The Jacks & Jills are a modern youth and family square and round dance club based out of Kent, Washington. This is not the stuff you learned in gym class, it is fun, high-energy and challenging. Our club participates in many activities such as promotional events for square dancing, caravans to other clubs, festivals, and competitive events.
What We Do
Unlike most Rainier Council clubs, Jacks & Jills runs on an accelerated program to learn the 70 “calls” (maneuvers) required for the typical level of dancing. Over the course of 3-4 months, you can attend our weekly class on Sunday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the large number of calls. You are not expected to remember everything you learn each week. The first level of dancing is referred to as Mainstream. Therefore, when you complete your lessons, you are considered a Mainstream dancer.
After you graduate, you’ll be able to attend our dances, competition, festivals and other dances throughout the state, country, and world.
Most of our graduates choose to compete in the Pacific Northwest Teen Square Dance Festival (PNTSDF).
The PNTSDF is a competition for young people up to and including 21 years of age. The competition is a great place to meet other dancers, and to compete against one another in Square Dancing, Calling, Round Dancing and Cueing along with an Exhibition Dancing category for all club members and their advisers and family members.
Learn About Our Leaders:
Our club’s Caller and President is Brett Kappenman. Brett started dancing in 1977 as a pre-teen with the Sunset Teens and later danced with Kappie’s Kalico Kids. After several years of dancing with adult clubs Brett joined the Twirl-N-Teens in 1984 and competed for the first time in the Pacific Northwest Teen Square Dance Festival in 1985.
In the fall of 1986 Brett joined the Jeans-N-Queens and started his calling career. He called his first dance in late 1986. For the next few years Brett continued dancing with the Jean-N-Queens. In 1989, Brett took over calling for the Jays N Ques. This was a pre-teen club closely tied to the Jeans-N-Queens. As kids became teenagers they moved from the Jays N Ques to the Jeans-N-Queens.
A few years later, Brett joined the Shirts-N-Skirts teen square dance club as their caller. Over the past 37 years Brett has called for other teen clubs including the Mavericks and Rockin’ Teens. In 2011 Brett started calling for the Jacks & Jills along with Rob Sax. Although Rob Sax has since moved on to start a new teen club called the Shooting Stars based in the Mt. Baker Council, Brett has stayed with the Jacks & Jills and continues to be our leader. Most recently, in March of 2024, he also became the Caller for the Swingnuts club in Sumner, Washington.
Brett has served as President, Treasurer and Council Delegate of several clubs since he started dancing. He is the Past-President of Central Puget Sound Council, Treasurer of Northwest Callers and Corresponding Secretary for the Square and Folk Dance Federation of Washington since September of 2022 . In April he was elected as the 2024-2026 President of Rainier Council. In June of 2024 Brett was selected as an “Honorary” recipient of the Jack Willison Award. This award is given to square dancers in the Central Puget Sound Council area for their support of square dancing in the region.
He has been the sound chairperson for 5 Washington State Square and Folk Dance Federation Festivals including Redmond, Enumclaw, Everett, Puyallup and most recently Suquamish. He once again served as the sound chairperson for the 2024 Washington Washington State Square and Folk Dance Federation Festival to be held in Yakima Washington.
You may not know this, but Brett has danced at the halftime shows for the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle SuperSonics. He’s choregraphed dozens of pre-teen and teen dance exhibitions over the years and in the past ten years, two flash mobs. Brett estimates he’s taught over 500 kids how to square dance, exposed thousands of adults and kids to square dancing and coached dozens of kids how to call.
Kyle Quande
Our club’s Round Dance Cuer is Kyle who began dancing in the summer of 2000 at the age of 6 with the Phil’s and Phillies as well as with the Boots & Laces. Having begun dancing with adult clubs, Kyle then joined the Jacks & Jills. At the age of 7, Kyle competed in the Pacific Northwest Teen Square Dance Festival for his first time, in the spring of 2002.
In 2005 Kyle learned how to round dance (also known as choreographed ballroom dancing), and he began competing as a round dancer in the spring of 2006.
In 2012 Kyle began his cueing career, and in 2013, he cued his first dance.
In the fall of 2015 he began cueing for both the Jacks & Jills and for the Pi-R Squares.
Kyle has served as Treasurer for the Jacks & Jills as well as a Delegate for Central Puget Sound Council.
Kyle has been a choreographer for several dance exhibitions over the years. He has taught numerous kids and adults how to round dance and coached kids how to cue. And he is always excited to introduce more dancers to choreographed ballroom dancing in the 2025-2026 dance season.
Our Club!
Group photo at our celebration dance after PNTSDF 2025!
