Southern Lights Square and Round Dance Club

es in the local newspaper and GE’s own newsletter, brought others outside the GE community who were eager to learn. Getting started
The first twenty week class squared up in the fall of 1981, taught by area caller Gordon Hoxit. Experienced square dancers from other area clubs, like the Belles‘N Beaux in Hendersonville, came as the “angels” who danced with beginners to help them learn. A group of them traveled to South Carolina to dance with Stan Russell, a young caller who had been recommended. They chose him as their first permanent caller, and in the summer of 1982, he taught the new dancers in an Advanced Beginner session. The club’s Kick-Off Inauguration Dance was held August 7, 1982. They selected GE’s Town and Country Light for the club’s badge and blue and white for the club’s colors. Stan Russell called for the dance and Elaine and Gene Elliott cued the round dancing. The rubber floor made it difficult for square dancers to slide smoothly across the floor. First presidents Danny and Wanda Griffiths remember sprinkling cornmeal acquired from a mill off Seventh Avenue to solve the problem. After the dance, of course, the meal had to be vacuumed up. The first officers of the new club were:
Presidents: Danny and Wanda Griffiths
Vice-Presidents: Hoyt and Shirley Orr
Secretaries: Bill and Judy Shephard
Treasurers: Ralph and Carol Mackey
Teaching Newcomers to Dance
In September 1982, the club offered its first square dance classes for beginners, with members serving as Angels. A large class of fifty graduates celebrated when the club’s first graduation was held in March 1983. Through the years, classes for new dancers have been held in various locations, including the Meadows building on Justice Street, Opportunity House, the Boy Scout Hut near Five Points, Green Meadows Community Building, Stoney Mountain Activity Center, and the present location in the Salvation Army Gym on Fourth Avenue. For extra practice for those who missed a lesson, member Jack McConnell often held “Garage Stomper” lessons at his home. In 1988, the club moved regular dances to the present location, the Whitmire Activity Builiding. Callers and Cuers
The club’s first and current caller is Stan Russell from Greer, SC. With his dad, he went to Caller’s School, then began calling square dances when he was still a teenager. Over thirty years later, Stan still entertains and challenges dancers each time he calls. One news columnist called him the man with the mellifluous voice. His competent and effective teaching soothes the hesitancy of beginning students, allowing them to experience the fun of square dancing. In January 1984, the club sponsored a round dance class, taught by Gene and Elaine Elliott, and rounds were added to the regular dances. When Elaine retired in 1996, Edna and Bill Anderson became the club cuers, followed in 2009 by our current cuers, Lou and Al Krech. Those who watch from the sidelines enjoy the graceful twirls and steps of the dancers, as well as a quick break from dancing. Colorful dresses and full skirts
In the early years of the club, everyone wore “square dance attire,” full skirts with big crinolines for the ladies, and western style shirts and ties for the men. “Dressing up” added to the enjoyment for the ladies. As the years went by, women often chose broomstick or prairie skirts. Now club dancers choose either “dressy casual” clothes or the traditional attire, and square dance shoes for the ladies are often sneakers or boots as well as the traditional slippers. The fun of traveling
From the first, “Friendship Set to Music” meant enjoyment and new friends as club members traveled to dance with other clubs and often stopped for ice cream or pie and coffee on the way home. A trip to the “Spring Fling” in Gatlinburg, TN, became a special way to introduce new dancers to the fun of traveling. “Banner Stealing,” or taking a full square of dancers to visit another club and bring home their banner, encouraged visitors from around the area. Serving the Community
The Southern Lights club serves the community, pitching in with saws and hammers to raise house walls in an annual Blitz Build for Habitat for Humanity. In August, one dance is designated for back to school supplies which are donated to a local school. We support organizations like the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots in December, supplying them with our gifts to help Santa visit local children. Our local Four Seasons Hospice receives our share of the proceeds from the annual Hospice Dance sponsored by the Western Carolina Federation of square dance clubs. The Fun Continues
An annual picnic in June and a Holiday dinner/dance in December provide other opportunities for members to socialize. There have been all day “mystery trips” ending in square dances. The fall Turkey Strut in Gatlinburg, TN is a popular weekend for many members. Dances with special themes, such as Mardi Gras or Wearing of the Green, provide extra fun for members, and the National Square Dance Convention attracts dancers from around the country to a new city each year. And, more travel awaits throughout the entire world, welcoming square dancers into their clubs to spread "Friendship set to music".