Dance Lessons - Info

Square Dance Lessons  Please contact rcdpresident@gmail.com or phone 503-679-0486 to inquire about joining the next class in September 2024

Round Dance Lessons began on February 18,  2024. Please contact rcdpresident@gmail.com to inquire about joining the next class or call 503.661.4366.

How much do lessons cost? Each lesson is $6 per person.

What should I wear? Street clothes and comfortable shoes. Some of our “angels” will be dressed in traditional square dance attire to add flavor to lessons. This is not an expectation for new dancers. Later you may wish to wear “dance attire” but for the classes just dress comfortably.

Who is a “new dancer”? A person who has not taken square dance lessons in the past or is returning to the dancing world after an absence and wishes to refresh their skills. We do not use the term “student” because we are all continuing to learn.

Who is a “caller”? A caller is the person who “calls” or tells the dancers what moves to take throughout a dance or “tip”.  River City’s caller is Darrell Kalmbach. 

Who is a "cuer"? The caller of a round dance is called a cuer. River City's cuer is Tami Helms and her partner is Tim Keck.

Who is an “angel”? Our club members who are volunteering their time to share their love of square dancing with new dancers.

What if I can’t dance? If you can walk to music you can learn to square dance. Many of River City’s experienced dancers had never been on a dance floor prior to learning to square dance.  It is our responsibility to help you learn to dance – mistakes are our fault not yours.

What if I don’t have a dance partner?  No problem. Single dancers will be partnered with another single dancer or one of our club members.

May I invite a friend to next week’s lesson?  Joining after the 2nd lesson requires advanced approval by the lessons chairs and the callers.  

What if I miss a lesson? We know most new dancers may have to miss a lesson or two. While new dance moves are taught each week they are also reinforced in subsequent lessons. Don’t let a missed lesson discourage you. Our callers and angels will help you catch up.  

What types of music will I hear? River City Dancers dance to a variety of music styles including pop, rock, techno, gospel, country western, and more.   

Weekly Lessons Update:

Each week following lessons class members will receive an email with updates on the dance moves that have been covered. We will also include reminders about upcoming activities and beginner level dances, called Jamborees.

Online resources:

For those dancers who like to read and refresh themselves on the dance moves between lessons several online resources are available. We encourage you to use these resources and look up dance moves only after being taught them by our callers. Don’t worry about “reading ahead”.

Taminations – an animated square dance website.

-The steps covered in our lessons are located under the MAINSTREAM tab.

-Steps are listed alphabetically, not in the order they will be taught.

-Use the weekly lessons update email for a reminder of the dance moves already taught.