Editor’s Page

Welcome to the Summer issue of the Promenader—a quarterly publication of the Western NY Federation of Round and Square Dancers Inc. (squaredancingrochester.org)

In this issue

The “Photos & Features” section highlights the beginning of a return to normalcy for some of our square dance clubs. A few clubs have resumed dancing and others are working out resumption plans. The Federation is sponsoring a series of three outdoor dances, culminating in the “DORish” dance in August.

You may have noticed that the Federation has a new name, and it will soon have tax exempt status. We also welcome Linda English “(Cayuga Cut-ups)” as the new WNYF secretary, and we thank the many other leaders whose dedication to organized dancing helps keep us together as a community of dancers, rather than just an assortment of clubs.

In our effort to help clubs navigate the post-COVID restart, we include updated guidance and sample sign-in forms that clubs are encouraged to use at dances until COVID concerns are well and truly behind us. These were developed over the winter by leaders of the Copy Cats and Silver Squares, as part of the Federation‘s “Return To Dancing Task Force” agenda.

Please don‘t miss the “President‘s Corner” message under the “Federation” tab at the top of this page. Debbie and Jeff Blood are working hard to help us stay together through this unique gap in normal social life.

Club News

Club news in this issue shows signs that the end of the the COVID-19 pause is drawing closer. Many clubs are reviving their dancing programs, as their dancers become vaccinated. Take a look to see how each club is coping with the situation, and consider dancing with them if your club is not ready to re-start.

Virtual Dancing

The Federation-sponsored “Virtual Fun Dances” have continued through May, providing opportunities for two-couple square dancing and one-couple round dancing. Those sessions are now ended, but I understand that the Pandemic Squares will continue on Wednesday evenings with Gil Porter and Dave Eno (contact Brenda Bixby for an invitation). Also, Dave and Canada’s Dave Hutchinson are planning a regular the Plus and Advanced level Zoom dance session at 7:30pm on Thursdays (contact Dave Eno for an invitation at dave@daveeno.com). Watch our Ads and Flyers section and the schedule pages for details as these plans are established.

WNYF Website

With dance schedules beginning to revive, the schedule pages will carry more and more dance information, but the “Breaking News” section on the WNYF Home Page will continue to carry change notices and other updates.

Here‘s the process: Notify Sidney Marshall (WNYF Webmaster—sidneym@frontiernet.net) of a schedule change or other short-notice announcement. He will post it immediately under a banner titled “Breaking News” on the WNYF Home Page (squaredancingrochester.org).

Sidney will also post flyers and changes to the schedule listings as soon as he can after he receives them. For fastest service, he recommends sending flyers and schedule change notices to both the Promenader and to him directly—at the above email address.

In addition, for maximum distribution of urgent messages, clubs should also consider posting on the “SquareDancingRochester” group Facebook page.

In Memoriam

In this issue we have the unusual but happy case of zero obituaries.

Editorial Comments

Promenader issues over the past year I have been sharing thoughts on new developments in square dancing, gleaned from callers and websites of caller organizations such as Callerlab. There was a lot of discussion of programs like “SSD” that are built around a simplified call list, and about re-directing our focus to emphasize the social aspect of square dancing.

Well, in our area at least, the dance program will likely remain as it has been, with Basic/Mainstream classes for new recruits, followed by Plus instruction for the survivors. I‘m agnostic on the dance program, because I‘ve long thought that it‘s the socializing that keeps our clubs together. Whatever program our callers and clubs adopt is secondary to how well club members foster a welcoming atmosphere that draws in recruits and helps them become friends first  … and then dancers. Somehow, I think we all need to see the “several years” it takes to get really comfortable with Plus dancing not as a “long learning process” that‘s measured by the calls we know, but as a fun assimilation process that‘s fun from the start and builds our dancing confidence as it satisfies our social urge to belong to a group. Perfection is not the goal. The goal is comfort—in the social setting and the dance activity.

I do think that we should do what we can to reduce the sense of a “Rush to Plus.” It leaves first-year dancers feeling un-prepared and, what‘s worse, un-welcome in our clubs. In my opinion, it also short-changes beginning dancers of experience (“mileage”) on Mainstream dancing that is so essential to building a “comfort zone” that will sustain interest in dancing.

I will continue to do what I can to promote Mainstream dancing. That includes encouraging experienced Plus dancers to recognize Mainstream dances (and Mainstream clubs) as important opportunities for them to befriend, encourage and develop new dancers to perpetuate our wonderful activity.

Quarterly Chuckle

With my thanks to Mike Keane:

We‘re still battling COVID-19, and the next thing has already arrived …

Now we hear that virologists have identified a new Nile virus—type C.

It appears to target those who were born between 1930 & 1970.

Symptoms include:

1. Causes you to send the same message twice.

2. Causes you to send a blank message.

3. Causes you to send a message to the wrong person.

4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you.

5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment.

6. Causes you to hit SEND before you’ve finished.

7. Causes you to hit DELETE instead of SEND.

8. Causes you to SEND when you meant to DELETE.

It is called the “C-NILE” virus!

And if you won‘t admit to doing any of the above, you‘ve obviously caught the mutated strain—The “D-NILE” virus.

Peter Emmel