Making the rounds

Four years ago, Mike Jenefsky went square dancing in Reno and met a woman named Pam.

Three years ago, they were married.

And now Pam and Mike devote much of their time to square dancing and round dancing together in the evenings.

"When we first started, we were dancing five or six nights a week," Jenefsky said. "Now we're down to three or four."

New on their dancing circuit is the Merry Go Rounds group on Tuesdays at the Brewery Arts Center. The couple, who knows the cuer (pronounced cue-er, essentially, the caller) and his wife, have come for round dancing at the arts center two times and plan to continue making their trek from Reno.

"It's a good location," Jenefsky said about the center. "It's not downtown, but it's real close. It's easy to get to. I love their floors. They have fantastic wood floors. It's easy to move your feet when you're dancing because you do a lot of shuffling-type of things."

Round and square are similar types of dances, but in round dancing, one couple responds to calls by a cuer, and in square dancing, four couples respond to calls by a caller.

"Square dancing has a caller just like round-dancing," said Don Swartz, the cuer for the Merry Go Rounds. "But you don't have to be dependent on three other couples like you do in square dancing."

In square dancing, four couples move through patterns in a square, with one couple on each side. In round dancing, couples move counter-clockwise in a circle. Common steps used while moving through the circle include the foxtrot, the cha-cha, the rumba and the waltz.

"Honestly, I feel round dancing is a little bit harder (than square dancing) because you have to make sure you hear the call," Jenefsky said. "In square dancing, you have several other people to help you through. When you're round dancing, there's only the two of you."

Round dancing is learned through several phases. Students coming to the Merry Go Rounds can learn some of the basics from 7-7:45 p.m. From then on to the end of the evening at 9, it's all dancing all the time, with calls from the cuer.

Swartz, who began dancing about 30 years ago, recently learned to cue round dancing. He's been doing it for more than a year.

"Round dancing is a lot of fun," he said. "It's good exercise, just like square dancing. Doctors recommend it."

Swartz is also the round-dancing cuer at the Capital Cut-ups on Fridays at the Carson City Senior Citizens Center (cost $3). He also is the cuer on Thursday nights at Dayton High School for the Merry Go Rounds. Square dancing is also available at the senior center and at Dayton High School.

Jenefsky, who has just been round dancing for about a year and square dancing for several more, said he's just beginning to progress through the cues.

Mistakes do occur on the dance floor.

"You laugh about it," he said. "And you try to straighten it up."

-- Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.