“I’m having more fun now than I have in my whole life,” Andrith Davis said. “It’s more than just dancing, it’s a lifestyle.”
The dancing Davis is referring to is square dancing, more specifically with the Monarch Mavericks Square Dance Club, which has been in Salida for 47 years. Originally named the Shavano Shufflers, the group broke up and regrouped as the Monarch Mavericks because “we went against the grain,” Davis added with a smile.
In 2018 the National Library of Medicine published an article titled “Dance training is superior to repetitive physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity in the elderly.”
Many studies have been done on the benefits of dancing. Davis said one 21-year-long study by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found frequent dancing reduced the risk of dementia by 76%.
In addition to those statistics, square dancing in particular improves your balance and focus, Davis said.
“You have to be listening to what’s going on while the body is processing and hands and moving – it’s a conveyor belt of communication going through nonstop. It sharpens all of your senses.”
Craig Galler, vice president of the Mavericks and also the president of the South East Area Square Dancing Council, said it gave him a lot of confidence.
“I’ve had a triple bypass and a hip replacement,” Galler said. “Within three to four weeks of my hip replacement, I was back on the floor.”
Nancy Bowsher, who served as the club’s secretary for 12 years, said being a member of the Mavericks has been “life changing. I mean I don’t know what I’d do with my time if I wasn’t dancing – it’s all consuming.”
Bowsher also said she’s had two strokes and is a cancer survivor. After one stroke her doctor said she shouldn’t be able to talk.
“Square dancing changes how you feel, almost like missionary work,” she said. “It gives you the chance to be socially active without a whole lot of pressure to be anything but who you are. In dancing you are the most fun person you can be – you can let your little kid out.”
Galler said square dancing got started during World War II, as part of the education system of the U.S. military as a way to teach U.S. culture. It’s all called in English too.
Davis added that wherever there is a U.S. military base, like Germany, England and France, local residents there had been taught square dancing.
Thanks to the emergence of the internet, club dancers are now able to find and connect with dancers wherever they are, using the website WherestheDance.com.
Davis said, “It changes your life, it really does. It’s not just our little club – it’s a statewide, nationwide, worldwide activity. When you join, you’re coming into a family, the square dance family.”
The club is offering a free first-timers fun dance from 2-4 p.m. Jan. 11 at the American Legion Hut, 235 W. 10th St. This is an introductory way to increase participation and membership.
Those who enjoy the fun dance are invited to join classes that start the following weeks. There is no drinking or smoking during the dance, as minds must be clear of distraction to keep up with the pace, Davis said.
Davis explained, “For modern Western square dancing, you have to take classes to learn. You can’t just walk in and join in – it’s a lot more intricate and complex than that. But we do love to have company come and watch us – we’re bad about showing off.”
Galler said he and his wife started with an open dance and got hooked. “We decided to take lessons, went through the whole nine yards. It really is quite hard to explain, but when you get through that first dance with no mistakes, you can’t believe the feeling.”
While the club members regularly hear from people that they can’t join because they “have two left feet,” these addicted dancers say, “No problem, bring them both!”
“Feet are just a vehicle to get you from one place to another,” Davis said. “Square dancing is all done with the hands.”
Again, the three wanted to be clear that their version of square dancing is “not your grandmother’s.” They dance to all types of music, from western to Michael Jackson to Pink. And, it’s not just for couples – singles are more than welcome.
If those reasons aren’t enough, Bowsher said come for the laughs.
“We do a lot of laughing,” she said. “A lot of sides hurt because we laugh ourselves silly.”