Independence Squares is Philadelphia’s Modern Western Square Dance club serving the LGBTQ+ community. Our callers play music ranging from Johnny Cash to Beyonce. You may wear what you like and change partners for each tip (a 15-minute dance). We welcome everyone to join us for active, social and fun dancing.
New Square Dancers
Classes for beginners start every September. In addition, we have a few open houses every summer for beginning dancers who might be interested in our club. Join our the email list for announcements about our fall 2027 classes. Everyone on that list will receive emails about our open houses and any other opportunities for novice square dancers when we schedule them. You can also contact us at independencesquares@hotmail.com and we will reply to answer questions you may have.
Saturday Square Dances
Independence Squares Saturday Dances attract experienced dancers from clubs across the Mid-Atlantic region. See our Dance Schedule page for the dates, callers, locations and themes. Notice that some dances focus on the Advanced and C1 programs, some on the Mainstream and Plus programs, and some include all four programs.
Tuesday Square Dance Classes and Workshops
The club offers classes and workshops for beginners and experienced dancers on Tuesdays from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. Our beginners (Mainstream) class starts in September and finishes in the spring. All experienced dancers are welcome for our Plus, Advanced and C1 level programs. Our callers, Betsy Gotta and Mark Franks, keep every session active and fun.
We dance at 2111 Sansom St, Philadelphia, the back entrance to the Lutheran Church. Admission is $5.00. Discount parking is available next door at 2107 Sansom St. Use the QR Code at the admission table to get the best price for parking. Please bring snacks to share! 🍪
For more information, see our “Classes” link or email us at independencesquares@hotmail.com.
Unlike conventional clubs, you don’t have to come with a partner, anyone can dance either the man’s or woman’s part, and we dance to a broad range of music that can include Abba, Garth Brooks, Fleetwood Mac, Lady Gaga, Phantom of the Opera and ZZ Top (for starters). You can dance in jeans and t-shirts too. Square dancing is a social, low-key way to meet people.
The call lists are those used by Callerlab. Classes are open to all, and you can become a member after you learn the Mainstream program and pay membership dues. Dances are open to all dancers who have learned the full program being called at the dance.
2022 Glitter Ball
In addition to dancing with us, once you’ve learned the Mainstream program, you can go to square dances all over the country and around the world and join right in. There are dances locally, regionally nationally, and internationally, with attendance ranging from 20 to over 1,000 people at national conventions.
So banish those memories of high school gym class and see how much more fun you can have as a grown up! Hope to see you in a square!
Philadelphia Freedom 2023 Fly-In. A Disco Fever Celebration!
Information concerning our Health and Safety Protocols (HASP) can be found at the link below. All dancers and guests are responsible for understanding and abiding by our health and safety protocols, so we encourage you to read them carefully.
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