Square dance developed in the United States. Immigrants brought folk dances from many countries and needed a common way to dance together. Calls were defined and cued by a caller. From the mid‑20th century, Americans brought modern square dance to Europe.
In Modern American Square Dance, four couples form a square, one couple on each side. The caller starts the music and cues the figures. Simple figures such as “Circle left” or “Circle right” are easy to follow with a little English. Many figures come from European folk dance.
Calls are standardised worldwide and named in English. Dancers progress through levels: Basic, Mainstream, Plus, A1, A2 and C1. There are more than 500 clubs in Germany and over 8000 worldwide. You usually learn in a class; Broken Wheels typically offer a Mainstream class each year.
We dance to country and western music, as well as adapted rock and pop.
Square dance is not a competitive sport. The aim is to know the calls and dance them cleanly — the better it works, the more fun everyone has.
You are welcome to visit a club evening as a guest. Square dance is best experienced in person.
