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Curious City

‘Friendship set to music’: Curious City goes square dancing on the South Side

Curious City

WBEZ Chicago

Investigation, Chicago, Radio, Arts, Society & Culture, Public, Education, Curious, City

4.6661 Ratings

🗓️ 25 September 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s a Thursday night and a group of folks in Washington Heights do-si-do to the bassline from “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb. Square dancing has a reputation as more of a hobby for white people set to country music. But social clubs like the Southside Squares are turning that image on its head. Last episode, we heard how square dancing was once a booming hobby. Today, we hear from one social club that’s working to keep it alive in the 21st century. But square dancing’s African and African-American roots often get lost in popular accounts. Some of the first callers and musicians were enslaved Black people. Since then, square dancing has continued to be a part of African-American communities, including a long-running social club that meets up in Washington Heights every week to get down. Today, we hear from members of the Southside Squares. And you can’t have a dance without a caller. We also talk with a living legend in square dancing: world renowned caller Sandie Bryant. She’ll show us the ropes and tell us what it’s like being one of the few Black women callers today.

Transcript

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0:00.0

One, two, one, one, one.

0:02.0

Good evening.

0:04.0

Good evening.

0:05.0

What's up, Chicago?

0:07.0

I'm Erin Allen, and this is Curious City.

0:10.0

I am at the Third Baptist Church, 195, at a dance, hosted by the South Side Squares.

0:17.0

Going about to the partner, and a corner of two, head square through and again about four.

0:23.5

It's a social club, and this is their motto.

0:26.4

Square dancing is friendship set to music.

0:30.3

Pass through, Alabama with a corner girl walking, get her right to grab.

0:39.3

Bounce in a partner,, corner to stay right there.

0:41.7

Good dancing.

0:43.1

It's a Thursday night at Southside Squares,

0:45.7

and the folks I talked to were taken aback

0:48.9

by the fact that I did not know how to square dance.

0:52.6

And do you know any square dancing?

0:55.0

I know nothing.

0:55.9

I'm totally new.

0:56.9

You never even had it in school?

0:59.1

No, I mean, I know how to hustle.

1:02.6

That's about it.

1:03.6

One of these lovely ladies is club vice president, Gloria Clay.

...

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