Square Dancing Is Fun, But--Teach An Easy One First! (1940 article)
Creator: Homer F. Davis (February 1940)
Article from 1940 promoting the virtues of square dancing and pointing out the necessity of teaching simple dances first. The author suggests:
"The art of imitation must be used in teaching the square. Take the dance apart, bit by bit, and have the group walk through the parts until they know them each by name, and they will gain the thrill that comes with doing the dances correctly in the proper time. You must be careful not to keep the dancers so long on drill that they become tired and disinterested, but at the same time you should avoid leaving a dance too soon. It is annoying to the dancers to spend time learning a dance, only to have the instructor switch to something else just as they would enjoy practicing what they have learned."
Subjects: General - Dance and Culture
Tags: advice, Chicago, Homer Davis, instruction
Tags: advice, Chicago, Homer Davis, instruction
Item Relations
| Item: Class Notes - Jim Mayo, 1963 | is related to | This Item |
| Item: Beginners Square Dance - plan for ten lessons (Don Armstrong) | is related to | This Item |
Citation
Homer F. Davis, “Square Dancing Is Fun, But--Teach An Easy One First! (1940 article),” Square Dance History Project, accessed June 14, 2025, https://squaredancehistory.org/items/show/1157.
Dublin Core
Title
Square Dancing Is Fun, But--Teach An Easy One First! (1940 article)
Subject
Description
Article from 1940 promoting the virtues of square dancing and pointing out the necessity of teaching simple dances first. The author suggests:
"The art of imitation must be used in teaching the square. Take the dance apart, bit by bit, and have the group walk through the parts until they know them each by name, and they will gain the thrill that comes with doing the dances correctly in the proper time. You must be careful not to keep the dancers so long on drill that they become tired and disinterested, but at the same time you should avoid leaving a dance too soon. It is annoying to the dancers to spend time learning a dance, only to have the instructor switch to something else just as they would enjoy practicing what they have learned."
"The art of imitation must be used in teaching the square. Take the dance apart, bit by bit, and have the group walk through the parts until they know them each by name, and they will gain the thrill that comes with doing the dances correctly in the proper time. You must be careful not to keep the dancers so long on drill that they become tired and disinterested, but at the same time you should avoid leaving a dance too soon. It is annoying to the dancers to spend time learning a dance, only to have the instructor switch to something else just as they would enjoy practicing what they have learned."
Creator
Date Created
February 1940