Now women may wear Western-style skirts and men may wear boots and Western shirts. It's easier to wear petticoats and do styling. During a promenade, women grasp a handful of skirt hem and petticoat, lifting it to reveal a cascade of color. As they perform other movements, they may swish or flip a bit of skirt. This is known as styling.
Members say the club is a safe, fun place to meet people.
Several people from work joined the same beginners' class with me. I got married, left square dancing, came back, and married again. Pete Beatty has been dancing for six years. At first I thought it was for hicks, but I was wrong. Craig Rice, the cuer, calls out the movements to background music.