A lot of folks view square dancing as a quaint artifact from a bygone era, but a visit to a Do Pas O Square Dance Club event will quickly dispel that notion.

The music is modern country-western, Broadway and holiday tunes that have been rerecorded to meet square dance requirements.

According to Bill Gordon, a veteran song caller of 35 years, the participants need to be as clearheaded as an aerobics class to respond to the caller's instructions.

Experienced square dancers eventually learn about 100 moves, but there are no preset patterns used by the dancers or caller. Every move is improvised. That element of surprise is part of what makes square dancing fun.

Do Pas O's annual main event for beginners, what the club calls its All-Day Blast, will be held from 1-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Otterbein United Methodist Church at Queen and Clay streets in Lancaster. The $24 ticket includes dinner, and the registration deadline is Wednesday, Jan. 11.

Do Pas O also sponsors weekly beginner classes from 8-9:30 p.m. Monday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 222 N. George St., Millersville, from September through April. The cost is $5. And the club holds a square dance for experienced dancers from 8-10:30 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month at the Otterbein venue, at a cost of $7, which includes snacks and beverages.

Do Pas O uses both local and national traveling callers, and the calling is divided into two categories: patter calls and a rhythmic singing call.

Do Pas O, named after a dance move, will celebrate its 60th anniversary Oct. 28, and on Feb. 12, the group will hold its 35th annual Heart Fund Raffle and Dance from 2-5 p.m. at Otterbein. The cost is $7.

Do Pas O is just one of dozens of regional clubs affiliated with the Pennsylvania Square and Round Dance Federation (psrdf.org). Enthusiasts willing to travel a little can find a dance several times a month.

Eileen Kropf and Steve Zweifach are the current presidents of the 80-member Do Pas O club. Kropf said she overcame her initial negative image of square dancing when she tried the modern version three years ago.

"It's a good emotional release," she said. "You leave your troubles at the door. The club provides such a warm and welcoming environment that I wouldn't want to be without it."

For more information about Do Pas O Square Dance Club, visit dopaso.org or call Barry Shirk at 872-6162.