I never did square dancing. There was a dance unit in my 7th grade class, but no square dancing. I remember that we learned the waltz, and I got to dance with this girl I had a crush on. I enjoyed it 
Not culturally appropriate in a hispanic high school or in upstate NY? Try Sydney, Australia for laffs! It must be a global conspiracy to make children’s lives hell.
Yes folks, we were subjected to it too (late 1970s - I don’t know if it still goes on). It was horrible, and I think the teachers just did it partly out of a perverse delight in watching us squirm and suffer, and partly because once we got the hang of it, they could leave the tape player running, and nick off for a cigarette.
The words “Virginia Reel” still make me shudder.
Yep. Lots of square dancing throughout my Elementary school. In 5th grade my class had to learn the Mexican Bottle and Hat dance and perform it in front of the school.
I loved it when I was a little girl because I got to dance with the boy I liked.
Very weird concept though- for sure. I never questioned it though, at the time.
My third or fourth grade class touched briefly on square dancing. But then, guess what: After my parents divorced, my mom really got into it, so I square-danced socially for four or five years, up until (gasp) I was a sophomore in high school and figured out how dorky it was in the grand scheme of things. (Not to mention how freakin’ white it was.) And I dropped it like a piece of firewood with a giant spider on it.
But up until then, I kind of enjoyed it. I was a pretty good dancer (what they say about white people having no rhythm is a stereotype, but it has a basis in truth), and because I was one of a very small number of younger men, I had my pick of female dance partners. I even went to a number of square-dance conventions and camps. No, seriously. My brother and two stepsisters were really into it for a while; my stepfather was even the lead builder to replace the dance hall after it burned down. And the organization president was the photographer at my wedding.
And to those of you who say there’s no cultural basis for the activity wherever you’re at, let me say this: It’s everywhere. You just don’t know about it because you haven’t been part of the scene. Once you’ve been involved, you start to recognize just how insular it really is. The people you square-dance with are the people you camp with are the people you go to the fair with are the people you invite to your kid’s graduation party. It’s not like going out nightclubbing, where you’re never sure who you’re going to run into; it’s a completely enclosed social circle. And if you’re not part of that circle, you’re a total outsider, which of course goes both ways: They don’t know you, and you don’t know them. Basically, even if you don’t know it, you are surrounded by square dancers. Trust me on this. (Except for LaurAnge in Montreal. It’s not nonexistent there, but it’s not as common as it is here in the States.) These conventions are huge. Thousands of people congregate for the big fairs, and take over entire facilities for days at a time. Then they disappear in their Winnebagos and RV trailers, heading back down the highway to whence they came, back to their local halls and clubs.
In short, I don’t mean to frighten anyone, but this activity is a lot more prevalent than anybody here is giving it credit for. I haven’t been a participant for many years, but believe me, square dancers are a common breed. You just don’t know any of them. If you did, you’d either be a dancer or an ex-dancer yourself, like me.
Oh, and we did the parachute thing, also. I mentioned it once to my wife, who went to a private school, and she thought it was the weirdest thing she’d ever heard. “You did what…? With a… parachute?”
Yep, we had to dance to “Chicken Fat” too! And two other cheesy animal-related dances: “The Alley Cat” and “The Bunny Hop.” Feh.
7th grade, North Atlanta, early 80s; we square-danced. I’ve lived almost my entire life in the Southeastern U.S., and I have never, ever, not once encountered people actually doing recreational square-dancing.
I remember when we kids found out we had to learn square dancing, we all kind of groaned and ewwwwwed about it, but when we tried it we found to our surprise that it was a lot of fun. I think we were all kind of shocked that we liked it so much, but we had a ball. Having a pretty girl, to whom I’d never have dared speak back then, as my dance partner didn’t hurt.
I did square dancing in fifth grade. It was definitely the greatest trauma of my elementary school career. Although I do have to say that, unlike long division, I have used that knowledge since then.
This was my experience in a ballroom-dancing class I took for P.E. credit in college. The class was about 75% female, and I was one of the few fellows with any rhythm at all, and there in that hot dance room for two hours a week, I was the hot ticket. It was great. And the dancing was fun; it’s come in handy more than once, too.
Bizarre thing here… I grew up and have only lived in Texas and the only square dancing we did was for a special review-type show for parents in the first grade (circa 1974 – Dallas).
And, I never had any PE classes aimed at dance at any time.
::: shrugs :::
Guess we really were the odds ones. 
However, I liked the parachute thing too. It was fun!
We did square dancing in gym. I thought it was fun. It was sure better for a near-sighted child who couldn’t see well enough to hit or catch a baseball, and who always got selected last for all the sports.
Can you say freshman year in college? The first semester was DANCE TIME! We learned square dancing in a co-ed class, and it was kinda’ fun, kinda 50’s[they scheduled a big dance one evening, and even had a professional caller, instead of us listening to tapes] and utterly exhausting. How the hell do those oldtimers keep up the pace. For some strange reason when they taught us ballroom dancing, most of the women were in another class. The few that remained had to dance with all the guys in turn. They should’ve gotten free podiatric care after the class. We’re all standing around waiting for our turn, but the women are dancing so much they must’ve felt like whirling dervishes.
Yup I square danced in Jr. High (late 80s, West Virginia). I played the parachute games in early elementary. I went to a private school for a few years and played lots of dodgeball and kickball and capture the flag. In high school we actually did SPORTS. UGH! We played tennis and pickleball and ran around the track. But no one mentioned my favorite gym activity – the bamboo sticks!!! It was kinda like jumping rope, except you were jumping 2 bamboo sticks, which were moved on the floor in a pattern by two people. Anyone else do that?
Oh, and my college offered square dance, line dance, and ballroom dancing. I did take the last one and thought it was fun.
We learned to square dance in middle school. That was wonderful timing, really - now that you’ve discovered the opposite sex and feel really awkward about it, hold hands and dance with them! Just awful. Gym teachers really are sadists. And then we got to high school and switched over to line dancing. Frankly, I preferred dodgeball. And I suck at dodgeball.
Pickleball?
We’re up to 40 some-odd thousand members. Isn’t there a single Doper who used to be an elementary school P.E. teacher?
I’ve just been informed by my 13 year old that he’s been forced to square dance against his will every year since 1st grade. It’s still happening, people!
You actually played Pickleball? It’s such a bizarre game, I thought our school had just made it up to fit whatever equipment we had. Other people have actually heard of it?
I’ve never been so glad I went to an all boys school for 7th and 8th grade. I thought the President’s Physical Fitness Load O Crap was obnoxious. I can’t imagine square dancing every year.
If I ever have kids, I’ll be proud to write them a note excusing them.
Suburban Boston here. We did it in 6th grade, but not in gym class. My 6th grade teacher was an odd old guy who, at least twice a week, had us spend about an hour singing various patriotic songs and then square dancing. Not all that fun, but I guess it was better than doing work. Many years later, I hanging around with my father (high school teacher) and some of his friends from work when the topic of conversation turned to bitching about co-workers, and several of them made references to “certain teachers who have the kids dance all day and never actually teach anything.”
At the same time, though, we spent a few weeks of P.E. doing breakdancing (this was '83-'84), which was kind of cool.
We had to learn square dancing in high school, and I, personally, love it. We all groaned and grumped about it while it was happening, but everybody got into it after a little bit. Eventually someone would let loose with a “Yeehaw!” and somebody would laugh or someone would do some goofy pigeon walk while promenading and everyone would do a doubletake. I think I actually miss it.
We also learned how to “swing” dance, which basically was “moving in rhythm and spinning the girl without dislocating her shoulder.” Fun times! :rolleyes: I’m liking the jitterbug in my ballroom dancing class a lot better than that particular dance, though.
we did it, 4th and 5th grade. The same teacher taught the square dancing classes (not p.e.) She was a very nice lady, but she WAS supposed to be teaching other subjects. I guess the school didn’t mind. Each year, we put on a performance for our parents (springtime, I think?) Anyway, the biggest embarrassment was one year we had to make our own vests. Now my sewing skills in the 4th grade weren’t very good, so I looked like an idiot. But that made me forget I was square dancing, so it worked out alright.
I agree that it, in my opinion, was a socialization exercise. Boys & girls are getting to that age of noticing one another, and this was a way to force interaction. I had a huge crush on the girl I was a partner with, and almost always paired up with her (I have no idea if she knew, but at the time, who cared!). I always looked forward to SD time because of that. And if I didn’t get my ‘crush’, there were always a couple of other girls to have fun with.
Sadly, I’ve never used the skills again. Except, of course if we count one Saturday morning in college, when I sung along to the Bugs Bunny square dance episode, causing both laughter and stares of concern from my friends. (If you find yourself in this situation, NEVER segue into the “Rabbit of Sevile”)
I had square dancing in middle school gym class, but not in elementary or high school. I only knew one kid who ever did any square dancing outside of school.
Then you all promenade with your sweet corner maid, singing “Oh Johnny, oh Johnny, oh!”