Square Dancing in the Gym

for those of us who lived in the 1900's...

How did the teacher get up high enough to take this shot?

The end of Act One of Bright Star happens at a county fair and opens with a caller instructing the townspeople/dancers to “face your partner, slap the floor/ and close the door,/ pass your girl/ and hesitate, now round the corner/ circulate!”

We are not living in 1953 like the students above. Or in the 20th century at all. If we were, all of us living in the US would know how to “go right thru, stub your toes, / while the roosters crow” before we take our “sweeties” and make a ring by holding both hands.

The photos above, including the top one are from the 40's 50's and 60's in Ann Arbor, Michigan. All of the locations are schools.

Has a teenager made you aware of the fact that you are from the 1900’s, yet? It sounds bizarrely ancient, doesn’t it? To someone who has lived their whole lives post-Jan 1, 2000 life in the 1900’s was bizarre and ancient. When I look at the above photos….and recall my own square dancing classes….I have to admit that I see where they are coming from.

There are several articles and podcast episodes about square dancing that explai…