Hip to be square

Youth filed in the Kennedy Middle School gym wearing colorful cowboy hats, braids and bandanas bowed to their partners and began dancing while trying to keep their square intact.

Students promenaded and do-si-do’d last night in an attempt to win Square Bowl XIX — the Redwood City school’s annual square dancing competition. The evening event is the culmination for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students finishing a square dancing unit in physical education class. Judges watched teams of eight for three to four songs looking for symmetry, best dancers and best dressed.

"Students have spent four weeks perfecting was is essentially a foreign language like do-si-do,” said physical education teacher Doug Dressler.

The evening began with sixth grade students performing and the kids got progressively older. Each group was able to pick its square-mates and create a costume design. Outfits ranged from colorful T-shirts with bandanas to traditional hats, button-up shirts and braids for the girls. A few guys even donned sheriff stars.

The annual event began as a way to keep the kids active during times of bad weather, explained physical education teacher Jim Smith who has taught at Kennedy for more than 20 years.

Dressler joked, the kids were always being taken from physical education, so they came up with a way to get the kids back into it. When the Square Bowl began, it was first held during school hours.

This year, the gym was filled with parents and community members watching the kids sport their moves.

Although many of the students had no prior square-dancing experience, they all seemed excited to perform and continue with the dance curriculum.

The best sixth grade dancing team was square one made up of Jolene Torres, Matt Marshall, Jackson Brown, Connor Swan, Noelle Rubas, Alana Puerto, Rob Matthews and Claudia Teck. The team came together about three weeks ago, Teck explained.

Some of the kids started dancing in December, said Torres. Others on the team also take music and needed to pick up the moves, said Rubas.

Practice definitely helped the team get better, Marshall said.

Confidence about a potential win was split among the group. Brown knew the team was the best. Swan, on the other hand, almost had a "heart attack” in anticipation and Matthews thought he might faint while waiting for team’s number to be called.

Brown was particularly proud of his trophy with plans to drink from the top cup. He wasn’t sure what he’d drink, however.

"Even if we didn’t win, we still would’ve had fun,” Puerto said with a smile.

Next up for the kids is ballroom dancing. That segment comes to a close on Feb. 28 with the Grand Ball Bowl where up to 50 couples from each grade will dress up and perform classics such as the waltz and fox trot. All are welcome to attend.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.