In this club, it's hip to be square Middletown Ramblers promote Western-style dances in the Shore area BY LAUREN PIRO Correspondent MIDDLETOWN - In the midst of suburbia, barely out of sight from the lights, sights and modernity of New York City, it appears as though Western-style square dancing still has a home. Croydon Hall Senior Center, the stomping ground for the Middletown Ramblers, fills each Friday night with the rustle of petticoats, the sing-song of a caller, and smiles of friends seemingly brought together by the joy that they know as this not-so-lost art. But how does someone in this area even start square dancing? For many, including Betty Scharmann, past president and publicity liaison for the club, the activity holds not only fun, but also nostalgia. She speaks of learning to square dance when she was a Girl Scout and in high school, and was pleased when she rediscovered it through friends later in life, as goes the story for many of the Ramblers. "Usually, they are invited by someone to come," Scharmann said, discussing how people have joined the group. "They start out doing it because they think it will be good exercise, and when they find out it's fun, they're hooked." PHOTOSBY SCOTT FRIEDMAN At left: Alice Delancy, of Caldwell, twirls with vigor at a Middletown Ramblers event Friday in Middletown. Above: Tony Both and Doris Fabian, both of Brick and members of the Shore Swingers Dance Club, share a slow dance. Below: Beverley Yackel, Middletown, and Linden Stevenson, Staten Island, get ready to do-si-do. And hooked many have become. The club boasts about 66 active members, with more applications coming in. Scharmann believes they are the largest club in south or central New Jersey - not surprising, since it is obvious that the group is not only fun, but also dedicated and very knowledgeable as they step onto the floor. The process toward becoming a Rambler usually begins with the club's yearly cycle of lessons, this year set to begin on Oct. 2. By graduation in June, new dancers will have learned 116 calls, enough to qualify for the Ramblers' plus level of square dancing. In addition to the weekly lessons and dance nights, the club often does demos for other groups in the area, including an appearance at the annual Navesink Firemen's Fair. Scharmann herself has taught home-schooled children to dance, and the club offers an annual open house for potential members, this year slated to be on Sept. 28. While the members do not take their club lightly, the Ramblers are anything but overly formal, however. After all, they came here to have fun in the first place. Scharmann beams and smiles as she flips through a Ramblers scrapbook, remembering Halloween parties, New Year's Eve and the club's yearly Un-birthday Bash. Last week's dance included a White Elephant gift exchange. Members placed their unwanted knickknacks to be up for grabs on a table as dancers do-si-doed in the background. The group couldn't seem to be enjoying the activities and each other's company more. "It's been a lot of fun and I've met a lot of people," said member Frank Daniels, a square dancer since 1990. Member John Lovasz recalls similar reasons for joining the group, even though he seemed to begin as a reluctant husband of an interested wife. "She said, 'If you don't like it, we'll stop,' " he said. "We had a blast! We just enjoyed the people so much. I think that's what won me over." Many members even attend the annual National Square Dancing Convention, where they are able to meet people from all over the world who share their passion. Jim and Doris Brown fondly remember meeting a couple from Japan. For those in the area interested in learning how to promenade or swing through with the best of the Ramblers, the group will be offering a Barn Dance this Friday. The event is open to the public. "At the Barn Dance you learn about the first week or week and a half of what class would be," Scharmann said. She added that square dancing is for all ages, couples and singles alike, and everyone at the dance will get a partner to dance with. The event will take place at the Croydon Hall Senior Center from 7:30-10 p.m. Admission is free for dancers under 18, and $3 for all others. For more information, visit the Ramblers Web site at www.middletownramblers.org, or call Betty Scharmann at (732) 291-1188.