November 17, 2006

Care to square?

By Pavitra Rengarajan
Special to the Times

Recently, square dancers met at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds to enjoy the SCVSDA Jubilee.

Pavitra Rengarajan

People from all over the state and neighboring states drove to enjoy this traditional American folk dancing. It was indeed a breathtaking moment to watch such enthusiastic dancers of all ages dressed up in their colorful outfits enjoying hours and hours of dancing. There were different halls that were engaging dancers of various skill levels.
 
I was one of three youth callers carrying on the old tradition of square dance calling and encouraging more young kids to enjoy this event. My friend, Sarah, and I had the privilege of being two callers from the Yellow Rock and Rollers Youth Square Dancing Club in Cupertino.

My experience was sheer joy when I picked up the microphone on the stage and sang a few songs. I was happy to see that everyone, young and old, on the dance floor was enjoying the music. I felt I did what little I could to bring joy to the dancers' hearts for a few minutes on that day. Calling at the Jubilee was a big milestone for all the youth callers that night, especially for me.

The festival included many specific dances directed to youth. For example, there was a he-he she-she dance. In this dance, rather than having traditional boy-girl couples, the boys danced with boys, and the girls danced with girls. Amongst all the confusion and laughter, it was one of the most exciting dances of the night.
 
Another youth event was the glow-in-the-dark dance, which encapsulated Halloween. Cobwebs filled the doorways, and there was barely any light. The cool breeze entered our room as we danced without seeing the other dancers. All one could see were glow sticks. Although the dancing was eerie, it was very fun.
 
The Grand March took place as well, where a number of groups marched with their club banners and uniforms. The event was inaugurated by the Boys Scouts Flag Guard ceremony. Tim Hausler, a boy scout, had the privilege of being the bearer of the flag for the ceremony as well as a square dancer that evening. A youth caller named Dana Mirsalis sang “America the Beautiful”. An eye-catching scene took place when a six-year-old child from Sacramento danced to the tunes of various kinds of music without missing a step or beat. Everyone at the Jubilee enjoyed the traditional ceremony of the Grand March.

The 50th annual SCVSDA Jubilee was enjoyable from the beginning to the very end.  This festive occasion will never be forgotten.

If you care to square, visit www.yellowrockandrollers.org or call Ruth at (408)-730-4684.