said, and added that dancing is “good exercise for the body and mind.”

“It’s not the hoedown some people think it is; it’s modern square dancing so it’s a little bit different,” Claar said.

One big difference is that there are not as many calls — or dance configurations — to remember, which makes it easier to learn.

It really isn’t hard to learn, said Kathie Civils of Altoona.

She describes square dancing as a lot like walking, and the spins and twirls are easy to learn, and they’re fun.

“If you can walk, you can square dance,” she said.

Making new friends and taking part in a dance she loves has inspired Carol Graham of Altoona to stay with the group for 20 years.

“If you are looking for a good time with enjoyable people, this is the place to be,” she said. “But you have to want to learn.”

“It is moving to music, but you also have to listen and follow instructions,” Michaels said, noting she joined the group five years ago as something to do after her husband passed away.

“I positively love it,” she said.

Graham said an added plus is that as she gets older, remembering the calls really works her brain.

Michaels agreed, and said it requires focus because once the caller gives an instruction, dancers have to react immediately to keep the square flowing.

Calling duties

Keeping the squares moving is Deibert’s job. As the caller, he gives directions on the next dance move and watches as the dancers get into the proper formation. Timing is everything so dancers don’t get tangled up.

“You work together,” Deibert said. “There’s a lot of arm turns and steps moving forward.”

As its name suggests, square dancing begins with four couples facing each other in a square formation. Every call has its own name and special moves that go along with it, Deibert said. If there are enough dancers, more than one square can dance at a time.

Basic calls include Circle Left — where all eight dancers in a square join hands and walk in a left circle; Allemande Left — everyone faces their corner (away from their partner), takes the left forearm of the corner person and circles around until they are facing their partners again. The Do Si Do is when partners face each other, step past each other on the right and, without turning around, step back to back and then pass each other on the left until they face each other again.

Other calls include Promenade, Roll Away To A Half Sashay, Ladies In, Men Sashay and Pass Thru, Separate And Go Home.

Because women often outnumber the men in square dancing, sometimes women take up the traditional man’s part to complete the square. Pakstis said that’s not a problem, as the only difference between each gender’s part is that the girls seem to do more than the guys.

During the dances, many of the ladies wear traditional short dresses with petticoats, but people don’t have to come all dressed up, Karen Koehle said. Though the dresses are fun and add movement to each dance step.

Round dancing

Club members also can join in round dancing, where couples dance in a circle and the moves are similar to ballroom dancing.

“Round dancing is different because it’s done to rhythms,” Deibert said. “With square dancing, everything is done to a steady beat.”

He said the club starts each night with round dancing and adds in a few more dances throughout the night in between square dancing.

Round dancing has a cuer, and for the Swinging Squares, that is Donna Williamson of Altoona, who has been dancing for 52 years, starting when she was just 9 years old because her father was a caller.

She didn’t always want to be a cuer, she said, but about 30 years ago, she was at a weekend event and the cuer got sick.

She agreed to help out, she said. “Now here I am, 30 years later still cueing.”

Keeping the dance alive

Swinging Squares will be at DelGrosso’s Harvest Fest at noon and 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. Some members of the Swinging Squares are also members of the Do Si Do group and they will dance from 2 to 3 p.m. Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 during Bedford’s Fall Foliage Festival.

Anyone interested in learning to square dance is invited to the Jaggard United Methodist Church basement on Sept. 22, when the group will offer free dance classes that will continue each Thursday for the following three weeks. The lessons will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the church, 1801 Pleasant Valley Blvd., Altoona, Sept. 22, Sept. 29, Oct. 6 and Oct. 13.

In addition to attending the Pennsylvania state dance in Gettysburg, the group has given demonstrations to promote square dancing.

At 74, treasurer Denny Lancy is the oldest member of the group and he fears that without more interest in square dancing, the local group will fold.

At one time, Swinging Squares had more than a dozen members, often enough for two or more squares, but now they are down to about 11.

“There just doesn’t seem like there is an interest,” Lancy said. “If we don’t get any new people, we won’t last too long,” he said.

Anyone interested in learning to square dance can call Donna Williamson at 814-934-7779.Couples, singles and families are all invited to get square — dancing, that is, group members said.

Mirror Staff Writer Cati Keith can be reached at 814-946-7535.