By Mary Albrecht
Westport Squares

Can you walk? If so, you can learn to square dance. With today’s fast-paced lifestyle, square dancing may seem, you know, old fashioned. For many of us, square dancing is what we experienced in school, or it’s what grandma and grandpa used to do. Today’s modern square dancing is full of fun, high energy and great music.

There are numerous health benefits, as well as great social aspects, to modern square dancing. (1) Dancers briskly walk 2‒5 miles at a typical dance. (2) Studies show square dancing will add, on average, 10 years to your life. (3) Square dancing is known to protect against dementia. (4) Dancing for a half-hour burns 200‒400 calories. (5) Square dancing is an excellent choice for rehabilitating from surgery. (6) Social dancing allows you to have fun with others and build new friendships.

Square dancing is a great value for the money. A typical dance costs $6 per person and you get 2½ hours of dancing and socializing. Where else can you get that kind of value?

So you’re interested, right? Where can you see what this is all about? Westport Squares, a local square dance club here in Madison, offers free introductory dances to try modern square dancing. Free dances will be held Sept. 9 and Sept. 16, 6:30‒8:30 pm, at the Maple Bluff Community Center, 18 Oxford Place. All are welcome to come and see what modern square dancing is like.

For those interested in learning modern square dancing, Westport Squares will hold lessons designed to get you up and dancing quickly. Children are welcome to attend but must have a genuine interest in learning to dance. Lesson fees are $6 for adults and $3 for youth under 18.

If you want to know more about lessons, call Eldon or Virginia at 244-3694, or visit the Westport Squares website at westportsquares.com and click on “Contact us.” We are also on Facebook at facebook.com/WestportSquares.