Swing your partner

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS August 20, 2008 10:22 am

— Square dancing can become an addiction, so it seems.
At least, that’s what happened to Keith and Betty Stretch, square dancers since 1982.
At first, they were a bit reluctant to join a square with three other couples.
“Some friends asked us to come and take lessons. We turned them down about three times, and then we started. We’ve been square dancers since then,” Betty said.
On Sunday the Stretches, and other volunteers from the Kuntry Kuzzins square dance club, taught the basic steps of the national dance to a group of young people from the United Methodist Children’s Home and the Methodist Boys Ranch at Cookson. Several adults also joined in the fun.
After another Sunday afternoon of free lessons, a 16-week session, costing $25, will begin.
Keith Stretch began calling dances around the area in 1986, and now he travels to call dances whenever he’s invited to do so in this region. The Stretches and other Kuntry Kuzzins have attended conventions drawing a national and international audience.
But unlike the Olympics, there were no international superstars out Sunday. The group gathered to learn the art, meet people and have a good time. They didn’t sport fancy cancans or western gear, although some young men were clad in their best jeans and boots.
Square dancing requires no memorization of a long, difficult routine. Once dancers have the steps down pat, it’s up to them to listen to the caller and follow his directions.
“If you came to square dance, I’m going to ask you to get up and find a partner,” Stretch said after picking up a microphone. “Find a partner – a guy and a gal. It doesn’t mean you have to get married.”
The younger dancers paired off, some eagerly, others somewhat shyly. A tall young man with the appearance of a good hand in the hay field found himself paired with a petite blonde, who encouraged his efforts, despite their difference in height.
“If you’ve got a boy by the hand, bring him on down,” Stretch said. “We want four couples in each group. We want a square.”
Ultimately, five squares formed, filling the dance floor. A couple of reluctant males remained as wallflowers, despite the urging of some of the women.
The first directions from the caller were simple.
“Join hands. Circle to the left, go round, go round. Now go right, go right, turn the other way around. Grab your girl by the hand and move on.”
At first, there was quite a bit of chattering among the dancers, but Stretch laid down the law: “Listen to me. Be quiet and let everyone listen. You have to listen to the caller if you’re going to dance.”
The next move they learned was an Alabama left, where each couple puts their left hands together and turns in a circle. They started to put a few moves together, at Stretch’s direction.
“Bow to your partner, turn to the corner. Alabama left, then the grand handshake, courtesy turn, promenade.”
Stretch used an honest-to-gosh record player and 45 rpm singles for the dance music. It was probably the first time many of the younger dancers had seen such equipment, but the veterans said the 45s still are sold to the square dance market.
Pausing for a moment, Stretch explained why he keeps dancing after more than a quarter century, and why he thinks new dancers should take up the art.
“If you’ve never square danced, you’ll find it’s some of the most fun you’ve ever tried. You’re going to have to get your grinning muscles in shape because you’re going to laugh at somebody else and you’re going to laugh at yourself,” he said.
He resumed his call to the dancers. “Find your partner – if you want to,” he told the boys.
“You don’t have to,” one lad assured another.
But reluctantly or not, they paired up again and took to the floor.
Stretch told the couples to join left hands as they began to learn the courtesy turn.
“What’s my left?” a blonde girl asked. Her partner demonstrated.
“The boy backs up, the girl goes forward on a courtesy turn,” Stretch explained.
While some boys wore boots, other dancers skipped about in tennis shoes or sandals. One barefoot dancer squealed, “Oh, my toe!” as a boot-sporting boy trod on her foot.
“Perfect, that’s perfect,” Stretch exclaimed as the dancers gained confidence in their moves and picked up their pace, many with the promised grins on their faces.
“Let’s take a little break, you’re all doing so good,” Stretch told them.
“It’s something you’re always smiling about. You always have fun,” he said of his favorite pastime. “People in all walks of life can relax and have fellowship together.”
Only person who showed up was left out of the dancing Sunday – a 6-year-old boy. Kuntry Kuzzins said that although it’s possible to have squares made up of children the same size, a child should be tall enough to dance with adults to participate effectively. They recommend dancers begin at age 10.
Betty Stretch likes square dancing because it’s good, healthy, clean family entertainment. No alcohol is allowed at the events. The couple recently attended an international square dance convention in Wichita, Kan. There were participants from Germany, Japan, Australia and other countries.
And she has friends who have square danced while abroad.
“Everything is done in English because it’s our national dance,” she said. “We had some friends who went to Germany and they were able to go to a club and dance. They couldn’t communicate very well, but they could dance.”
Judy Young, co-president of Kuntry Kuzzins, said several couples had asked about taking square dance lessons, so the group decided to offer them on Sundays.
“Everyone’s welcome,” she said. “We’re an open club, so we take singles.”
About 30 members of Kuntry Kuzzins attend dances the second and fourth Saturday evenings each month at the First United Methodist Church gym.
“We have people from Muskogee, Siloam Springs, Wagoner and other clubs come and dance with us,” Young said.
And she admits the Kuntry Kuzzins have an ulterior motive in introducing the young people to square dancing.
“We have a lot of older dancers. We need to get our youth interested,” she said.
Perhaps some of the young people doing their first turn Sunday afternoon will turn into lifelong square dance aficionados.

Photos

Caller Keith Stretch (far left) leads students through the basic moves of square dancing. Lessons, which are open to the public, will continue Sundays at the United Methodist Children’s Home.