Squaredance Fundamentals (Paperback)

by John W. Jones (Author)
Key Phrases: lefthand star, rotary formation, basic handhold, Courtesy Turn, Star Promenade, Half Sashay (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
While there have been countless fun books written on square dancing, Squaredance Fundamentals was the first to cut to the chase. There is no interesting history of square dancing, there are no entertaining anecdotes, just the nuts and bolts of how to square dance.

The author worked painstakingly with the graphic artist to execute a feat never achieved before in a square dance manual. Revolutionary illustrations show the dancer's point of view, not just the spectators' viewpoint. Dancers can, without turning on their heads, glean from the detailed illustrations exactly what they need to be doing with their hands, feet, etc. Each dancer can effortlessly grasp the material and easily retain it.

Renown master caller/teacher, Marshall Flippo, assiduously assisted the author in establishing the very first guidelines for standardized "Basic Maneuvers" which would enable square dancers to dance gracefully with any group, anywhere. This was a true innovation in square dancing not yet available in the late 1960's.

Marshall also painstakingly edited this first-of-its-kind book, twice! - to be sure it met the highest standards of accuracy and ease of understanding for square dancing neophytes.

One of the greatest merits of this book is its logical continuity, which can be a tremendous aid to both the caller/teacher and the student, regardless of how it is used. New dancers, taking lessons, can go home and review what they have learned in class and prepare for the next, significantly shortening the learning curve.

Although a few changes in the names of the calls have been made through the years, it is a simple task to merely write in the current name for the square dance call according to your instructor. But no one shows you better how to execute the maneuvers than John W. Jones with his super simplified instructions and state-of-the-art illustrations in Squaredance Fundamentals - the gold standard for over 37 years.

About the Author
A complex, intense man by nature, John sometimes had trouble interacting with his ‘neighbors’ the way he would like. It was through his membership in the Traildusters Square Dance Club, then in Chatsworth, CA that he was finally able to relax and simply enjoy the camaraderie of his fellow dancers - developing close, lasting friendships like those he’d enjoyed in his childhood.

The time involved and the mental expenditure of energy was profound as he set about, with the diligent assistance of renown master caller/teacher Marshall Flippo and other square dance notables, to construct the first ever, standardized “Basic Maneuvers” square dance instruction manual. Its’ greatest merits are the logical continuity and clarity of instruction, and the prolific, detailed illustrations.

Originally from the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, for many years John traveled the country in high demand as an electrical engineer and technical writer for myriad industries. Traveling for business also afforded him the opportunity to confer with some of our nation’s most respected men and women in square dance, thus allowing him to mix business with great pleasure.

John will always be grateful to the many callers and dance masters across the country who, through their love of the dance, so generously and graciously contributed to the quality of this first-of-its-kind book - Squaredance Fundamentals.

Always passionate, his interests are varied, running the gamut from the aeronautical (he has often been accused of ‘flights of fantasy’) to war and cowboy histories, early Hollywood moguls and icons, alternative health measures, classic cartoon and comics, and even encompasses global conspiracy theories. Each year, for the better part of his life, he read through Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary - just to keep his vocabulary intact.

John, now in his mid-eighties, has four daughters, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Unfortunately, he suffered a catastrophic stroke in 2003 which has virtually incapacitated him physically. He now resides in Idaho, home to many well known square dance authors.

As evidenced from the photos below, he has not lost his renown sense of humor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (February 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419659812
• ISBN-13: 978-1419659812
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,179 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Squaredance Fundamentals, March 26, 2007

By	Square Dancer "Corbin" (Texas) - See all my reviews

I never thought I would be able to remember and learn the steps necessary to be a square dancer. I have been to many square dance clubs with a vast variety of callers, I always felt (and acted) one step behind the rest of the participants. Then I got "Squaredance Fundamentals", I now have the confidence and the knowledge to feel for the first time that I'm not a burden to the group that I'm engaged with. I always thought that visual instruction guides (i.e. VHS, DVD, live instruction) would be superior to a book and that theory was correct until I got this book! The written style with the illustrations depicting the dancers perspective made everything so simple and I was able to understand what needed to be done in the privacy of my own home without being embarrassed in a group setting. If you or a loved one is looking for a Square dance instructional guide this is it. There may be tons of books out on the market, but there can only be one that's the best, it's "Squaredance Fundamentals."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Midwest Squaredancer, November 26, 2007

By	Norm (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

My wife wanted to take squaredance lessons, but I never thought I could remember all those calls. We had to change quite a few of the names on the basic maneuvers in the manual since they're different names now, but the illustrations made it very easy for my wife and me to practice at home. And when we couldn't remember how to execute a call, the instructions were simple enough even I got it. Overall, I would highly recommend Squaredance Fundamentals to anyone just learning. It's worth changing the names because the illustrations are so clear and detailed. That's why I give it 4 stars instead of 5.