How to Box the Gnat

All over the country, many Americans are learning to "dip for the oyster", "box and gnat", and "wring the dishrag" . These are special names for different movements in square dances.

A square-dance party may be called by many names. Such a party may be called a hog wrassle, a hoedown, a barndance, or shindig. All square dances are alike in certain ways. Four couples line up and face each other. A caller chants or sings directions. The dancers shuffle, glide, or run while people clap.

Pioneers in New England started these dances. As people moved westward and southward, new movements were added. In the Midwest, dancers created the "grand right and left". In the far West, cowboys lifted their partners off the ground during "the swing".

Square dancing comes from dances done long ago in England. People there did country dances. In one country dance, dancers formed a circle. This dance was called a round. Another country dance was the longways. In this one, two long lines of dancers faced one another. A popular longways is called the Virginia reel.

Around the year 1900, square dancing was dying out. Dancers liked the new couple dancing better. In the 1940s, people became interested in the songs and dances the pioneers enjoyed. Square dancing became popular again. The interest in square dancing is still growing, but it's not easy to learn some of those movements! Square-dance contests award ribbons or badges to the winners. If you're invited to a hog wrassle, get ready for music, action, and fun.