For dancers, it's just old-fashioned fun.

Byline: GARRET JAROS The Register-Guard

In a kaleidoscope of swirling skirts and bolo ties set to stun, square dancers from across Oregon and the nation let it fly - hoedown style - at the Lane County Fairgrounds this weekend.

"We still need a good-looking rich couple up front," coaxed caller J.R. Sparks from atop a stage in front of a sea of dancers on Saturday.

"Now, up to the middle and come back with a la-la-la," he sang.

The crowd sang back, "la-la-la," but a little too weak-voiced for Sparks' liking, drawing a gentle scolding.

Sparks, who has been calling for 20 years and dancing for 30, made a special trip from his home in Indiana to call the annual Mid-Winter Festival. The gathering has been a square-dancing mainstay in Eugene for 43 years. Sponsors expect nearly 1,800 dancers before the final twirl is called at 3 p.m. this afternoon. Spectators are welcome, and the youth dance from noon to 1 p.m. is open to newcomers.

Participants will tell you there are no standouts or stars in square dancing, but in the spotlight is the caller, whose job it is to "get the joint jumping" and lead dancers through more moves than an Air Force family. The job is part patient teacher, part singer and part comedian.

"No, it's not part patient teacher," Sparks corrected with a grin on his face between dances. "It's full-time." Then he signed an autograph. "You're just an entertainer. You come out to have a good time."

There was no shortage of that on Saturday, nor a shortage of people who wanted to point out that square dancing isn't just twang-twinged tunes and do-si-do'ing.

"There are probably more moves than in an aerobics class," said dancer Sue Kindrick of The Dalles. "And it's a good mental activity. People think of nasal country music, but they do it to all kinds of music now. Some people think it's funny, but they don't realize what a good time you can have."

And what about those threads, with their turn-of-the-century skirts designed to expose not only knees, but also knickers, called "petti pants," said Monica Krug, a fashion vendor from Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

"It's more of a costume," she said of both the women's and men's outfits, with their hand towels, bolo ties, silk scarfs and Western shirts. "People immediately recognize it."

Krug acknowledges the square dance crowd has grayed over the years, but she's not concerned about any loss of its popularity.

"We like to get 40-year-old couples when the children leave home, as a marriage binder," Krug said, "something they can do together. It's very often called a marriage saver."

And one night of dancing is equal to five miles of walking, she said.

"A lot of people are here because their doctor told them to get out and square dance."

Kindrick, along with her husband, Jerry, started square dancing three years ago at the invitation of friends. They touted it not only for the workout, but for the friendships formed.

"We showed at that first dance with our 2-year-old grandson who got fussy," Kindrick said. "And then the caller held him on his shoulder and it put him right to sleep, and that was it for us."

CAPTION(S):

BRIAN DAVIES / The Register-Guard Ina May Franklin of Corvallis takes a twirl on the dance floor during the 43rd annual square dance gathering at the Lane County Fairgrounds on Saturday.