Fun Dancing With John Wargowsky

I had heard about the Martinsburg Square Dance over the years and always wanted to attend. I finally worked it into my schedule on January 23. It is held every other Saturday evening, 8-11 pm at the Martinsburg Community Hall in Knox County about ¼ mile west of Martinsburg on US Rte 62.

I was given a friendly greeting by two ladies as I entered the Community Hall. The admission fee is only $4 and food and drinks are available for purchase at reasonable prices. The dance floor was full of squares (about six). A live band was providing the music. The Mount Vernon News has an excellent story about this regularly held dance so I suggest you read that article.

Everyone was friendly. Square dancing was hoedown style and was easy to follow. The basic pattern was two squares with polkas, waltzes and other music in between. The age of those dancing ranged from teenagers to seniors. Everyone was actively socializing when not dancing.

I talked to people in between square dancing. Some have been going to this dance well over 30 years. Some expressed the desire that more people know about this dance so they could join in the fun. Others told me about similar dances in other parts of the state. As they get me more information about those dances I will also share what I learn about them.

If you enjoy square dancing, I suggest you attend when you can work it into your schedule. If you are aware of other regularly held square dances such as this one, please contact me so I can publicize it through the Square, Round & Line Dancing in Ohio group on Facebook. If you are not a member of that group, I welcome you to join and receive the monthly e-mails about hoedown square dancing and round and line dancing opportunities in Ohio.