In The Beginning...
In The Beginning...[1]
A Short History of the Founding of Times Squares
by Ken Pollack
Primordial Times: Mark Davis goes to a barn dance in Indiana with his aunt and uncle. Discovers the joy of square dancing. Wonders why it couldn't be done with gay people.
October 1983: Sundance newsletter, first notice for a gay square dance in New York: "Square Dance - Anyone interested in getting together for a square dance in the fall at an Upper East Side church should contact Mark Davis at 212-249-2023." Among those responding were Bob Mann and Ken Pollack, who used to dance with clubs on the West Coast, and Ed Sherman, who had done a lot of folk dancing.
November 12, 1983: Mark Davis and Bob Mann co-lead first Sundance square dance at Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, at 74th & York. Mark makes his now-famous cowboy sheets. Bob runs evening dances, using square dance records Mark had bought. Sundance newsletter indicates maximum attendance of 40; 75 people show up. Evening ends with thundering cowboy yell for another dance.
Jannary 6, 1984: Sundance holds second square dance, this time at Community Center. Required equipment: "Sneakers and bandanna." Sundance begins to hold square dances 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month at Community Center or Jan Hus Church. Mark Davis organizes, Bob Mann teaches with tapes and boom box. Early regulars include Tom Cook, Tim Elliott, Jack Hoppen, Sandy Moss, Larry Petterson, Gian Pace, Ken Pollack, Bob Rosenthal, Ed Sherman, Vinny Stoppia, and Harry Tessler.
January 22, 1984: First rumblings of level snobbery. Sundance holds an "advanced" square dance for those who already know Allemande Left and Right and Left Grand.
Late Winter/Early Spring 1984: (A) Bob Mann goes on round-the-world trip, sells his boom box to Sundance, leaves budding square dancers to persevere and flounder on their own. Roy Bohon begins co-leading dances with Mark Davis. Among those attempting to lead dances with tapes are Larry Petterson and Ken Pollack. No one knows what they are doing. (B) George Lanyi, of Western Star Dancers in San Francisco and a frequent visitor to New York, comes to a Sundance dance. Tells about gay square dance clubs in other cities and of a gay square dance convention being planned for April in Seattle. Ken Pollack, who had learned to dance when growing up in California and knew there was more to square dancing than Sundance's one-night stands but didn't know anything about teaching or calling, begins to see potential for turning the Sundance dances into areal square dance club.
In the Meantime: Ron Masker, who had done lots of basic-level square dancing with his school children and had been doing volunteer work at SAGE socials, calls a few square dances for SAGE. Jack Hoppen, who is planning the first outdoor club jamboree, scheduled for Labor Day weekend 1984 in the Catskills, hears of these dances and talks to Ron about calling at the jamboree. Jack also asks Ron to call at Sundance Friday dances. Ron rescues Sundance dances from their floundering state.
Late Summer 1984: Jack Hoppen goes to Florida, attends South Florida Mustangs' dance. Ken Pollack goes to Seattle, contacts Art Smith and Doug McPherson of Puddletown Squares, who give him square dance teaching materials, music, and lots of information on organizing a square dance club. Both Jack and Ken come back to New York full of ideas and excitement.
September 1984: Ken Pollack calls meeting with some of those who had been most active in Sundance square dancing (Mark Davis, Jack Happen, Gian Pace, Ron Masker) to talk about trying to get a real beginners class going outside of Sundance that would progress through Mainstream program. Ron and Ken start organizing for a class.
October 10 & 17, 1984: Ron conducts two "practice" class sessions for Sundance regulars in preparation for starting beginners class.
Wednesday, October 24, 1984: First beginners class starts at Fancy Dancer, a dance studio at 40th St. and 7th Ave. Attendance the first night is 19 people. By November 14, the night the class is closed (except for Mario Pecunia and Evan Schwartz, who wheedle their way into the class much later), 34 people show up. Seeds of first square dance romance planted as Carl Campbell and Randy Faria meet.
October 1984 to May 1985: Class learns Mainstream program. Group selects a name for itself (we really do have roots in Times Square). Club holds first square dance parties (we're small enough to have them in people's houses and apartments). David Giffler and Nelson Kuperberg host December party, Carl Bleiweiss hosts mid-winter party, Sandy Moss and Larry Petterson host spring party. Ken Pollack conducts Sunday workshops in his living room, neighbors don't complain. Club starts buying records and buys own sound equipment (with funds borrowed from members). Carl Bleiweiss makes banner. Class holds graduation at West Park Presbyterian Church, 86th and Amsterdam.
Memorial Day Weekend 1985: Our first foray into the real world of square dancing. Virtually the entire club (32 of 35) flies to Denver for the second gay square dance convention. At first we're all intimidated by the whoops and hollers and kicks and twirls. We don't know what everybody else is doing, but it doesn't look like what we think is square dancing. Nevertheless, during the grand march we get the biggest cheer, and by the end of convention, we're all hooked.
Sources
- ↑ Times Squared newsletter, Jan 1988
