Square Dance
Arizona Advanced – Mondays
Arizona Advanced meets Mondays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Southern Arizona Dance Center, 4801 E. 29th St. Tucson, AZ 85711. Casual dress; $10 person.
Come dance with us on our new wood floor!
Club Caller: Richard Lane
505-553-8973
stufftolearn@msn.com
Club Representative: Edie Hund
Richard’s Rowdies – Fridays/Saturdays
Richard’s Rowdies club has a Mainstream Dance from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Southern Arizona Dance Center, 4801 E 29th St. on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Fridays. $10 person. Come dance with us on our new wood floor! Oct. 16 – Mainstream.
Oct. 30 – Class Level Plus Dance!
Club Caller: Richard Lane
505-553-8973
stufftolearn@msn.com
Club Representative: Susan Pearson
Green Valley Square and Round Dance Club – Mondays/Tuesdays
Green Valley Square And Round Dance Club invites YOU to join us November through April in an activity which is fun for all ages, good mental and physical exercise, and is enjoyed around the world. Square dancing in Green Valley was started by Irma Schaffnit in 1965 and the club has been a focus for learning square dancing, having fun, and forming new friendships. Mondays 7-9 pm at Canoa Hills Rec Center. Tuesdays 1:15-4:30 pm at Las Campanas Rec Center.
Club Caller: Bob Asp
815-262-9080
sgbobasp@aol.com
Club Cuer: Lynn Van Atta
Club Representative: Jim Stallons
630-441-6959
greenvalleysquares@gmail.com
Rick A Shays (Advanced)/Fun Bunch (Plus) – Thursdays
Rick A Shays, founded in 1995, offers great Advanced dancing, and creative and interesting choreography with National Caller Rick Gittelman at the Southern Arizona Dance Center. Advanced Dance with Workshop/Lesson Tips on Thursdays from 4:00-6:00 pm $10 person. RSVP to Rick! Come dance with us on our new wood floor!
Fun Bunch, sister club of Rick A Shays, features exciting Thursday Plus dancing. Plus Lessons, and workshop tips with some DBD (dancing calls from all positions) from 6:00-8:00 pm with Caller Rick Gittelman at the Southern Arizona Dance Center. New Plus Dancers welcome. $10. Come dance with us on our new wood floor!
Club Caller: Rick Gittelman
520-820-4749
rickygitt@hotmail.com
Club Representative: Vic Nouhan
Sonoran Promenaders – Mondays/Thursdays
The Sonoran Promenaders dance Mainstream and Plus every Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Tom Crisp is the club caller and instructor. Cost is $10 per person. Members $8. Tom’s private dance hall is air-conditioned, with a floating wood floor, and safe, lighted parking. Social gathering after each dance.
Please find us at Sonoran Stables Dance Hall
4231 S. Pauline Lane, Tucson AZ 85730
New Class Starts Thursday, Oct. 15 – Free Open House – 6:30 – everyone invited!
Club Caller: Tom Crisp
520-419-6090
tom@crisptours.com
Club Representative: Art Lohman
Thunder Mountain Twirlers – Fridays
The Thunder Mountain Twirlers of Sierra Vista dance Mainstream/Plus. We dance Fridays 7:00-9:00 pm at Sierra Lutheran Church, 101 N. Lenzner, Sierra Vista 85635. Guest callers.
Special Dances: Fri Oct. 30 Darren Gallina – celebrate Halloween w/chili!
Hummingbird Hoedown Jan. 8-9, 2027 with Caller Jet Roberts and Caller Tony Oxendine – Mainstream/Plus/Advanced/Rounds – in Sierra Vista. Register now!
Club President: Bryan Swift
520-775-1127
Club Reps: Chuck and Kathy Baker
Tucson Twirlers – Wednesdays
Tucson Twirlers features fun and energetic dancing with Caller Rick Gittelman. Founded in 1974, we welcome Mainstream dancers at the Southern Arizona Dance Center.
5:30 Intro to Plus Workshop
6:30-8:15 Mainstream Dance with Round Dancing teaching Tips with Ray Burns.
Come dance with us on our new wood floor! No dance on October 14.
Instead, go to Western Whirlers 62nd Anniversary Dance w/Rick/Tom and Lynn on Rounds on Tues. Oct. 13!
FREE Intro to Square Dancing on Friday, October 23 – 6:30-8:30 pm.
Lessons start on Wednesday, October 28 – 6:30-8:30 pm, $10 person.
Club Caller: Rick Gittelman
520-820-4749
rickygitt@hotmail.com
Club Representative: Vic Nouhan
Voyager Square Dancers
The Voyager Square Dancers offers Mainstream and Plus level dancing. Casual dress always welcome. Please find us at Voyager RV Resort, 8701 S Kolb Rd, Tucson 85756. Not currently dancing – stay tuned for updates.
Club Caller: Don Haney
307-680-9952
donsandie@vcn.com
Club Representative: Sandie Haney
307-680-1952
sandiedon@vcn.com
Western Whirlers Square and Round Dance Club – Tuesdays
Western Whirlers dances Mainstream with announced Plus on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 pm, with guest callers, and round dancing. Come dance with us on our new wood floor!
TONIGHT October 13 – 62nd Anniversary Mainstream/Plus/Rounds Dance with Caller Tom Crisp, Caller Rick Gittelman, and Cuer Lynn Van Atta!
Club Representative: Margaret Kiser
Location: Southern Arizona Dance Center, 4801 E. 29th St. Tucson, AZ 85711.
Contra – Saturdays (1st, 3rd, 5th)
Come to a Contradance! More info at https://tucsoncontradancers.org/
Contradancing is enjoyed by all ages, all over the USA, and in fact, all over the world, though it is considered American folk dancing. Someone once said “if square dancing and swing dancing met in a bar – you’d get contradancing.” And yes, contradancing bears some resemblance to Square dancing, but has some significant differences.
Here is what to expect at a dance. The dancers line up in long lines up and down the hall, facing their partners. You will dance with your partner but also with the adjacent pair to form a foursome – these are your neighbors. The caller teaches the dance in a “walk through” and then the band – yes live music – starts up, and the caller prompts each move until the dancers know the dance. With each iteration of the dance, you will progress to new neighbors, moving to the next pair up or down the hall, and do the same sequence again. Each individual dance lasts about 10 minutes and there are 10-12 dances in an evening’s program. Will you know some of the moves? Yes – do si do, allemande, circle, chain and more are incorporated, though the hand holds may be different from what you are used to. Will it feel like square dancing? At first may feel faster than square dancing because the dance moves are choreographed to flow from one to the next. That means that there are no pauses between moves. Also, each individual dance will consist of a repeated dance pattern that does not change – no surprises from the caller. As a result, you soon learn the dance and the caller can stop prompting allowing you to enjoy just dancing to the music. Do you need to take lessons before coming? No – absolutely not. Contradancing grew out of community dances held in New England Grange halls, and it is the spirit of the contradance to welcome new dancers into each evening. There is a teach at 6:30 and the dances progress from easy to more difficult through the evening, but they are always taught.
We hope you will come dance with the Tucson Friends of Traditional Music Contradances, most 1st, 3rd, 5th Saturdays, 6:30-10 pm, here at the Southern Arizona Dance Center, 4801 E 29th St, Tucson, AZ. Come dance on our new wood floor!