James Cha leads the call inside the National Park Fieldhouse in Morton Grove as two groups of four couples take commands and make their way around the dance floor.
“Bow to your partner. Bow to your corner. Now, allemande left,” he calls. “I do what’s called “sight calling” which is much more extemporaneous. I used a series of calls to move them around the floor and get them back to their partners,” he smiled.
The Glenview Squares have been dosi-do-ing, promenading and circling left for 75 years.
“We’ve been in existence for a long time. It’s phenomenal. Many clubs have dissipated over the years so we feel very fortunate and we are growing,” said Marla Schneider, President, Glenview Squares.
Founded in 1950, its one of the largest square dancing clubs remaining in Illinois.
“It started in Glenview, at Logan Junior High School on Waukegan road,” she recalls.
The club moved to Rugen Elementary School on Shermer for its dances. When the club grew and needed even more space they moved to Westbrook Elementary School on Lake Street, and then to Lyons School by '67. In the early '90s, lessons moved to the Glenview Park Center. Square dancing was most popular in the 1970’s.
“Back in those days, Square Dance was on its way up. Everybody wanted to do it. By the 70’s every town had its own club. Callers were making a mint and the interest went up and up and up but it started to go down in the 90’s. Now, we’re trying to build it back up.” said Janice Cha, whose been dancing with the Squares for 20 years. "We're hoping it experiences a renaissance." she smiled.
“We have 110 members now and growing,” said Schneider. "We try to get the word out. We get new dancers mostly through word of mouth. We begin a new session of beginner classes next week."
James Cha describes the dance as “Simon Says” to music. He says it takes a certain type of skill level to keep up and get really good at it.
“I started out as a dancer then I learned how to be a caller. It is like a human Rubik’s Cube set to music. The caller is the person figuring out how to get the Rubik’s Cube back where it started.” he said.
Jane and Alex Atkinson have been square dancing for 15 years.
“We started dancing in St. Louis 15 years ago. When we moved to Chicago, we joined the Glenview Squares." said Jane.
“It’s good for the mind; it’s good for the body. It is great socialization. We have a lot of fun,” she said. "This gets us out two or three nights a week. It’s a lot of fun,” said Alex Atkinson.
Schneider says they try to keep the music and the concept fresh to attract younger dancers.
“If you go to the dances now, there’s not a lot of traditional square dance attire, they come in blue jeans and t-shirts and gym shoes. That has helped attract different age groups so it’s not just the old people wearing the big fluffy skirts and bolo ties. People think it’s just country music. We have all the recent stuff with really good beats. It’s hardly only country music.”
There are even national conventions that attract thousands of dancers from across the country.
“It’s square dancing all the time, all dancing for three days, three nights and you leave feeling great.” said Schneider.
“Because it requires a certain amount of skill, people have to learn, they have to know what each call means. They have to know how to execute it. It hooks them. because there’s pride in being a good square dancer. You become part of a very small, close knit, loving community. It’s addicting,” said Janice Cha.
She says lifestyles have changed over the years but the community, the friendship, and tradition of square dancing remains the same and has stood the test of time-one call at a time.
“It’s fun for one. It’s social. It’s friendship and community. You have to learn the calls all together, it takes time, and over that time, friendships develop and deepen. You stretch your brain, you move your body, you don’t spend a lot of money, you don’t drink, she paused. "Until afterwards,” she laughed.
Today, Glenview Squares stands as the second oldest club in Illinois and one of the largest and most active square dance clubs in the Midwest. The company offers beginning lessons. The First Presbyterian Church in Deerfield has become the home of Glenview Squares twice-monthly dances and special events. For more information you can logon to their website .
