Students often ask great questions and I don't always have time to answer them well. So here are some of those -- the questions and the answers.
How
long have you been dancing?
--Nozomi,
5th grade, Scottish Corners Elementary School, Dublin, Ohio
I started doing square dancing my first year in high school -- 1979. There was always a float with square dancers on it in our 4th of July parade, and a friend convinced me it looked like fun.
Where
did you learn to dance?
--Sarah, 5th grade, Scottish Corners Elementary School, Dublin, Ohio
Lots of places. I started with square dancing in my hometown, Chelmsford MA. Then I learned about contra dancing when I was in college at the University of New Hampshire.
Have
you ever done the Charleston?
--Yannick,
5th grade, Scottish Corners Elementary School, Dublin, Ohio
No, but it sure looks like fun.
How
many dances do you know?
--Nozomi,
5th grade, Scottish Corners Elementary School, Dublin, Ohio
I have about 200 dances that I teach, so I know those really well. There are lots more that I've danced with other people teaching, just like you have at school. So the caller remembers how it goes, teaches us, and the we dance them without having to remember everything all the time.
Have
you ever been to other schools to teach dance?
--Adam,
5th grade, Scottish Corners Elementary School, Dublin, Ohio
I sure have. You can see a list of those schools here. Maybe I've taught your friends or cousins at some of those schools.
Why
do you wear those funny shoes?
--Erin, 4th grade, Scottish Corners Elementary School, Dublin, Ohio
When I dance or teach dancing, I wear dance shoes which have clean, suede soles. I don't wear them outside, so they are always clean and will not make marks on the floor. The suede bottoms are smooth so they slide a little but not so much that they're slippery.
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