Square dancers gather in Odessa

People from all over the state gathered at the American Legion in Odessa to dance round and round — but mostly square.

The Permian Basin Square and Round Dancing Association brought the 49th annual Conclave of the Texas State Federation of Square and Round Dancers to town, and dozens of officials and dancers along with it.

“I go everywhere I can to dance,” Barbara Killgore of Brownwood said.

The Conclave is one of four annual meetings conducted by the federation, where they elect new officers for the upcoming year and finish planning for the June festival. This year, the theme is the “Dance by the Bay,” in Galveston.

Ed Ewbank, Conclave chairman and 2004-’05 president of the federation, explained that when they have to get together for meetings, they make sure to enjoy themselves, too.

“Every time we have a meeting, we throw in a dance as well," Ewbank joked. “It’s mostly dancing with a little business.”

Joe Poole of Fort Worth said he’s been square dancing for 40 years, and first learned of it through his grandfather, who fiddled and called barn dances in the 1940s.

“It’s more for the whole family than just adults,” Poole said. He said that square dancing’s heyday seems behind it because families and kids have more options than they used to.

Ewbank also said that the federation has hit rough times in recent years.

“The whole country is experiencing a decline in folk dancing,” Ewbank said, pointing to the decline in the national convention’s attendance in just one decade.

According the National Square Dance Convention, 16,638 people from all over the country showed up to San Antonio in 1996. In 2006, just 7,188 came to the home of the Alamo for the same event. (The convention peaked in 1976 in Anaheim, Calif., when 39,796 attended.)

Indeed, there was a scarcity of youth at the Legion, but it wasn’t completely absent. Meagan Rutledge, an 11-year-old from Amarillo, traveled here with her grandparents for the Conclave and plans to go to her sixth state festival later this year. She recommended the activity for everyone.

“Square dancing is fun because you meet other interesting people just have a blast doing it,” Rutledge said.

Tonight the Conclave weekend continues with more dancing, raffles and attire sold on-site at the American Legion, with round dancing starting at 7 p.m. and square dancing at 7:45 p.m.

Annual meetings
>> October: Presidents meeting
>> January: Nominating meeting
>> March: Conclave meeting
>> June: Festival

Want to go?
>> What: TSFSRD 49th Annual Conclave
>> When: 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. today.
>> Where: American Legion, 2701 E. Eighth Street

Dance Schedule
>> 7 p.m.: Pre-Rounds
>> 7:45 p.m.: Grand March, Opening Ceremonies
>> 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.: Squares with rounds (2+2)