Friday, February 20, 2009

My wonderful square dancing was tonight.  I am learning so many new steps.  Part of it is the beginning where they teach one or two new steps a night.  And part of it is that I stay later, and get enticed into the regular square dancing.  And the calls have such interesting names.  Tonight we learned something called something like (!) Alydar star . . . it is where all the couples in the square kind of form spokes of a wheel and then we walk around with the guys walking backwards and the women walking forward, and everyone connected.  Another one is called row the boat or something like that.  I've watched it week after week and have never had a clue how to do it.  What it looks like is a Chinese fire drill . . . do you know what that is?  That's what we did when we were teenagers . . . while you were driving, you'd come to a red light or a stop sign.  Someone yells, "Chinese fire drill!", and everyone piles out of the car and gets back into the car in a different spot!  And then the car drives off.  Row the boat looks like that, but tonight I learned it.  Depending on where you are when he makes that call determines what you do.  If I'm on the outside, I have it down:  I just walk halfway around the square and face in.  But, if I'm on the inside, I don't quite get it yet.  You have to pass through, then do a quarter turn, and then I think is a partner exchange, and then another pass through.  See, it even sounds difficult!  But, I love learning all these new things, and I continue to have a blast.  I'm very sad, though.  Next weekend, everyone is going to a special dance in Moab, Utah, so no square dancing in Durango.  A lot of these people are total square dance "freaks" . . . they drive all over and square dance two or three times a week!  Well, I call them freaks, but after I'm an expert, I just might do the same thing!  It is so much fun, and I laugh and smile throughout the whole evening.  Who could beat that for fun!?!?