I've been square dancing since December, 1985...and attended each
National Square Dance Convention from 1986 to 2002. Since then,
health and financial issues have prohibited me from attending any
conventions.

Anyway, others may feel differently about how a particular convention
went, but this is how I felt they were...from best to worst.

Rank: 1 Year: 1986 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

I don't know if it was not knowing what to expect, but not having
been to a National Square Dance Convention (NSDC) before...to me,
THIS was how a NSDC should be run. I was at the Hilton Airport,
having registered just 2 months before the convention. I spent most
of my "eatings" at a Hardee's a short distance from the Hoosier Dome
(now the RCA Dome). The shuttle bus service, the facilities, the
dance floor, the sound for the halls, the vendors, the food service,
the caller selection...ALL were excellent, in my opinion. I could
not find anything to quibble about...and it showed, with over 27,000
dancers registered to fun all under one roof. This became the first
of my "annual religious pilgrimages". It was here again in 1999, but
sadly, that NSDC was a far cry from this one. The RCA Dome was
imploded for a new structure in 2009.

Rank: 2 Year: 1994 Location: Portland, Oregon

Since I began dancing, this convention had the second most dancers
in attendance...close to 22,000. With the exception for some events
at a nearby arena, served by trolley and shuttle bus service, this
was a great convention. The Special Event concert Wednesday night
at the arena with Ronnie Milsap was very enjoyable...and so was the weather...as well as the train ride out and back.

Rank: 3 Year: 1993 Location: St. Louis, Missouri

This was all under one roof, and dancing under the Arch on the
Wednesday night before the convention. Ironically, one week later,
the entire riverfront area where we were was under floodwaters from
the Mississippi River. Thursday was the only day of thunderstorms there...Friday and Saturday's weather was nice. Dancing at the
restored Union Station was nice, although one lady was injured when
she fell from her high heels getting caught in some of the brick
surfaces in the open area.

Rank: 4 Year: 1991 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Even though it was all under one roof, there was confusion upon
arrival at the Amtrak station for several dancers...concerning hotel transportation. I somehow lost $500 in travelers cheques on the
train, but was able to get them back...which proves NOT to carry
large amounts of just cash on a long trip!!

Rank: 5 Year: 1988 Location: Anaheim, California

This convention has the distinction of the most dancers to ever
attend a National Square Dance Convention (almost 40,000 dancers in
1976)...and it hosted the 50th NSDC in 2001. This was my first train
trip to a NSDC, and it was fun!! Of the almost 27,000 dancers for this convention, 5000 were single...and 3500 were ladies. My feet swelled
on the train, and I danced practically nonstop Wednesday night...then,
limped back to the hotel in tears, due to terrific pain. I bought a
pair of "Happy Feet" the next day. This was where I learned to dance
the girls part (Dancing By Definition) to Lee Kopman, in a hurry!! The
Parade Of States had to "parade through" a rather small arena...and
unless you already had a seat in there, you missed things...I know the
Fire Marshall was about to have a fit!! The weather was great...highs
in the 70s, lows in the 50s (as it was over 100 back in Texas and
Arkansas). The DisneyLand After Party Saturday Night was fabulous.
The Sunday morning after the convention, we felt the fringes of an
earthquake, centered 45 miles east of Los Angeles...but there was
little damage that I could see. Unfortunately, the 2001 NSDC that
was held here (noted below) was not as good.

Rank: 6 Year: 1992 Location: Cincinatti, Ohio

I don't recall a lot about this convention...rather "average"; but,
just over 20,000 dancers. It was under one roof, for the most part.

Rank: 7 Year: 1998 Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

This convention, another "average" one...the worst thing was that
since 1994, attendance had been dropping steadily.

Rank: 8 Year: 1997 Location: Orlando, Florida

This convention, had the potential to be a good one, with it being
all under one roof. However, there were bad sound overlap problems,
and poor shuttle bus scheduling. To top it all off, Saturday night,
in the midst of a tropical thunderstorm, when the shuttle bus got
back to my hotel, the security guard (for whatever reason) punched
our bus driver in the face!! I was standing out in the pouring rain,
calling for help on my amateur radio handi-talkie. When I got back
to the Convention Center that night, I was shaking so bad from the
adrenaline rush, that I couldn't dance. The case eventually went to
trial, with the guard convicted of the crime, fined, and imprisoned.
The State Of Florida flew me down there to testify, but that was not
my idea of a Florida vacation. The Disney World After Party was
cancelled at the last minute.

Rank: 9 Year: 2001 Location: Anaheim, California

The 50th year of the National Square Dance Convention, had the
potential to be a good one...but just like the 2000 NSDC in
Baltimore, bus service was poor. Many dancers were not buying
bus passes until the last minute, and by then, too few buses were running...even though there were just 4 total routes. The Anaheim
Convention Center had several areas where there was sound bleedover,
plus food and beverage prices were comparable to the high gasoline
prices. Just over 13,000 dancers attended, with 2000 dancers taking
part in a parade down Disneyland's Main Street. The best event of
the entire convention was the Special Event with The Alley Cats
"a cappella" (no accompaniment) do-wopp group...among others.

Rank: 10 Year: 2002 Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

This convention was spread out between the Radission Hotel (5 blocks
from the River Center), and the combination River Center/Touchstone
Energy Place Convention Center. The Radission had a majority of round
dancing, with the rest of the activities at the River Center. Due to
the low amount of registrations (8817), partially due to the tragedy of
Sept. 11, 2001, the shuttle bus transportation was limited to only 3 routes...campground, and 2 others...and the routes were served by
school buses!! There were problems with the sound, if you weren't
near the front of the hall, or near the speakers. Plus, food costs
in the Convention Center were rather pricey.

Rank: 11 Year: 1999 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Unlike the 1986 Convention, this years just barely broke 10,000
dancers. There were problems with the shuttle buses...and the food
prices in the Convention Center were extremely high...$3.50 for a
32 ounce drink!!

Rank: 12 Year: 1989 Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Single Square Dancers were "exiled" to the Fairgrounds, where
the RV Campers were...and there were shuttle bus problems. They got
the 2003 NSDC. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, due to health
and financial constraints...it was the first convention I had missed
in 17 years...and I have not attended any since the 2002 NSDC in
Minneapolis.

Rank: 13 Year: 1995 Location: Birmingham, Alabama

The Singles again were in a location 2 blocks away from the main
dancing activity. One caller who got up to call in the morning in
the Singles Hall, promptly left the floor without calling his tips,
when no one would square up for him!! Attendance was 50% lower than
the previous years NSDC that was in Portland, Oregon.

Rank: 14 Year: 1990 Location: Memphis, Tennessee

Transporation was a big problem at this convention...as well as
a very small space for the Parade Of States.

Rank: 15 Year: 1996 Location: San Antonio, Texas

The Singles were "exiled" to the Alamo Dome; and with poor shuttle
bus service, and with the hot Texas summer sun, some dancers fell ill.

Rank: 16 Year: 1987 Location: Houston, Texas

From one extreme to the other, this was the worst convention of all
I had attended...at least until the 2000 Convention in Baltimore (see
below). The biggest part was that they tried to sound the square dance
halls with Peavey Rock-N-Roll Speakers instead of the tradtional
Yak-Staks. Unless you were right in front of the speaker, you couldn't
hear. This fiasco practically caused a dancer/caller revolt...with 1/3
of the 20,000 dancers leaving town the first day of the convention!!
There were also shuttle bus problems, and the after party coordination
at Astro World was poorly handled.

Rank 17 Year: 2000 Location: Baltimore, Maryland

While sound wasn't a great problem at Baltimore, it was to some
extent. However, there were other much more severe problems that led me
to place Baltimore on the BOTTOM of the list of past conventions. These included very poor bus transportation...convention center food service and prices...dancing was spread out, and signs to direct dancers to the right
halls were sorely lacking. Going between the halls meant walking through "walk-in cooler strips", plus the square dance halls were on concrete...
with preferential treatment apparently given to round dancers and cloggers.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)

I've been square dancing since December, 1985...and attended each
National Square Dance Convention from 1986 to 2002. Since then,
health and financial issues have prohibited me from attending any
conventions.

Anyway, others may feel differently about how a particular convention
went, but this is how I felt they were...from best to worst.

Rank: 1 Year: 1986 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

I don't know if it was not knowing what to expect, but not having
been to a National Square Dance Convention (NSDC) before...to me,
THIS was how a NSDC should be run. I was at the Hilton Airport,
having registered just 2 months before the convention. I spent most
of my "eatings" at a Hardee's a short distance from the Hoosier Dome
(now the RCA Dome). The shuttle bus service, the facilities, the
dance floor, the sound for the halls, the vendors, the food service,
the caller selection...ALL were excellent, in my opinion. I could
not find anything to quibble about...and it showed, with over 27,000
dancers registered to fun all under one roof. This became the first
of my "annual religious pilgrimages". It was here again in 1999, but
sadly, that NSDC was a far cry from this one. The RCA Dome was
imploded for a new structure in 2009.

Rank: 2 Year: 1994 Location: Portland, Oregon

Since I began dancing, this convention had the second most dancers
in attendance...close to 22,000. With the exception for some events
at a nearby arena, served by trolley and shuttle bus service, this
was a great convention. The Special Event concert Wednesday night
at the arena with Ronnie Milsap was very enjoyable...and so was the weather...as well as the train ride out and back.

Rank: 3 Year: 1993 Location: St. Louis, Missouri

This was all under one roof, and dancing under the Arch on the
Wednesday night before the convention. Ironically, one week later,
the entire riverfront area where we were was under floodwaters from
the Mississippi River. Thursday was the only day of thunderstorms there...Friday and Saturday's weather was nice. Dancing at the
restored Union Station was nice, although one lady was injured when
she fell from her high heels getting caught in some of the brick
surfaces in the open area.

Rank: 4 Year: 1991 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Even though it was all under one roof, there was confusion upon
arrival at the Amtrak station for several dancers...concerning hotel transportation. I somehow lost $500 in travelers cheques on the
train, but was able to get them back...which proves NOT to carry
large amounts of just cash on a long trip!!

Rank: 5 Year: 1988 Location: Anaheim, California

This convention has the distinction of the most dancers to ever
attend a National Square Dance Convention (almost 40,000 dancers in
1976)...and it hosted the 50th NSDC in 2001. This was my first train
trip to a NSDC, and it was fun!! Of the almost 27,000 dancers for this convention, 5000 were single...and 3500 were ladies. My feet swelled
on the train, and I danced practically nonstop Wednesday night...then,
limped back to the hotel in tears, due to terrific pain. I bought a
pair of "Happy Feet" the next day. This was where I learned to dance
the girls part (Dancing By Definition) to Lee Kopman, in a hurry!! The
Parade Of States had to "parade through" a rather small arena...and
unless you already had a seat in there, you missed things...I know the
Fire Marshall was about to have a fit!! The weather was great...highs
in the 70s, lows in the 50s (as it was over 100 back in Texas and
Arkansas). The DisneyLand After Party Saturday Night was fabulous.
The Sunday morning after the convention, we felt the fringes of an
earthquake, centered 45 miles east of Los Angeles...but there was
little damage that I could see. Unfortunately, the 2001 NSDC that
was held here (noted below) was not as good.

Rank: 6 Year: 1992 Location: Cincinatti, Ohio

I don't recall a lot about this convention...rather "average"; but,
just over 20,000 dancers. It was under one roof, for the most part.

Rank: 7 Year: 1998 Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

This convention, another "average" one...the worst thing was that
since 1994, attendance had been dropping steadily.

Rank: 8 Year: 1997 Location: Orlando, Florida

This convention, had the potential to be a good one, with it being
all under one roof. However, there were bad sound overlap problems,
and poor shuttle bus scheduling. To top it all off, Saturday night,
in the midst of a tropical thunderstorm, when the shuttle bus got
back to my hotel, the security guard (for whatever reason) punched
our bus driver in the face!! I was standing out in the pouring rain,
calling for help on my amateur radio handi-talkie. When I got back
to the Convention Center that night, I was shaking so bad from the
adrenaline rush, that I couldn't dance. The case eventually went to
trial, with the guard convicted of the crime, fined, and imprisoned.
The State Of Florida flew me down there to testify, but that was not
my idea of a Florida vacation. The Disney World After Party was
cancelled at the last minute.

Rank: 9 Year: 2001 Location: Anaheim, California

The 50th year of the National Square Dance Convention, had the
potential to be a good one...but just like the 2000 NSDC in
Baltimore, bus service was poor. Many dancers were not buying
bus passes until the last minute, and by then, too few buses were running...even though there were just 4 total routes. The Anaheim
Convention Center had several areas where there was sound bleedover,
plus food and beverage prices were comparable to the high gasoline
prices. Just over 13,000 dancers attended, with 2000 dancers taking
part in a parade down Disneyland's Main Street. The best event of
the entire convention was the Special Event with The Alley Cats
"a cappella" (no accompaniment) do-wopp group...among others.

Rank: 10 Year: 2002 Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

This convention was spread out between the Radission Hotel (5 blocks
from the River Center), and the combination River Center/Touchstone
Energy Place Convention Center. The Radission had a majority of round
dancing, with the rest of the activities at the River Center. Due to
the low amount of registrations (8817), partially due to the tragedy of
Sept. 11, 2001, the shuttle bus transportation was limited to only 3 routes...campground, and 2 others...and the routes were served by
school buses!! There were problems with the sound, if you weren't
near the front of the hall, or near the speakers. Plus, food costs
in the Convention Center were rather pricey.

Rank: 11 Year: 1999 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Unlike the 1986 Convention, this years just barely broke 10,000
dancers. There were problems with the shuttle buses...and the food
prices in the Convention Center were extremely high...$3.50 for a
32 ounce drink!!

Rank: 12 Year: 1989 Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Single Square Dancers were "exiled" to the Fairgrounds, where
the RV Campers were...and there were shuttle bus problems. They got
the 2003 NSDC. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, due to health
and financial constraints...it was the first convention I had missed
in 17 years...and I have not attended any since the 2002 NSDC in
Minneapolis.

Rank: 13 Year: 1995 Location: Birmingham, Alabama

The Singles again were in a location 2 blocks away from the main
dancing activity. One caller who got up to call in the morning in
the Singles Hall, promptly left the floor without calling his tips,
when no one would square up for him!! Attendance was 50% lower than
the previous years NSDC that was in Portland, Oregon.

Rank: 14 Year: 1990 Location: Memphis, Tennessee

Transporation was a big problem at this convention...as well as
a very small space for the Parade Of States.

Rank: 15 Year: 1996 Location: San Antonio, Texas

The Singles were "exiled" to the Alamo Dome; and with poor shuttle
bus service, and with the hot Texas summer sun, some dancers fell ill.

Rank: 16 Year: 1987 Location: Houston, Texas

From one extreme to the other, this was the worst convention of all
I had attended...at least until the 2000 Convention in Baltimore (see
below). The biggest part was that they tried to sound the square dance
halls with Peavey Rock-N-Roll Speakers instead of the tradtional
Yak-Staks. Unless you were right in front of the speaker, you couldn't
hear. This fiasco practically caused a dancer/caller revolt...with 1/3
of the 20,000 dancers leaving town the first day of the convention!!
There were also shuttle bus problems, and the after party coordination
at Astro World was poorly handled.

Rank 17 Year: 2000 Location: Baltimore, Maryland

While sound wasn't a great problem at Baltimore, it was to some
extent. However, there were other much more severe problems that led me
to place Baltimore on the BOTTOM of the list of past conventions. These included very poor bus transportation...convention center food service and prices...dancing was spread out, and signs to direct dancers to the right
halls were sorely lacking. Going between the halls meant walking through "walk-in cooler strips", plus the square dance halls were on concrete...
with preferential treatment apparently given to round dancers and cloggers.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)

I've been square dancing since December, 1985...and attended each
National Square Dance Convention from 1986 to 2002. Since then,
health and financial issues have prohibited me from attending any
conventions.

Anyway, others may feel differently about how a particular convention
went, but this is how I felt they were...from best to worst.

Rank: 1 Year: 1986 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

I don't know if it was not knowing what to expect, but not having
been to a National Square Dance Convention (NSDC) before...to me,
THIS was how a NSDC should be run. I was at the Hilton Airport,
having registered just 2 months before the convention. I spent most
of my "eatings" at a Hardee's a short distance from the Hoosier Dome
(now the RCA Dome). The shuttle bus service, the facilities, the
dance floor, the sound for the halls, the vendors, the food service,
the caller selection...ALL were excellent, in my opinion. I could
not find anything to quibble about...and it showed, with over 27,000
dancers registered to fun all under one roof. This became the first
of my "annual religious pilgrimages". It was here again in 1999, but
sadly, that NSDC was a far cry from this one. The RCA Dome was
imploded for a new structure in 2009.

Rank: 2 Year: 1994 Location: Portland, Oregon

Since I began dancing, this convention had the second most dancers
in attendance...close to 22,000. With the exception for some events
at a nearby arena, served by trolley and shuttle bus service, this
was a great convention. The Special Event concert Wednesday night
at the arena with Ronnie Milsap was very enjoyable...and so was the weather...as well as the train ride out and back.

Rank: 3 Year: 1993 Location: St. Louis, Missouri

This was all under one roof, and dancing under the Arch on the
Wednesday night before the convention. Ironically, one week later,
the entire riverfront area where we were was under floodwaters from
the Mississippi River. Thursday was the only day of thunderstorms there...Friday and Saturday's weather was nice. Dancing at the
restored Union Station was nice, although one lady was injured when
she fell from her high heels getting caught in some of the brick
surfaces in the open area.

Rank: 4 Year: 1991 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Even though it was all under one roof, there was confusion upon
arrival at the Amtrak station for several dancers...concerning hotel transportation. I somehow lost $500 in travelers cheques on the
train, but was able to get them back...which proves NOT to carry
large amounts of just cash on a long trip!!

Rank: 5 Year: 1988 Location: Anaheim, California

This convention has the distinction of the most dancers to ever
attend a National Square Dance Convention (almost 40,000 dancers in
1976)...and it hosted the 50th NSDC in 2001. This was my first train
trip to a NSDC, and it was fun!! Of the almost 27,000 dancers for this convention, 5000 were single...and 3500 were ladies. My feet swelled
on the train, and I danced practically nonstop Wednesday night...then,
limped back to the hotel in tears, due to terrific pain. I bought a
pair of "Happy Feet" the next day. This was where I learned to dance
the girls part (Dancing By Definition) to Lee Kopman, in a hurry!! The
Parade Of States had to "parade through" a rather small arena...and
unless you already had a seat in there, you missed things...I know the
Fire Marshall was about to have a fit!! The weather was great...highs
in the 70s, lows in the 50s (as it was over 100 back in Texas and
Arkansas). The DisneyLand After Party Saturday Night was fabulous.
The Sunday morning after the convention, we felt the fringes of an
earthquake, centered 45 miles east of Los Angeles...but there was
little damage that I could see. Unfortunately, the 2001 NSDC that
was held here (noted below) was not as good.

Rank: 6 Year: 1992 Location: Cincinatti, Ohio

I don't recall a lot about this convention...rather "average"; but,
just over 20,000 dancers. It was under one roof, for the most part.

Rank: 7 Year: 1998 Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

This convention, another "average" one...the worst thing was that
since 1994, attendance had been dropping steadily.

Rank: 8 Year: 1997 Location: Orlando, Florida

This convention, had the potential to be a good one, with it being
all under one roof. However, there were bad sound overlap problems,
and poor shuttle bus scheduling. To top it all off, Saturday night,
in the midst of a tropical thunderstorm, when the shuttle bus got
back to my hotel, the security guard (for whatever reason) punched
our bus driver in the face!! I was standing out in the pouring rain,
calling for help on my amateur radio handi-talkie. When I got back
to the Convention Center that night, I was shaking so bad from the
adrenaline rush, that I couldn't dance. The case eventually went to
trial, with the guard convicted of the crime, fined, and imprisoned.
The State Of Florida flew me down there to testify, but that was not
my idea of a Florida vacation. The Disney World After Party was
cancelled at the last minute.

Rank: 9 Year: 2001 Location: Anaheim, California

The 50th year of the National Square Dance Convention, had the
potential to be a good one...but just like the 2000 NSDC in
Baltimore, bus service was poor. Many dancers were not buying
bus passes until the last minute, and by then, too few buses were running...even though there were just 4 total routes. The Anaheim
Convention Center had several areas where there was sound bleedover,
plus food and beverage prices were comparable to the high gasoline
prices. Just over 13,000 dancers attended, with 2000 dancers taking
part in a parade down Disneyland's Main Street. The best event of
the entire convention was the Special Event with The Alley Cats
"a cappella" (no accompaniment) do-wopp group...among others.

Rank: 10 Year: 2002 Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

This convention was spread out between the Radission Hotel (5 blocks
from the River Center), and the combination River Center/Touchstone
Energy Place Convention Center. The Radission had a majority of round
dancing, with the rest of the activities at the River Center. Due to
the low amount of registrations (8817), partially due to the tragedy of
Sept. 11, 2001, the shuttle bus transportation was limited to only 3 routes...campground, and 2 others...and the routes were served by
school buses!! There were problems with the sound, if you weren't
near the front of the hall, or near the speakers. Plus, food costs
in the Convention Center were rather pricey.

Rank: 11 Year: 1999 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Unlike the 1986 Convention, this years just barely broke 10,000
dancers. There were problems with the shuttle buses...and the food
prices in the Convention Center were extremely high...$3.50 for a
32 ounce drink!!

Rank: 12 Year: 1989 Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Single Square Dancers were "exiled" to the Fairgrounds, where
the RV Campers were...and there were shuttle bus problems. They got
the 2003 NSDC. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, due to health
and financial constraints...it was the first convention I had missed
in 17 years...and I have not attended any since the 2002 NSDC in
Minneapolis.

Rank: 13 Year: 1995 Location: Birmingham, Alabama

The Singles again were in a location 2 blocks away from the main
dancing activity. One caller who got up to call in the morning in
the Singles Hall, promptly left the floor without calling his tips,
when no one would square up for him!! Attendance was 50% lower than
the previous years NSDC that was in Portland, Oregon.

Rank: 14 Year: 1990 Location: Memphis, Tennessee

Transporation was a big problem at this convention...as well as
a very small space for the Parade Of States.

Rank: 15 Year: 1996 Location: San Antonio, Texas

The Singles were "exiled" to the Alamo Dome; and with poor shuttle
bus service, and with the hot Texas summer sun, some dancers fell ill.

Rank: 16 Year: 1987 Location: Houston, Texas

From one extreme to the other, this was the worst convention of all
I had attended...at least until the 2000 Convention in Baltimore (see
below). The biggest part was that they tried to sound the square dance
halls with Peavey Rock-N-Roll Speakers instead of the tradtional
Yak-Staks. Unless you were right in front of the speaker, you couldn't
hear. This fiasco practically caused a dancer/caller revolt...with 1/3
of the 20,000 dancers leaving town the first day of the convention!!
There were also shuttle bus problems, and the after party coordination
at Astro World was poorly handled.

Rank 17 Year: 2000 Location: Baltimore, Maryland

While sound wasn't a great problem at Baltimore, it was to some
extent. However, there were other much more severe problems that led me
to place Baltimore on the BOTTOM of the list of past conventions. These included very poor bus transportation...convention center food service and prices...dancing was spread out, and signs to direct dancers to the right
halls were sorely lacking. Going between the halls meant walking through "walk-in cooler strips", plus the square dance halls were on concrete...
with preferential treatment apparently given to round dancers and cloggers.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)