What is square dancing?

Square dancing is friendship set to music. It is the state folk dance of Georgia. In particular, square dancing is an exciting dance where four couples (arranged in a square) perform a sequence of steps and figures guided bya a “caller”. The caller announces each move, which the dancers execute with a combination of familiar/learned steps.

When and where do you dance?

Jug Tavern Squares regularly dance at the Brad Akins YMCA, 50 Brad Akins Drive, in Winder, Georgia, on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month, from 7:00pm until 8:45pm. We do even more dancing when classes are in
session!!

How much does it cost to visit?

For regular dances, the cost of admission for visitors is as follows:

• Members of other square dance clubs in NEGF – Free
• Visiting dancers – $6 per dancer
• Spectators – Free

For special dances (usually with guest callers), the price will be announced, but is generally about $7 – $8 per dancer.

Who calls your square dances?

Steve Holzhausen is our regular caller. We have guest callers every now and then.

How did the name Jug Tavern come about?

The original name, Jug Tavern, was derived from the earlier settlement known as “The Jug” and was sometimes
linked to a popular tavern located there. The area was first known as Snodon, given by Creek and Cherokee
Indians. In 1793, after settlers arrived, that’s when the area became known as “The Jug”. Ten years later, the name
was officially changed to Jug Tavern. In 1893, the town was renamed Winder to honor railroad builder John H.
Winder.

How do I become a member of Jug Tavern Squares?

You should have successfully completed a class to learn how to square dance at the Mainstream or higher level, ask to be a member, be voted in by the club, and pay your dues of $12 per dancer per month. Youth (any child who is under the age of 18 or still in school) are not required to pay dues for JTS membership.

What levels of dancing do you do?

We dance Modern Western Square Dancing at the Mainstream and Plus levels. One plus-level dance is typically called each dance night and is announced ahead of time. Also, there are usually one or two line dances thrown in which are generally demonstrated and can be easily picked up.

What do you mean by level of dancing?

The terms Mainstream and Plus designate sets of named instructions called during the dance with which the dancers are expected to be familiar. These same sets of calls (called “dance programs” by Callerlab which designates the lists) are used throughout the square-dancing world. To dance at the Mainstream level, dancers must know all the calls from the Basic and Mainstream lists; to dance at the Plus level, dancers must know all calls from the Basic, Mainstream, and Plus lists. The lists of calls and their definitions are at http://www.callerlab.org/Dance-Programs.

What type of attire do you wear?

Dancers tend to wear traditional square dance attire, except during the summer months (June-August) when more casual attire is generally adopted. At dances with a designated theme, many dancers choose to wear colors or clothing to go along with the theme. However, there is no mandatory dress code, and you’ll always find plenty of exceptions for any time of the year, so just relax and don’t fret about it. If you don’t know what traditional square-dance attire is, come to a dance as you are, and just observe.