58th annual Square and Round Dance Festival in Yuma this week

Hundreds of dancers from Arizona and from out of state will be in Yuma beginning with the Trail In Dance at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Yuma Square Dance Hall, 2255 E. Palo Verde.

Festivities for the 58th annual Yuma Square and Round Dance Festival will follow Friday through Sunday at the Yuma Civic Center, 1440 W. Desert Hills Drive.

The festival gives square dance enthusiasts a chance to dance with noted callers and for round dancers to follow cuers from the United States and Canada.

Spectators are invited to watch for free, the best times being Friday and Saturday nights.

The festival kicks off Friday 7 p.m. and resumes Saturday with dances, workshops and instruction all day starting at 9:30 a.m.

The biggest event of the weekend will be the Saturday night dance, beginning with round dancing and a grand march of dancers at 7 p.m.

John and Hope Anderberg are organizers for this year's Southwest Splendor festival. Many dancers are coming from Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Canada.

Guest callers include Roger Putzler from Oregon; Randy and Marie Preskitt, Washington; Mike Sikorski, Mesa; and Jerry Jestin, from Canada and Yuma.

Yuma callers include Bob Stutevoss, Don Young and Steve Porter. Cuers for the round dancers are Ron and Mary Noble, Bruce and Kristine Nelson, Steve and Patty Porter, Arnold and Jeanette Tramp.

The festival will wind down Sunday morning with a casual dance from 8:30 to 10:30.

Following a tradition for the past 17 years, Jake Veretto and his wife, Jean, will be serving coffee and doughnuts Sunday morning. "We usually have 40 dozen doughnuts and 20 gallons of coffee," Veretto said.

"We'll be dancing, just like we have since 1955," he added. "We first danced with The Starlighters Club, at Stogy Miller's place, 1231 2nd Ave., now Citywide RV store. That was a long time ago, when we danced at the old Crane School on Avenue C, and one of the best - the old bowling alley that was Joe Hunt's on 4th Avenue."

The Verettos and other participants in the upcoming festival come from a long square dancing tradition in Yuma.

"My dad, Stogy, was a caller, what he called 'hash' calling, which meant the dancers had to listen, because he could change the calls at any time, and would often do that to keep the dancers alert," his daughter, Deanie Lebrecht, recalled.

"Bess, my mom, did 'singing' calls," Lebrecht said.

Many of the square dancers in the early 1960s took lessons from "Doc" and Orva Freestone. This couple led the youth Country Cousins dancers, who were dubbed ambassadors for Yuma when they were on tour. Lebrecht said she was one of the dancing cousins.

"I used to dance with The Starlighters," said Carol Schmidgall Golden. "We danced at Stogy's and also up on Prison Hill in the old hanging tower - it's still there, but dances aren't allowed. Other dances were at the Yuma Women's Clubhouse and other places.

Betty Vance, owner of the Yuma Square Dance Hall and the boutique, said, "The hall was built in 1978 and is the location for square and round dances that aren't held in the various RV parks."

Vance recalls the changes in the square dance music and the clothing.

"The women still wear the flared skirts over voluminous petticoats, although the style is a bit different. Golda Barnes, a customer, now wears the prairie skirt, which is longer.

"Betty is a winter visitor from Coos Bay, Oregon, and has been dancing for 55 years. She'll be 92 soon and is looking forward to the festival."

Fran and Al Westphal, who live in Oregon and in Yuma's Friendly Acres RV Park, plan to be at this weekend's festival.

"Square dancing has been our life for years, mine from childhood," said Fran. "We've met so many great people. It's good exercise and fun."

For information about the festival, call 342-0977 or 345-1233.