One Year of Square Dancing

Commemorating one year of dancing every day -- 24 March 2003 through 23 March 2004

Joe Dehn

Palo Alto, California

jwd3@dehnbase.org

For more information see the FAQ below.

Thank You to Everyone Who Made This Possible

My Regular Clubs

(where I danced on a weekly basis for some or all of the year)

Stanford Quads
Curli-Qs
Bows and Beaus
Generic Squares
Interlocked Squares
Yellow Rock and Rollers
Cloverleaf Critters
Top Cats

Other Local Clubs

Bs n Bs - San Jose
B-Sharps
Caper Cutters
Carnival Twirlers
Charley's Angels
Foggy City Dancers
Jokers
Krazy Dazys
Lucky Steppers
Midnight Squares
Musical Squares
Outlaws
PACE
Silver Buckles
Star Eights
Sunnyvale Singles
The Willows

Out of Area Clubs

Toe Stompers (Woodinville, WA)
Blazing Stars (Federal Way, WA)
Bs and Bs (Flossmoor, IL)
TNTs (Waukegan, IL)
Square Halos (Denver, CO)
Guns and Garters (Denver, CO)
Lee Kopman Plus/Advanced/C1 (Rockville Centre, NY)
Ginny Reaske class/workshop (Baldwin, NY)
Star Thru Squares (Garden City, NY)
Single Funtimers (Katonah, NY)
Hilltoppers (St. Charles, MO)
Hoedowners (Wood River, IL)
Wheelers and Dealers (St. Charles, MO)

Hoedowns and Special Dances

SCVSDA Presidents Ball
Star Eights Newer Dancer Hoedown
Bs n Bs Northern Region Hoedown
Keeway Swingers Hoedown
Lucky Steppers Newer Dancer Hoedown
Krazy Dazys Black and White Ball
Jokers Hoedown Hawaiian Style
SCVSDA Callers Appreciation Whing Ding
Bows and Beaus Ice Cream Fling Thing
49ers Plus/A-1 Hoedown
Roadrunners Hoedown
Stanford Quads Hoedown
Lucky Steppers Anniversary Dance
Martinez Swingers A-2 Hoedown
Pleasanton Singles and Pairs Hoedown
Elks and Does Harvest Hoedown
Sunnyvale Singles Newer Dancer Hoedown
Square Hoppers Apple Pie Hoedown
Farmers and Farmerettes Anniversary Hoedown
El Camino Reelers 812 Dance
Sunnyvale Singles Cactus Jack Hoedown
Diablo Singles and Doubles Jingle Bell Rock Hoedown
Thanksgiving Toy Dance
SCVSDA Inaugural Ball
Jokers Newer Dancer Hoedown
Ed Kremers Holiday Square Dance Party
Pleasanton Singles and Pairs New Years Eve Party
Krazy Dazys Running Bear Hoedown
Rafter Rockers Newer Dancer Hoedown
San Jose Bs n Bs Anniversary Hoedown
SCVSDA Presidents Ball Whing Ding
Belle Swingers / Star Eights Newer Dancer Hoedown
Western Star Dancers Newer Caller Hoedown
Roadrunners Hoedown
Sunnyvale Singles Newer Dancer Hoedown
Spinning Wheels Shamrock Shuffle

Festivals and Conventions

NCSDA Golden State Roundup (May)
Academy for Advanced and Challenge Enthusiasts (June)
Chicago 3 Advanced and Challenge Convention (August)
Sierra Spin Advanced and Challenge Weekend (September)
SCVSDA Jubilee (October)
ASDSC Harvest Hoedown (October)
Winter Festival (January)
Bakersfield Fiesta (March)

Special Thanks

To my friend Ruth Riegelhaupt-Herzig, who called, and my friends Allen, Andy, Carol, Chelsea, Daniel, Dave, David, Debbie, Dee, Gregory, Jim, John, Julia, Kennita, Kim, Kindra, Leslie, Mariana, Mary, Michelle, Pamela, Rhonda, Robert, Robin, Sara, Sarah, Scott, Shelley, Shiloh, Sue, and Tod who danced, making it possible for me to continue during the "dark days" of Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks when there were no scheduled dances. (Double thanks to Jim and Sue for providing a place for us to dance on several of those days.)

To my friend John Sybalsky, who first taught me to square dance, who continues to teach me new things every week, who calls for three of the clubs at which I dance on a regular basis, and who called on several special occasions during the year as well.

To my wife Mary Gingell, who convinced me to try square dancing in the first place, who though not quite as crazy as me did dance about 3/4 of the days during the year, and who put up with the insanity of the rest of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is this about?
I square danced every day for a year.
2. Why did you do this? How did you set this goal?
Seemed like a good idea at the time. Actually, I didn't start out with the goal of a year. When I started I just wanted to see how long I could go, and figured it might be two or three months. Then when I was scheduled to go on a trip out of town, I discovered that if I stopped then I would have gone 95 days. It seemed a shame to stop so close to 100 days, so I found places to dance that weekend. Once I saw that I could do that, I realized that going for a whole year might be possible.
3. Is this a world record?
Probably not. I have heard that there have been people who have gone longer. There doesn't seem to be any recognized record.
4. Did you really dance every day? Did you have to dance with phantoms on some days? Did this include dancing to tapes?
Every day, for a year, with at least seven other people, with a live caller.
5. Where could you find a place to dance on a day like Christmas?
I have friends who helped me, by dancing, calling, and providing a place to do it.
6. Are you going to keep going for two years?
No, I stopped after 382 days. But that doesn't mean I won't still be dancing -- it's just that I'll probably be dancing an average of about 6.5 days per week instead of 7.

Cakes in Celebration


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