Berlin Square Dancers Do-Si-Do to 'YMCA' Introduced by US Military Personnel, Square Dancing Catches on in Germany

Warner, Mary Beth, The Christian Science Monitor

President Clinton leaves Germany today after a two-day visit that marked the 50th anniversary of the Berlin airlift, when Western Allies kept the city supplied through the 1948-1949 Soviet ground blockade. But the celebrations don't include one aspect of American culture that's taken firm hold here in the wake of the US presence: square dancing.

The normal quiet of a Sunday spring evening in the German capital was broken recently by all the whooping and hollering down at the White Rose recreation center. Lofting from the basement windows are calls of "yee-hah" and "do-si-do," as dozens of feet slide across the parquet floor.

Due to the cramped, temporary …

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Publication information: Article title: Berlin Square Dancers Do-Si-Do to 'YMCA' Introduced by US Military Personnel, Square Dancing Catches on in Germany. Contributors: Warner, Mary Beth - Author. Newspaper title: The Christian Science Monitor. Publication date: May 14, 1998. Page number: 8. © 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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