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Throughout the weekend, dozens rotated in for their chance to dance.”The reason people keep coming back is because of the friendships and the social aspect of square dancing,” said Mike Hogan, a local square dance caller.The 11th annual Memorial Day Square Dancing Festival takes a traditionally somber holiday and makes it into a time for joy.”I think Memorial Day is more about honoring that it is necessarily about being sad. It’s more about being proud,” Hogan said. Over 100 dancers flew in for the weekend, and Lucy Romine said it’s a tradition that spans generations. “Our youngest dancer out there is a 9-year-old and has only been dancing for a year,” Romine said. “I won’t tell you how old I am, but I’ve been dancing for over 50 years.”From Nebraska, Kansas, Florida, Texas and more, these dancers came in from across the country along with a guest caller — someone who directs those on the floor. This year’s caller is Travis Cook, a nationally recognized caller out of Louisville, Kentucky, who instructed the dancers alongside Hogan.”They get to dance with people they don’t normally get to dance with, I get to work with callers I don’t normally get to call with but are my friends. And so, it just sets up for a fun atmosphere as we kind of play off of each other and play off what the dancers know,” Hogan said.Friends, new and old, shared joy and laughter while still making time to remember those they have lost.”There are people that are dancing here today that I’ve known for 45 years that I love and they love me,” Hogan said. “They’re not my family, but we take care of each other. We become friends, we take care of each other.”
Throughout the weekend, dozens rotated in for their chance to dance.
“The reason people keep coming back is because of the friendships and the social aspect of square dancing,” said Mike Hogan, a local square dance caller.
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The 11th annual Memorial Day Square Dancing Festival takes a traditionally somber holiday and makes it into a time for joy.
“I think Memorial Day is more about honoring that it is necessarily about being sad. It’s more about being proud,” Hogan said.
Over 100 dancers flew in for the weekend, and Lucy Romine said it’s a tradition that spans generations.
“Our youngest dancer out there is a 9-year-old and has only been dancing for a year,” Romine said. “I won’t tell you how old I am, but I’ve been dancing for over 50 years.”
From Nebraska, Kansas, Florida, Texas and more, these dancers came in from across the country along with a guest caller — someone who directs those on the floor. This year’s caller is Travis Cook, a nationally recognized caller out of Louisville, Kentucky, who instructed the dancers alongside Hogan.
“They get to dance with people they don’t normally get to dance with, I get to work with callers I don’t normally get to call with but are my friends. And so, it just sets up for a fun atmosphere as we kind of play off of each other and play off what the dancers know,” Hogan said.
Friends, new and old, shared joy and laughter while still making time to remember those they have lost.
“There are people that are dancing here today that I’ve known for 45 years that I love and they love me,” Hogan said. “They’re not my family, but we take care of each other. We become friends, we take care of each other.”
