Sacramento Home To Nation's Second-Oldest Gay Square Dance Group

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — One of the oldest gay square dancing groups in the country is right here in Sacramento, and they're welcoming anyone who wants to join the fun.

"You pass through bitnit, now star through, veer to the left."

The melodic instructions coming from the man with the microphone would sound foreign to most of us.

But these dancers are as fluent as they are fluid—as friendly as they are fast on their feet.

"We welcome everybody."

But everybody better be ready to doe-see-doe with an open hand and an open mind.

This isn't your grandma's square-dance club. It's the second-largest gay square dancing troupe in the nation.

"We've been here for a long time, but I don't think a lot of people know about us."

Since 1981 they've been two-steppin' with style—The Capital City Squares, clearly too hip to be square.

They know practice makes perfect, and first-timers might find this pretty intimidating.

"Yeah, if somebody just walks in the door, and they think, 'My god, what is happening here?' Yeah, it's difficult to figure out."

What isn't difficult to figure out is these guys have fun in an accepting environment. And straight couples are welcome, too.

"They like to come dance at our clubs, because there's a lot more energy."

Gay or straight, these square dancers swing to their partners, knowing they can take these moves anywhere and still understand the man at the microphone.

The next round of classes start in September.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the group was the nation's second largest. It's the second oldest.