The lilting voice of the caller directs the action over the recorded banjos and fiddles. "Cast your shadow! Cycle in the wheel… wheelers on the inside, cyclers on the outside!" After a moment of merry confusion, the dancers execute the move flawlessly.

It's 7:30 on a Wednesday night at the Dick M. Johnson Civic Center in Surfside Beach, and the weekly meeting of Dixie Diamonds, an advanced square-dancing group, is in full swing.

A tiny lady in bright pink taffeta, Bernice "Bee" Swartz helped establish the Diamonds with her late husband Joe in 1993, after the couple moved to Surfside Beach from Virginia. "We came down and asked if we could use the Civic Center, and Wednesday nights were open," said Swartz, "so we started dancing here."

The group has grown to over two dozen people and even more, when "snowbirds", or winter residents, begin flocking to the little community. The caller, Hal Smith, comes up from Charleston each week to call the tips, or dances. At about $30 per couple per month, participation in the weekly sessions is a great bargain for serious square-dancers.

The Civic Center is home to a variety of low-cost programs and classes that appeal to many residents of Surfside Beach and neighboring towns. Ginger Miller, programs supervisor, has worked to fill the Center's limited space and busy calendar with diverse classes that appeal to all age groups and interests.

Anybody can participate in the Civic Center's programs; there is no residency requirement. Many participants come from towns as far away as Lumberton, Sunset Beach, and Longs. Dixie Diamond Verl Bishop journeys from North Myrtle Beach each week to dance with her husband, Ward. "I come here for exercise of the mind and exercise of the body. I thoroughly enjoy it!" she said.

Many of the programs have developed a similarly enthusiastic following. "Bridge is probably our most popular program. At this time of year, snowbirds come in, and both of these rooms are packed," said Miller. The larger room can accommodate 130 eager players each Thursday night; the smaller room holds about 35.

The Surfside Beach Recreation Department has six full-time and 2 part-time staff. Miller is the only full-time employee of the Civic Center, but receives assistance from Recreation with special events.

The cost for each program varies. There is no charge for bridge classes. A walk-in fee of $3 is charged for aerobics and Seniorcise; tennis has a walk-in fee of $8 per class. Yoga has a walk-in fee of $10, but the monthly fee is only $28. Participants in the Center's karate classes, which are held three days per week, pay just $25 per month.

Nominal rental fees are charged for programs and classes at the Center. The Dixie Diamonds pay just $100 per month for rent for their Wednesday classes. Almost every weekend, the facility is rented for weddings, church services, meetings, and other occasions, reports Miller. This helps provide income for events during the Sun Fun Festival in June, the Surfside Beach Family Festival in October, and the Christmas Parade and Breakfast with Santa in December, among others.

Local associations also contribute generously to special events. "Benjamin's Bagels, Piggly-Wiggly, and Walmart have all donated food and candy. I don't think we'd be able to have these events without them! A lot of people from the Town Hall volunteer to help, as well," said Miller.

The length of each class is determined by the amount of interest shown. "We were going to do a single five-week session for shag. We ended up doing four sessions, because we had so much interest!" said Miller. The American Red Cross baby-sitting class was also popular, and has been repeated several times by request.

Miller often receives calls from people who are interested in teaching classes, and finds that she sometimes has to turn people away because of space limitations. "Sometimes, we just don't have the room," she said. "I had a kick-boxing instructor who wanted Mondays and Wednesdays, but that just didn't fit into the schedule."

The building has belonged to the town of Surfside Beach for about 13 years, according to Miller. The building was donated to the town by the Lion's Club, with the stipulation that the club be permitted to hold its twice-monthly meetings at the Civic Center.

The Center's activities are publicized on radio and television. The Sun-News publishes the Center's calendar each Thursday in the Neighbors section. Miller has arranged for the distribution of program flyers in the schools in the Surfside community. Programs and classes are included in the quarterly newsletter mailed by the town to all Surfside Beach residents.

Surprisingly, the Center is unknown to many people who live in this little town, but it is a happy discovery for those who learn about its programs. Said Miller, "A lady called me yesterday about tennis classes. She lived two blocks away and she didn't know we were here. She was so happy to find us!"

Day and overnight trips for adults and children are in the planning stages, according to Miller. Longer-term plans also include the organization of a bingo group, and a five- or ten-kilometer fun run in Surfside Beach.

Miller hopes to develop more Civic Center activities for children, including a summer program. "There are a lot of senior activities here, but they didn't have any children's classes when I first began. We've started to offer tumbling, tap, ballet, and tennis," she said.

Billy Hendrix, director of the Surfside Beach Recreation Department, supports Miller in her quest for more children's classes. Hendrix has worked for the recreation department for 21 years, and has observed a disturbing trend among children. "These days, many kids don't get enough exercise," Hendrix said. "They don't run or ride their bikes, and they watch a lot of TV."

A federal report on Physical Activity and Health, commissioned in 1994 by the U.S. Surgeon General, supports this observation. The report showed that nearly half of American youths 12-21 years of age are not vigorously active on a regular basis. Additionally, daily enrollment in physical education classes has declined among high school students from 42 percent in 1991 to 25 percent in 1995.

Hendrix and Miller both hope that more parents will encourage their children to participate in exercise and sports programs. "We're offering all these wonderful activities, and it's sometimes difficult to get the kids in here!" said Miller, who believes that her persistence will pay off. "It's only been a year and a half since I started. These things take time."

The Dick M. Johnson Civic Center is located at 115 Highway 17 North in Surfside Beach, behind the Town Hall. A wide variety of classes and programs are offered; please call 913-6339 for more information.