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Exercise for your mind and body:  responding to the caller's calls and moving to the rhythm of the music uses all parts of your brain at one time and provides moderate physical exercise for your body.  A wholesome family activity for adults and children with no fancy moves required, no age limits:  if you can walk and follow directions, you can square dance.

This is a universal activity  Modern Western Square Dance clubs can be found all over the world and, no matter where you go, the calls are called in English.

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Fish Fry Map 2024
Paris Squares Title

Paris Squares Logo

Mainstream and Plus Level Squares and Cued Lines between Square Tips
Central Community Services Center
55 Jones Bend Rd. Ext.
Paris, TN (see map at left)
Dance Monday nights, 7:00 - 9:00 except Memorial Day and Labor Day
Contact:  stonehuntr@yahoo.com  731-642-2491
Or check our Facebook Page for current schedules and/or changes:
Paris Squares on Facebook


Paris Squares dances at Central Community Services Center in cooperation with the Henry County Office On Aging.  Part of our agreement says that we do not charge for dances, so there is no charge for dancing or classes.

Our classes usually start the Monday after Labor Day with two "open house" sessions which are introductory.  Classes run from 6:30 to 7:30 with the club dance going from 7:30 to 9:00 on class nights.  Class members are welcome to stay and watch the club dance.  There are usually 15 lessons, one hour each week for 15 weeks.  This takes dancers through Basic and Mainstream levels of dance.  It is important to be willing to commit to regular attendance at classes as each class builds on what was learned in the previous class.  We are a Mainstream and Plus level dance club, so after graduation from the Mainstream class, new dancers will begin to learn plus level calls.


Below are some links to introduce you to Modern Western Square Dance and to demonstrate the Basic, Mainstream and Plus Calls.
Fish Fry 2024 Flyer        See Map for Dance at Left (3rd map down)

               FISH FRY CELEBRATION INFORMATION
This year Paris, TN is celebrating their 71st World's Biggest Fish Fry and Paris Squares is sponsoring a dance in celebration of this event.

The World's Biggest Fish Fry is an annual week-long celebration in Paris Tennessee.  Leading up to this week there are beauty pageants.  During the week there are rodeos, demolition derbies, street dances, concerts, week-long carnival with rides and sideshows and a "Fish Tent".  All week long they serve tons of catfish with beans , slaw, hush puppies, and fries.  The week ends with a Grand Parade on Friday and a Small Fry parade and Catfish Races on Saturday.  The "Fish Tent" always has long lines that can be 1 to 2 hours long at peak times.  There are at least three restaurants in Paris that do an excellent job of serving Catfish.

In years past, (as early as the 1960's) square dance clubs in Paris always had a square dance on that Friday night.  After the second club folded due to lack of participation, we did not have the dance for several years.  When we decided to bring the dance back in 2023, we decided to move the dance to Saturday so we could have better out of town participation and also add an afternoon session.

Since we had such great success last year we plan to continue.  Our plan is to have well known callers at the dances to help draw visitors as well as give our local dancers a chance to dance to well known callers.

For our 1st dance Robert Townsend was our caller.  We had 10 squares and were packed in our hall.  We have found a larger venue for this year and Tom Miller has agreed to call the dance for us.  We are charging a little more than last year to help pay for the event hall and the caller.  Paris Squares uses all the gate receipts and donations for expenses and the caller.  We will also have a 50/50 pot.

Some visitors to the Fish Fry actually get rooms in neighboring towns due to local rooms being booked up.  We recommend you actually book rooms now.  You can always cancel reservations.  If the hotel you try to reserve online shows it is booked, try calling the hotel directly.  Sometimes they block out rooms for the week and reserve them directly for their regular customers.

Hampton Inn (brand new building) and Super Eight both have inside rooms.  The next best to Hampton Inn is a Quality Inn (used to be a Hampton).  It has mostly outside easy access rooms.  The other motels are lesser and we would not recommend them.  McKenzie & Dover in TN and Murray, KY have several motels and are 25 to 35 minutes away.  Paris Landing State Park Resort has rooms about 20 minutes away, but, again, it is a true hotel with inside access and they like their rooms.

Paris Squares hopes you come and enjoy The World's Biggest Fish Fry and dance with Tom Miller.

Go to Squaredancehistory.org and view this video.  It is great!
https://squaredancehistory.org/items/show/2007
While you are there, view the other sections for history, etc.
The Tennessee State website for square dancing:
http://www.tnsquaredance.org/
This site gives you access to all the clubs in Tennessee and other info.
Taminations
https://www.tamtwirlers.org/taminations/
This is a graphic version of all the calls.
You Tube Square Dance Lessons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=p-wDn9QRjJ0
This starts Mainstream Lesson 1A and will continue through each lesson.
Square Dance Lessons
https://videosquaredancelessons.com/lessons/
This link is a list of all lessons and each lesson can be run online.  Also has a 2 set DVD available to order for all Mainstream and Plus calls.


Our AMAZING Fish Fry Dance - April 29, 2023!  80+ dancers!  Memphis, Nashville, Clarksville, and Cookeville, TN and Murray and Elkton, KY, .  Thank you to every dancer and visitor who attended and especially to Robert Townsend for calling a PHENOMENAL dance and workshop!
Beginning Plus Workshop
Beginning Plus Workshop Beginning Plus Workshop
Robert Townsend calling for Beginningn Plus Workshop
Pre-Dance Round Dance
Pre-Dance Round Dance



Pre-Dance Line Dance
Any music is a good reason to dance! Pre-Dance Line Dance
Pre Dance Line Dance Pre Dance Line Dance Pre Dance Line Dance
SEVEN SQUARES!!! SEVEN SQUARES!!! SEVEN SQUARES!!!
Various Photos:  Paris,TN, Alabama?, Memphis Night Train (x2), and Elkton, KY (x6)
Alabama Square dance Paris Squares Memphis Square Dance
Memphis Square Dance Todd Co. KY
Todd Co. KY
Todd Co. KY Todd Co. KY
Todd Co. KY



Todd Co. KY





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