SDCCGB 70th Anniversary Weekend 2024

Members of Chain Reaction and Lune Valley Ocean Wavers who attended

On Friday 1st November 2024, over 200 square dancers from across the UK gathered at Burgess Hall St Ives (near Cambridge) to celebrate 70 years of square dancing hosted by SDCCGB (Square Dance Callers Club of Great Britain).

Dancing was organised in one-hour slots, each designated by level: SSD, MS, Plus, A1, A2 and Rounds across three different adjacent halls from 4.30pm on Friday and across the weekend to Sunday afternoon. Twelve of us from CR & Lune Valley (see photos on the following pages) spent all Saturday and most of Sunday dancing with 11 different square dance callers, including our own Di Green and Trevor Day (& 5 Round dance cuers). 

There was some comment about callers only being our ‘own UK callers’ and no big-name internationals, for us we enjoyed celebrating the achievements of the British square dance association with those who have taught us, challenged us and trained us over the years: Di & Trevor, Simon & Trudy Fielding, Emma Horsfield, Gene Turner, Phillip Mee & Kevin Lovell. Rob Branson & Granville Spencer were new to us, and each brought their own unique style (and challenges).

When are brains were fried or we just needed a rest there was plenty to see: the dancing in other halls, the rails of square dance paraphernalia and outfits, the café provided much needed coffee and snacks and the balcony gave a magnificent ‘arial’ view over the dancers in the main hall.

Kevin Lovell’s square dance games especially were hilarious! It was fantastic to wander around the three halls and see so many square (and Round) dancers together in one place, their colourful outfits and innovative colour schemes were great fun.

There were many long-term friendships & connections evident with new connections between dancers & clubs happening too, the camaraderie with the callers and each other was clear to see.

If you weren’t there you missed a good weekend, the photographs will give you a flavour of the event.

Gill Chard (writer) & Alan Chard (photographer)

Click on any image to enlarge it and use a slideshow.