The Square-dancers

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The Square-dancers
Nashville, TN

In Nashville, Tennessee, a tight-knit group of square-dancers meets at halls and churches to do-si-do, socialize, snack on cheesies, and offer the most genuine "yellow rocks" (hugs) that you'll ever experience in your life.

The dancers are primarily individuals and couples over 50, most of whom attend at least 2 or 3 events a week, while some known as "diehards" are hitting the floor almost every night. And for good reason, too; it not only fulfills the need for physical activity, but for those who've lost a life-long partner or are recuperating from an illness, the square-dancing community is the best support system they could ask for.

“We all had to take classes to learn how to do [this]. There are two levels: there's Mainstream. You've earned that, and you dance in a club. And then after you've learned that, you'll decide that maybe I ought to learn how to do Plus, which is the next level up. And then there are some people that decide that Plus isn’t enough, so they go on to Advanced I and Advanced II and Challenge I and Challenge II, I think, and those people, when they get further up, they don't look to me like they're having as much fun. Their brain is on overload! They don't have time to think of fun, I don't think, because there's just so many things that you have to learn and be able to do on the spur of the moment.” - Marjory

“My wife and I took lessons and joined a club, and we danced until she had a rotator cuff injury, couldn't dance anymore, and by the time she got through that, she got diabetes. Her feet were bothering her too much, so she passed away about 3 years ago. I went through a lousy winter here or something like that and thought, 'I'm not getting any exercise.' And finally it dawned on me that, oh, square-dancing! I'll get back into square-dancing. So I got on the Internet, found the place, and came out. It took about a month to get my mind back into remembering how to do all the things.” - Bob

“It's really not just square-dancing. If you have a baby, they'll come to the hospital. If you're sick, they'll come to the hospital. If you have a funeral, they'll be at your funeral. So these people, they become your family. A square-dancer passed away, and she was really big in the church. There were 15 people that signed the registry from the church. They were 80 square-dancers that signed the register, to give you an idea of what I'm saying. They're fantastic people.” - Jack

“I don't know why [more young] people don't come, because this is the cheapest entertainment you'd ever have in your life. Now, tonight, we paid the $4 to come here and dance. And you take teenagers going out on a date? I mean, to go to a movie, how could you afford it? So this is very cheap entertainment, and you're here to have a good time, and we usually always have snacks. Sometimes we'll have a whole big meal and all that stuff, you know? Everybody brings their own dish.” - Marjory

“And this support system, having people that are really down to earth, but friendly, honest… You get to know [square-dancers well] because you meet on a regular basis. The people are the kind you can trust.” - Azora

“[I have been square-dancing for] about 16 years now. Well, I met this lady, and she wanted me to get into square-dancing. I started at 72 years old, is when I started.” - Roger

“One of the guys I go to Sunday School with, he was in it. I used to be-bop before I did this, and that club folded, so he invited me to come and take the lessons, and I've been dancing ever since.” - Eileen

“I broke my femur last February, and I couldn't dance. So I was in a wheelchair for about 6 months, and everybody was so supportive, you know? ‘Come on, Mary!' 'Let's get her out there and pull the wheelchair around or something!’ I would come, and my husband would dance with other people, and I intermixed with different ones. It got me out of the house.” - Mary

“I've been doing this since 1989. In 1991, I met [Azora]. We got married. We've been together for 21 years. If you look around, they're all coupled up and met in square-dancing. Monday night used to be a singles night. It went downhill a little bit a while back...” - Jack

“And all the singles got married to the other singles." - Mary

“Yeah, all the singles got married, yeah!” (laughs) - Jack

“We had a lady that used to dance a lot in the nursing home right down here, and she just turned 90 about a month ago, and we took the square out there, and went out there and danced for the nursing home, had a birthday party for her. They gave her a lifetime membership.” - Mary

“Hugs are always good. The women always hug the men, or the men hug the women.... which is kinda comforting, to get a hug every now and then. And they call them yellow rocks. That's what a hug is, is a yellow rock.” - Mary