Jimmy Akin Calling a Square Dance

I've had many requests for video of me calling a square dance, and I'm happy to finally be able to oblige.

I call several forms of dance, and this is a video of me calling a pair of Modern Western Square Dances. The first one is a hoedown, in which I talk or chant to the music but don't fully sing. The second is a singing call, in which I take a popular song and put square dance moves in it.

In both cases, the choreography and the rhymes, etc., are improvisational. I'm making it up, mentally, as I go--ahead of the beat so that I can get the words out in time for the dancers to execute the commands in time with the music.

This means the dancers do not know what is coming next, which adds to the excitement of the dance.

It's a challenge to do choreography on the fly, but I've been calling square dances for ten years now, so I've had some practice. :-)

If you think this looks fun, I hope you'll consider taking a square dance class in your area. If you're in San Diego, I hope you can attend some of my dances!