General Discussion

Bettie

(19,806 posts)

23. Squre dancing is a part of the overall tradition of

Tue Jul 23, 2019, 11:52 AM

Jul 2019

folk dancing. I liked it in gym class, because I'm good at dancing and terrible at a lot of the other stuff we had to do throwing, catching...unless it was dodge ball, I was super good at 'catching' a ball to the face...went through four pairs of glasses one school year, after they broke from a ball to the face.

PE Teachers find it hilarious when the nerdy kid gets hurt. Or at least they did when I was in elementary school in the 70's. Eventually, they just told me to take my glasses off during gym class which did not improve my performance.

But the point is, I like dancing in many forms, so, whatever the reason, I'm glad there was a non-punitive segment in gym class!

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interesting,,, why we square danced in PE class - because Henry Ford hated Jazz and Jewish people [View all] Demovictory9 Jul 2019 OP

Screw you, Henry Ford, I'm going with Dave Brubeck's Unsquare Dance Brother Buzz Jul 2019 #1

Brilliant, of course it's Brubeck ChubbyStar Jul 2019 #8

Reminds me of tall awkward mating birds. alphafemale Jul 2019 #18

Reminds me of Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke.... Brother Buzz Jul 2019 #19

... Anon-C Jul 2019 #27

I remember having to square dance. I hated it and I was terrible at it. smirkymonkey Jul 2019 #2

I love jazz! llmart Jul 2019 #43

Love that song! llmart Jul 2019 #44

"Blast from the Past" FuzzyRabbit Jul 2019 #52

Oh, yes. That's the one. llmart Jul 2019 #59

Square dancing started in England. BigmanPigman Jul 2019 #3

"invented by the black people" was a quite accurate reference to jazz, not square dancing. nt eppur_se_muova Jul 2019 #15

Ah, I see that now. Thanks. BigmanPigman Jul 2019 #16

We Lutherans also learned to do the Hora as well as other folk dancing, but we weren't ... marble falls Jul 2019 #4

Here is something else about ol' Henry Dyedinthewoolliberal Jul 2019 #5

We had to square dance while wearing gym clothes! Worst of both worlds! SunSeeker Jul 2019 #6

Interesting customerserviceguy Jul 2019 #7

The OP never mentions that square dancing is evil ChubbyStar Jul 2019 #9

My response is customerserviceguy Jul 2019 #38

I think you're missing the point. yardwork Jul 2019 #54

Not demonizing square dancing. Article explains why it was so universal in schools Demovictory9 Jul 2019 #71

We didn't do it in the NYC marybourg Jul 2019 #76

Who is arguing that square dancing is inherently evil? LanternWaste Jul 2019 #31

I did it a few times in the fifth grade ProudLib72 Jul 2019 #10

The creation of jazz wasn't that simple misanthrope Jul 2019 #11

Thank you misanthrope Demovictory9 Jul 2019 #14

Agreed. Anon-C Jul 2019 #28

Excellent summation. But the musicians who tied it all together, GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #39

My teacher father declared rock & roll dancing square dancing and added that and soul music to mulsh Jul 2019 #12

I guess this gives a whole other meaning to "buy American." ananda Jul 2019 #13

I cannot stand jazz or square dancing Drahthaardogs Jul 2019 #17

Me, too. I have to leave places where it is played. It really makes me agitated. SharonAnn Jul 2019 #24

Then you don't hate jazz misanthrope Jul 2019 #36

I once thought that was jazz. Codeine Jul 2019 #64

I'm a jazz piano player (or try to be!) robbob Jul 2019 #41

Oh, I hate scatting, noodling, and all the "free styling" Drahthaardogs Jul 2019 #50

Not Sure I Get RobinA Jul 2019 #20

If you want to understand the link... Chiyo-chichi Jul 2019 #21

I suffered through squaredancing not far from Rochester. lagomorph777 Jul 2019 #22

Yup, we square danced in Spencerport, one mule-walk day west of Rochester on the Erie Canal. NBachers Jul 2019 #58

About 15 Miles...? lagomorph777 Jul 2019 #75

Close - around 12 miles or so. NBachers Jul 2019 #78

Squre dancing is a part of the overall tradition of Bettie Jul 2019 #23

PE teachers thought bullying built character Demovictory9 Jul 2019 #46

You're 100% correct. nt Codeine Jul 2019 #63

Pretty much what the Nazis did in the thirties pecosbob Jul 2019 #25

THAT's why we had to do that stupid shit? maxsolomon Jul 2019 #26

lol Demovictory9 Jul 2019 #45

I hated square dancing too. alphafemale Jul 2019 #48

We square danced every year.. luvs2sing Jul 2019 #29

Lol, and this was years before Neil dianond's remake of "the jazz singer" unblock Jul 2019 #30

Oddly enough, as a kid I did want to know why we spent a month or so square dancing in gym. Afromania Jul 2019 #32

Because Currently RobinA Jul 2019 #35

It's a trend, but not one without it's roots in reality. Afromania Jul 2019 #37

Our entire history is a "cozy white culture protectionist scheme." Codeine Jul 2019 #66

So in a round-about way, I, a White male, was the victim of racism TlalocW Jul 2019 #33

One of the least damaging things he did... was actually kinda fun... JCMach1 Jul 2019 #34

Let's be fair.... jazz sucks. Goodheart Jul 2019 #40

Jazz sucks? Codeine Jul 2019 #49

Seriously? sakabatou Jul 2019 #51

Why would I lie? Goodheart Jul 2019 #56

Okay, why do you think jazz sucks? sakabatou Jul 2019 #57

For me, random noises on instruments don't amount to listenable music. Goodheart Jul 2019 #61

But. . . they really aren't random. Codeine Jul 2019 #62

You may not have been listening to the right artist then sakabatou Jul 2019 #70

+100000 BannonsLiver Jul 2019 #83

Amen, brother! Goodheart Jul 2019 #84

To be fair, he did believe in a living wage.... Xolodno Jul 2019 #42

Believe the President gladium et scutum Jul 2019 #77

I graduated high school in the mid 80s NewJeffCT Jul 2019 #47

Lucky! Codeine Jul 2019 #67

OMF Kurt V. Jul 2019 #53

I'll bet ol' Henry would have REALLY hated rap music FakeNoose Jul 2019 #55

I'm with him on that DavidDvorkin Jul 2019 #69

I do remember that! shanti Jul 2019 #60

One of the worst memories of grade school Codeine Jul 2019 #65

"Grab a fence post, Hold it tight..." ThoughtCriminal Jul 2019 #68

that was great Demovictory9 Jul 2019 #73

There is also Contra Dancing, fast paced, similar to hot hash square dancing. keithbvadu2 Jul 2019 #72

Ethnonationalists have tainted so many worthwhile cultural symbols Azathoth Jul 2019 #74

Yes, the Fylfot Cross has some deep spiritual meaning. PatrickforO Jul 2019 #81

Wait... Kids are doing SQUARE DANCING in P.E. class? In 2019?? Blue_Tires Jul 2019 #79

For the anti-Semites of Ford's day, pretty much everything could be PatrickforO Jul 2019 #80

I've never even heard of this square dancing requirement...wt actual f. nt UniteFightBack Jul 2019 #82