View the Cream City Squares web site at this link |
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The following history of Cream City Squares is from the Group's web site. Bob Moore tried to get a Milwaukee gay & lesbian square dance group started in the Fall of 1990. It failed, but the idea survived. Joe Frazier, formerly of Foggy City Squares in San Francisco CA, contacted Bob in the summer of 1991. Joe agreed to teach a class in Fall, when he learned there was no group. Joe donated his time, even though he lived an hour away from Milwaukee. We started our first class in October of 1991, and our club was born. Cream City Squares was chosen as our name, because Milwaukee's old nickname was Cream City (the color of the local clay bricks used here in so many historic buildings). We joined the IAGSDC® (International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs) in 1992. Many of us have enjoyed the annual IAGSDC® square dance conventions and member clubs' fly-ins around the country. Joe began to train Don Dilges as a substitute teacher for Cream City Squares class in the Winter of 1993, because snow would sometime delay Joe's arrival. Don Dilges attended the GCA (Gay Callers Association) Caller School in Chicago, in conjunction with the 1995 IAGSDC® convention, and became our regular club caller. Cream City Squares originally danced in local Lesbian/Gay bars, but it was always a struggle with noise & other conflicting events. We found dance space at Lake Park Lutheran Church in July of 1998. The majority of our members wanted an alcohol & smoke free environment. The Church provided a nice large space, and just the type of healthy atmosphere we wanted. We consider ourselves a Mainstream Club, but every third tip is a Plus tip. Most of the club members are bidansual (dance both girl & boy roles).
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Credits: Bulk of contents from Cream City Squares' own history published on their web site;
Historical newsletters from Jerry Johnson Collection in UWM Archives.
Last updated: March-2007.
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