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Hayden — "We eventually fell in love and five years later we got married," Sturges said. "We've been married now for 31 years and we're still square dancing."

Every Friday night at 7 p.m., members of the Greenridge Mountaineers from Soutt Routt, Yampa, Oak Creek, Hayden, Steamboat Springs and Craig meet at the Hayden Congregational Church UCC to square dance.

"Sometimes one or two single men come from Rawlins, Wyo., because they don't have any women there," Sturges said.

Caller Jim Kline also drives from Rawlins with his wife Kathie.

"I married her for her looks, but not for the look she's giving me right now," said Kline on Friday night.

He is known for his sense of humor and dedication to the sport. Kline is a middle school guidance counselor by day and a caller for at least four different clubs at night.

"Square dancing is friendship set to music," Kline said. "The hardest thing about square dancing is listening, and listening is also the easiest thing."

Beginners are always welcome and should not be intimidated by the steps. Kline explains everything and always calls the moves before you execute them.

It costs $5.50 per person to participate and that fee covers the cost of mileage for Kline and for renting the space. But you don't need a dance partner to come.

"We're a big happy family there. Those of us who have a husband or partner share them with the single women," Sturges said. "We make sure that everybody dances."

The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. for those who want to circle dance, and square dancing lasts from 7 to 9:30 p.m. In between each tip - which is a set of two dances - everybody takes a break and snacks on homemade goodies the members bring.

Each square of dancers is comprised of four couples, or eight people that dance together.

"We typically have enough people to have two or three squares," Sturges said. "And at the end of each set, everybody thanks each other, and in our group, every body hugs."

The Greenridge Mountaineers formed almost ten years ago in Yampa and still retains the same warm, inviting, fun atmosphere. Most people come for the socializing much more than for the dancing.

"I love to dance but I also love the music, love the people and it's a fun way to exercise," Sturges said. "It's good therapy too because you let go of all the stress and strains of life."

There is no dress code, but first timers typically wear jeans and sneakers or cowboy boots.

"For the people who have been there a while, men wear pants and nice long sleeve shirts, and the women have pretty dresses and wear petticoats and pettipants," Sturges said. "Some men get matching shirts to match the women's skirts."

There also are special badges people can earn for where they square dance.

"You can get a duck badge for dancing in the water, a grasshopper badge for dancing in the grass and a cloud hopper badge for dancing in the mountains," Sturges said. "I think you have to be over 10,000 feet for that."

Although there are square dancing competitions, the Greenridge Mountaineers dance for fun. And every year they have a pool party at the hot springs where they dance in the water.

"It's also an international sport," Sturges said. "Some people I know have danced in other countries but all the calls are always in English because it's part of our American heritage to square dance, and it grew up in America."

There are five or six different levels of difficulty and hundreds of different steps. Sturges, who has been dancing for 36 years, still appreciates square dancing for its cultural heritage.

"In the early days a lot of ranchers, farmers and rural people connected within rural areas by dancing," she said. "We're really kind, friendly, down to earth people and that hasn't changed."