This La Ronge jigger has lit up dance floors across Canada. Now he's teaching the tradition
Modeste McKenzie has been dancing since he was 12 years old, but a health scare last year put a temporary stop to his dancing. The experience made him think about the future, and the need to share his culture and square dancing and jigging traditions with the next generation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/community/champion-jiggers-modeste-mckenzie-9.7124552?cmp=rss
This La Ronge jigger has lit up dance floors across Canada. Now he's teaching the tradition
Modeste McKenzie has been dancing since he was 12 years old, but a health scare last year put a temporary stop to his dancing. The experience made him think about the future, and the need to share his culture and square dancing and jigging traditions with the next generation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/community/champion-jiggers-modeste-mckenzie-9.7124552?cmp=rss

February 11,1957 and it's the Square Dance Calendar at Vintage Edmonton:

http://www.vintageedmonton.com/2026/02/february-11-1957.html

#yeg #alberta #edmonton #SquareDancing

Somehow this made it's way to infect Canada too. Although we were attempting to do it in early grade school years.

#HenryFord #racism #HenryFordwasInsane #jazz #squaredancing #richpeoplearenotlikeus

You Had To Square Dance In School Because Henry Ford Hated Jazz https://www.jalopnik.com/you-had-to-square-dance-in-school-because-henry-ford-ha-1851108523/

You Had To Square Dance In School Because Henry Ford Hated Jazz - Jalopnik

I’m not sure if they torture kids like this still, but the worst four-week period of my 6th grade life was our unit on square dancing in gym class. And wouldn’t you know it? One of the worst experiences of my academic life — and possibly yours as well — can be blamed on Henry Ford.

Jalopnik

These country classics on #bbc4 take us both back many years to when Modern American Square Dancing was a huge part of our lives.
We danced to many of these songs all over England (and me in Texas).

The British Square Dance movement - once hugely popular - lost its way and has been on life support since Covid.

#squareDancing #SquareDance #CountryMusic

Had fun at #SquareDancing lessons tonight. The first song was a clusterfuck for everyone in the square. Lol. By the last song we were laughing and having a good time. Convention is in April and I don't think I can go for as long as I did last year but I may do one overnight. I just can't afford 3 nights in a hotel, even if it's not a swanky hotel. Lol.

20 minutes of rowing and 30 minutes of pilates. That's enough for #exercice today. Tomorrow is #SquareDancing and I don't want to be too sore. (The entire time I did pilates I was swearing at myself. I'm back to needing breaks in a set. Annoying. I'll get there. Just have to keep showing up.)

#KickingTheShitOutOfPOTS

Back to #SquareDancing lessons tonight, after 2 weeks off for the holidays. I'm still messing up calls and honestly, I'm inwardly so angry at myself about it. (Grr, brain!!) I keep feeling like my dancemates are annoyed by it but I know they're not. We all laugh. I'm concerned that guys will stop asking me to dance. Plenty of partners this evening at least.

Also have to get back on the #KickingTheShitOutOfPOTS train. Choo, choo! It's just been so windy & unpleasantly, bitterly cold. #FuckWinter

I vaguely remember an intro to square dancing in school though I cannot put a finger on when that would have been. Had to be in the 60s though because it wasn't in Jr. or Sr. high.

I wonder if searches for #HenryFord and #SquareDancing are going to surge today.

https://www.basicinstructions.net/basic-instructions/2024/11/18/how-to-find-the-cause-of-the-problem

How to Find the Cause of the Problem — Basic Instructions

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Basic Instructions
At #SquareDancing tonight I laughed so hard I had to stop & wipe tears of joy. Finding this community has been one of the best decisions I've ever made.