People can grab their partners and go round and round while they learn how to square dance tonight and Saturday night during 4-H-sponsored square dance lessons.

Free and open to the public, the idea for the event came from an annual square dance held during the 4-H Round-up every summer in Coolspring Township.

"During the round-up, they always have a square dance, but some of the kids don't go because they do not know how to square dance," said Marie Canon who has two children in a dairy farming 4-H group called Hayburners which is sponsoring the event.

"I happened to mention that to one of the leaders of the Hayburners and she thought it was a good idea. She also told me that a lady from the llama 4-H club said some of her kids were interested in learning how to square dance," said Mrs. Canon, who lives at the Canon Dairy Farm in Shenango Township.

Besides making the suggestion, Mrs. Canon's involvement also includes her 67-year-old father Ken Meals of Plain Grove Township who is a square dance caller. He agreed to teach the classes from 7 to 9 p.m. today and Saturday in the Coolspring Township building about 3 miles north of Mercer on U.S. Route 19.

Some of the square dance moves that will be taught are beginning ones such as Allemande left, Do-Si-Do and how to swing a partner properly. "He will show them how to hold your partner so when you swing each other you don't throw each other on the floor," Mrs. Canon said with a laugh.

"He's going to take them through the basics. Allemande left is a chain motion they do around the circle. Guys go one way and the girls go the other way and they weave in and out until they meet again," she said. "A Do-Si-Do is when you go around your partner or your corner without touching anyone."

But she said the most important tool in square dancing is your ears not your feet.

"Most of the square dance is listening -- to actually listen to what the caller is calling," Mrs. Meals said. "He'll take them through some of the more simple dances because each couple takes a turn to do whatever the caller is calling."

She added that next Friday, there will be a square dance from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Exhibit building on the 4-H park grounds on US 19 just north of Mercer.

"It is open to the public but its for teaching the kids who took the square dance classes," she said, adding that her father will take time with the groups to make sure they are doing things right. The price of the square dance April 4 is $1 donation to help pay for the music. Any additional money will go toward the Mercer County 4-H program.

As for the square dance lessons, it is open to the public including adults. "It's open to anyone who would like to learn," she said.