<< Back 5/22/02 Square dance club graduates new members, holds dances SMN Nine student dancers recently graduated to full membership in the Pisgah Promenaders Western Square Dance Club in Waynesville. A graduation celebration took place last month and a graduation dance was held in honor of the new members a week later. Pisgah Promenaders Western Square Dance Club sponsors student dance classes on Monday nights from September to April at the Waynesville Recreation Center on Boundary Street in the former armory. While they are learning to follow the calls, which increase in complexity as the lessons progress, students dance with experienced dancers who are referred to as “Angels.” Western style square dancing is held to uniform standards of proficiency throughout the United States and throughout the world. Pisgah Promenaders graduate at the level called “mainstream” and later may proceed to “plus” and higher levels. Eight of the nine graduating students are shown in the photograph. Left to right, standing, are Mac Schaeffer, Dianne and Tim Merkins, Elizabeth and Clay Kirk, Sharon and Dennis McCook and Les Wilkins. Mary Ellen Melchiorre was not present when the photograph was taken. In front of the graduates is Walt Pucket, teacher and caller for the student classes. Club dances are held the second and fourth Saturday nights of every month from 7 to 9:45 p.m. at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Mainstream and plus levels are danced alternately with line dances cued between the square dance sets. Refreshments are provided by the members of the club. Callers from this region as well as other regions of the country conduct the dances. Ken Perkins from Pelzer, S.C. is the regular club caller. Club dancers reside in Haywood, Buncombe and Jackson counties. For information on membership at either a student or a more experienced level, call Lin Bostic, president, at 828.743.5078 or Paul Volkmer, secretary, at 828.456.8539.