JEROME, Idaho — As nights get long, square dancing brings people together through the winter.
- Magic Valley Square Dancers meet on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the Jerome Senior Center.
- A new round of classes for beginners starts in January.
- This coming June, the Idaho Federation of Round and Square Dancing will hold itsIdaho State Festivalin Jerome.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"Everybody mingles and we bring treats and we share stories that have been going on through the week and it's our own little family, big family," said Nona Eslinger.
Her husband, Ed Eslinger, calls out the dancing moves at the Jerome Senior Center, and he's got plenty of experience.
"I've been doing this for 38 years," Ed said. "I'm not very good, but I enjoy it."
In fact, square dancing is what brought Ed and Nona together.
"Way back when I was young ,we met at a square dance," Nona told me. "And he was a single and needed a partner and so was I, so we were partners. So we danced for a year and we fell in love and got married."
Magic Valley Square Dancers Vice President Leonard Booth has been coming to these dances for about three years.
"Learning how to do the moves and how to twist and turn right, turn left, your right hand and your left hand," Booth said.
The group very kindly let me join in, and was even kinder as I turned myself the wrong way a time or two. While chatting with Booth, I mentioned it wasn't all as easy as one might think.
"Oh, heavens no," Booth said. "It took me, well like I said, three years and we're still learning."
"What people need to do is expect to have fun. That's the biggest thing. We're here to have fun, but we're here to learn too," Booth said.
Susan Kersey has been square dancing since 2015.
"It's a great community," Kersey said. "You see the same people at all the different places that you go so you get to know people and everybody is so friendly. And a lot of good exercise."
A new round of lessons will be starting up in January, which can get anyone interested enough in the basics for a good old time, and there are a couple of big events coming up next year.
The Idaho Square and Round Dance Federation's 2025 state festival will be in Jerome in June, at the fairgrounds.
"You can't beat entertainment for five dollars and if you start learning now, you could come to the festival and have a lot of fun," Kersey said.
