Shawnee Square Dance Club celebrates 60 years of boot scootin'

The Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch and Addie Crawford are dancing their way to Shawnee to celebrate 60 years with the Shawnee Square 8's group and their Square Dance Club.

The Club is hosting an anniversary event this Saturday, and everyone is invited to join in the fun.

Johnny Hunter, the Club President, organizes the Square Dance classes and events at the Shawnee Senior Center.

Hunter said he encourages people to participate and stay active as he explains a bit of the history of the long-running club.

"We started in 1965. We will have, hopefully, a lot of people show up," he said. "We have everything from 8-year-olds to 86-year-olds dancing on the floor right now."

Hunter considers the hobby a sport, like all dancing, and said it helps people stay active even in their twilight years.

"As we get older, which I am one of those, movement's good. So you can get steps, you can have fun," he said.

The event also highlights the communal aspect of the club, as Hunter mentions a few members who have been impacted by the recent tornadoes that have hit the state, specifically in parts of Spaulding.

"After the tornadoes, I've been calling. We have some friends in Spaulding that are square dancers, I've called them to see if they need help," he said. "They lost their store that's been there for generations. We'll put together chainsaws or whatever we need to do to help them as a group. That's what it's about."

The square dancing brings people together, and Hunter plans on keeping the club alive for people to come join and learn what the moves and culture are all about.

"It's about having fun, camaraderie, learning specific patterns that you do, and like I say, have a good time and having fun," he said. "If we mess up, we just mess up and, hey, have fun."

The Shawnee Square 8's Square Dance Club's 60th Anniversary celebration will be on Saturday, April 26, starting at 6 p.m. at the Shawnee Senior Center.

Find out more about the Shawnee Square 8's and the club on their official Facebook page.