Little Dixie celebrates 40 years of being Square

“Sweet country music! Square through and move your girl up the middle and clap” sang Little Dixie Square Caller, Leroy Conrad during the square dancers’ Saturday night dance.

The dancers meet every other Saturday at Moberly Area Technical Center to do what they love best.

Saturday the 18^th marked the 40^th anniversary for the Little Dixie Squares and approximately 40 dancers showed up to celebrate with memories, refreshments, and of course, dancing. Three tables of photographs and newspaper clippings were set up to show all the fantastic times dancing has brought to so many people throughout 40 years.

The Squares were formed in 1970 and every year since then, districts have voted on the best square dancing couple. These couples eventually get voted to state. The Square Dancers of the Year for the state of Missouri in 2004 were Dallas and Nancy Wheeler. Dallas has since passed on, but Nancy still comes to each dance to remember her and her husband’s favorite past time.

The Squares begin dancing at 7:30 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. Every Tuesday, square dancing lessons are offered at the Moberly Area Community College Commons located in the basement of the main building. Lessons are $2 and start at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Not very many people have even heard that Moberly has a Square Dancing group. I was pleasantly surprised about their existence when I saw their ad run through this newspaper. Having not danced since I was in fifth grade P.E., I showed up to take pictures of the event and instantly saw a large group of people dancing all together with big grins on their faces. It was clear that EVERYONE was having a great time! I’m not much into the old country styles of music and dance, but when I saw how happy everyone was, I made a mental note to clear my schedule for next Tuesday so I could participate in dancing lessons next week. When I heard the lessons were only $2 I knew I was going to get a great deal for something that could have cost me so much more money if I was in a different town.

I’m so glad that Moberly has such diversity to set up something like the Little Dixie Squares, it sure brings something interesting to our little town.