Dream
Weaver Square Dance
Demonstration Team
In
recent years, participation in square dancing in the Puget Sound region
has been dwindling and clubs are folding because of lack of members (and
for other reasons). The councils and clubs in the area have been
exploring various tactics to increase square dancing participation and
club membership. Some of these efforts have been successful in
bringing in new members yet the overall trend is still not good.
The Wagon
Wheel Square Dance Club began looking for positive ways to promote
square dancing. One easy and fun promotional effort would be to
Square Dance for various community groups. Many business, civic
organizations, churches, etc., are looking for entertainment for their
organization’s meetings, banquets and etc. Most communities have
festivals during the year and are looking for various types of
entertainment for their events.
The Wagon
Wheel Square Dance Club chose to establish a
Demonstration
Square Dance Team. Our goals were to develop a program that would
entertain audiences, be enjoyable to the dancers and encourage others to
try Square Dancing.
We believed
that many individuals hesitate to try Square Dancing because of images
they remember from movies and TV that depicts Square Dancing as a rough
and jerky style of dancing associated with "barn" or "western" Square
Dancing. Therefore we chose to modernize our Square Dance outfits and
advertise our style of dance as "Modern Square Dancing."
Our intent was
to have a three phase presentation. Phase one would be a demonstration
of precision dancing, phase two would be an example of Modern Square
Dancing as danced at most local Square Dance Clubs and phase three would
include getting audience members to participate in some square dancing.
We believe we have been successful in developing an interesting and fun
presentation that presents Square Dancing as an "in" or "hip" activity
that most individuals would feel comfortable participating in.
Our dancers
represent at least five different Square Dance Clubs located in the
Central Puget Sound Council. Our current group of dancers have been
together several years now and are continue adding routines to
our presentation. We dance publicly at least once a month .
If your organization would like
the Dream Weavers to assist you in your presentation, please contact us.
If your Square Dance Club has been asked to give a Dance Demonstration
and would like the Dream Weavers to assist you in your presentation,
please contact us. We will dance using your clubs name as the "Dream
Weaver."
The Dream Weavers Demonstration Square
Dance Team is available to dance at your event. Our program generally
runs between 30 and 60 minutes, but can be modified to fit your
available time. For more information, please contact Lonnie Sewell at
206-915-1415. Or you can write or E-mail the team at:
Dream
Weavers
9625 - 181st Ave E,
Bonney Lake WA 98391
We have found
that one benefit of the Demo Team is that we have been asked to dance at
Senior and/or Retirement Centers. Dancing at Senior and/or Retirement
Centers doesn’t provide much of an opportunity for getting new dancers,
it has become an enjoyable experience for the Team members and give us a
opportunity to "give" back to our community.
To see the
Dream Weaver's schedule, select here.
To see Dream
Weaver's pictures, select here.
The Dream
Weaver Square Dance Demonstration Team is sponsored by and is a
production of the
Wagon Wheel
Square Dance Club, Inc.
