GCA Callsheet

The Call Sheet is the professional journal of the Gay Callers Association ... Read More

Education Recordings About Singing Calls

The following education session recordings from past CALLERLAB conventions deal with Singing Calls. Topics such as musical presentation, singing with others, and singing call choreography, etc. The selections included here ... Read More

Flash Cards for MS Calls Not in SSD

Bruce Holmes, who is the caller for North Shore Squares in Evanston, ILL, has created sets of flash cards for calls on the MS list that are not included in ... Read More

Flash Cards for Plus Calls

Bruce Holmes, who is the caller for North Shore Squares in Evanston, ILL, has created sets of flash cards for calls on the Plus list. One set contains calls from ... Read More

Flash Cards for SSD Calls

Each card has the name of the call on one side and a dancer-friendly description of the call on the other. These sets of cards can be distributed to dancers ... Read More

SSD to Plus Teaching Plan

This Winning Ways story describes the plans Kurt Gollhardt used to move some of his SSD dancers who were ready from SSD to Plus ... Read More

Call Evolution

In 2011 Clark Baker and Don Beck delivered this presentation on the history of call evolution at the CALLERLAB convention in Las Vegas ... Read More

ACC Reference Material List

This article contains a table that lists many items commonly recommended to student callers by their coaches. Live links are provided where materials or information about them is available online ... Read More

Definitions for partially inclusive dancing – Dancing for Everybody

Birgit Rudolf has created a special set of Basic and Mainstream definitions that include information about how calls can be executed by dancers with mobility or sensory challenges ... Read More

American Square Dance Magazine

American Square Dance is a monthly square dance magazine published in both printed and digital forms ... Read More

Caller Training Handouts

Caller training handouts: a collection of handouts used in caller training presentations on various topics ... Read More

Education Recordings About Voice

This item contains a collection of pointers to educational recordings about voice topics (mostly audio) from CALLERLAB conventions ... Read More

Novelties Section of CALLERLAB Online Teaching Resource

As part of CALLERLAB’s effort to encourage Social Connections, a section containing information about Games, Gimmicks, Interacting Squares and other related ideas has been added to the CALLERLAB Online Teaching ... Read More

Square Dancing And Its Relation To Mathematics

Ever wondered how a couple of theoretical physicists might go about communicating their love of square dancing to their colleagues? Well, by explaining some of the underlying mathematical structures of ... Read More

TV Video Promoting Square Dancing

This six minute video was broadcast on an Ottawa community service channel to promote a new dance series being presented by Wendy VanderMeulen. While done in an interview format, it ... Read More

KnowledgeBase Statistics

The KnowledgeBase currently contains 354 articles grouped into 3 categories and described with 44 different information tags. The graphs below depict KnowledgeBase traffic for the years indicated. "Views Per Month" ... Read More

Education Recordings About Games and Gimmicks

Looking for ideas on how to make an event a bit different or introduce some "out of the square"-type fun? These educational recordings discuss the use of games and/or gimmicks ... Read More

Tim Marriner’s Caller Education Materials

Tim Marriner was a CALLERLAB Accredited Caller Coach who created and published a large quantity of caller educational material over the years. Tim generously made this wealth of informative articles ... Read More

CALLERLAB Published Document Register

This article contains a register of documents and materials that CALLERLAB has published for external distribution and usage ... Read More

Education Recordings on Styling

These education session recordings from past CALLERLAB conventions deal with the subject of Styling, and the teaching of Styling in MWSD ... Read More

Teaching Orders

When planning for a class, regardless of program, one of the earliest decisions is to determine the order in which calls will be taught. This article collects information about a ... Read More

Ian Henzel Plan For Square Dance Recruitment

Ian Henzel is the creator of the Henzel Plan, which is a multi-phase, multi-armed approach to recruiting new people to join square dance clubs ... Read More

Cal Campbell’s Singing Call Collection

Cal Campbell has organized a collection of singing calls and documented them in the form of three Excel spreadsheets: Basic Part 2, Basic Part 3, and Mainstream. In all there ... Read More

Teaching Beginners on Zoom

Have you wondered if it might be possible teach beginner dancers via Zoom? Ray Brendzy has been doing just that during the pandemic. He has made video recordings of his ... Read More

CALLERLAB Certified Square Dance Teacher (CSDT) Program

The CALLERLAB Certified Square Dance Teacher (CSDT) Program has been created to provide a credential to callers who are square dance teachers. The program evaluates education, experience, knowledge, and skill ... Read More

MCASD Toolbox Collection

The Metropolitan Chicago Association of Square Dancers (MCASD) hosts a "toolbox" page that lists a variety of items that are useful for promoting square dancing and recruiting new dancers. They ... Read More

Sets In Order (SIO) Yearbooks

The Sets In Order Yearbooks each compile a year's worth of the technical information about calls, choreography, and round dances into a single document. They differ from the monthly magazine ... Read More

SSD FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Those who are considering use of the Social Square Dance (SSD) system usually have many questions about how it works, the best way to implement it, and the issues they ... Read More

The How & Why of New Basics

This paper by Paul Hartman appeared in American Square Dance magazine in 1974. It describes how square dancing evolved to become what we now call Modern Western Square Dancing during ... Read More

SSD Documentation and Support Materials

This article collects in one place documentation and materials that support the use of the SSD system. Some were created by the CALLERLAB SSD Committee while others were created by ... Read More

Choreo Breakdown Note Service

This article points to editions of Choreo Breakdown. This caller note service was instituted by Bill Peters and was later taken over by Don Beck. As you can infer from ... Read More

Checker Cheats

Before the days of computers callers would write or work through choreography using "checkers" or "dolls". The checkers were usually colored pieces of plastic to represent the 8 dancers. The ... Read More

CallerToolBox

CallerToolBox is a Windows program callers can use to organize their choreography and make it easy to find sequences for specific purposes. Callers can enter their singing call figures, modules, ... Read More

Ed Foote – All Things Considered

Ed Foote is a well known caller who has been calling since 1965. He was a founding father of Challenge dancing and served as Chairman of the CALLERLAB Challenge Committee ... Read More

Lee Kopman on the Phil Donahue Show

Lee Kopman created more calls used in contemporary square dance than any other individual, some 350 or more. In 1980, he appeared on the Phil Donahue Show and presented this ... Read More

Behind The Mike Newsletter

Barry Wonson edits an Australian caller newsletter called Behind The Mike. It consistently presents a wealth of useful information for callers and dance leaders. You can subscribe to have editions ... Read More

Facebook Stories About Using Social (formerly Sustainable) Square Dance (SSD)

Dean Dederson posted a question in the Sustainable Square Dance group in Facebook. The answers provided by Barry Johnson and Joni Micals constitute an excellent Winning Ways story on using ... Read More

Caller Training Materials

Newer callers or people wondering what might be involved in learning to call are interested in what kind of educational material might be available. This article summarizes some available caller ... Read More

Lots Of Stuff About Modules

This summary article aggregates a great deal of material on the use of modules in square dance choreography. Modules provide a powerful mechanism for creating and presenting square dance choreography ... Read More

Participating In CALLERLAB – Why and How

The linked PDF contains 2 articles from the March 2019 edition of the GCA Callsheet. The first, by Barry Clasper, describes the benefits of being a participant in CALLERLAB, and ... Read More

Dave Wilson’s Ocean Wave Resolution Method

This write-up by Clark Baker describes a sight resolution method presented at a 2007 caller school by Dave Wilson. Dave is a big fan of this method because it seems ... Read More

Using Sicilian Circles for Square Dancing

Cal Campbell and Daryl Clendenin discuss how to use the Sicilian Circle formation for teaching – and even as a “square dance” formation – in Modern Western Square Dancing ... Read More

Tech Squares Call Definitions

Tech Squares is a club that operates at MIT. An interesting fact about this club is that their lesson-set is actually offered by MIT as a Physical Education credit. Part ... Read More

SSD, MS, & Plus Call Booklets from North Shore Squares

North Shore Squares is a new club that dances in Evanston, ILL. Despite only being active for 18 months or so they already boast 55 members. They elected to use ... Read More

Social Square Dance (SSD / Sustainable SD / Club50) Teaching Videos

North Shore Squares dances in Evanston, ILL and has been using the Sustainable Square Dance (also known as SSD and Club 50) teaching list as their intake level. To help ... Read More

Teaching an SSD Class

This Winning Ways story from a newer caller explains how she is using the SSD program to teach new dancers ... Read More

Social Square Dance (SSD) Teaching Guide

The Social Square Dance system is designed to create a 50 call entry program that can be taught quickly, roughly 12 weeks, and yet serve as a realistic destination program ... Read More

Ceder Square Dance System (CSDS)

CSDS (Ceder Square Dance System) is a comprehensive program that incorporates under one roof all the facilities needed by square dance callers ... Read More

Sd – A Square Dance Caller’s Helper

Sd is a computer program that lets callers enter choreography and displays the results of each call which greatly speeds up the process of writing and dramatically reduces errors. The ... Read More

Callarama

Callarama is a “checker mover” program to help callers work out choreography by showing animated figures moving in response to calls entered by the caller. Callarama has defined the standard ... Read More

Social Square Dance (SSD) Alphabetical Call List

Thanks to Kurt Gollhardt for producing this single page that alphabetically lists the calls used in the new CALLERLAB Social Square Dance program. The sheet highlights the calls from the ... Read More

Community Dance Journals

The CD Journal (formally titled CDP Journal) is published several times a year by the Committee for Community and Traditional Dance (CCTD). The Community Dance Program Journal is aimed at ... Read More

66th US National Keynote by Eric Henerlau

This article contains the text of a keynote address by Eric Henerlau at the 66th US National in Cincinnati in 2017. It is full of great ideas for growing square ... Read More

Learning To Dance Without a Caller

This summary article from Julian Pritchard describes the various teaching and dancing recordings their group has been using to learn and to dance in the absence of a live caller ... Read More

CALLERLAB Program Documents

This summary points to the primary program-related documents that have been officially published by CALLERLAB. This includes program lists, call definitions, timing charts, lesson checklists, teaching tips, formation charts, standard ... Read More

Two-Couple Teaching and Dancing Recordings

Tony Collingwood is a caller in the UK who has created an impressive repertoire of 2-couple teaching and dancing material ranging from Mainstream through C3B. These recordings are available free ... Read More

Media Articles on Square Dancing

This summary article contains a table that points to a number of media articles about square dancing or people involved in square dancing. They frequently contain information useful in the ... Read More

CALLERLAB Convention Audio Recordings (as of Oct 31, 2018)

Each year the CALLERLAB Convention provides two full days of education and information sessions. For many years audio recordings have been made of selected sessions, and latterly some have also ... Read More

CALLERLAB Convention Video Recordings (as of Aug 18, 2022)

Each year the CALLERLAB Convention provides two full days of education and information sessions. For many years audio recordings have been made of selected sessions, and latterly some have also ... Read More

Controlling Choreography With Relationships

This 78 page document is a detailed description of how callers can use dancer relationships as a tool for resolving squares. See the document abstract below for additional details ... Read More

Multi-Cycle Program X Plan from Gardner Patton

In the past there have been plans that provide for a Program with less calls (ABC, Community Dance Program, Basic 1, etc.) with little thought to moving those folks who ... Read More

Taminations

This site contains a tool that allows viewers to watch an animation of a call being performed, often from a variety of starting formations. It provides an excellent educational tool ... Read More

Caller Mentoring Guidelines

DOCUMENT: This document was prepared by the Caller Training Committee to assist those callers who are mentoring newer callers ... Read More

Condensed Teaching Order

In 2012 CALLERLAB commissioned an Ad Hoc committee to work with ACA to document a condensed teaching system that some callers had been using successfully for some time. The Press ... Read More

Sight And Module Resolution Systems Document

This document is a compendium describing dozens of known systems for resolving squares, including both sight and module based approaches. The objective was to document as many systems as possible ... Read More

Gnat Boxers (Wooster, Ohio) New Class

The Gnat Boxers of Wooster, Ohio have 22 members in their new dancer group for the 2002-2003 dance year. They have 4 singles, 2 men and 2 women, and 9 ... Read More

Experimental Lesson Systems

This article summarizes several experimental approaches to teaching new dancers known to be in use at the time of writing. All of these systems are aimed at the recruiting of ... Read More

Extended But Not Extreme – Plus

There are many calls for which we have well known "standard" applications, and we have even documented many of them in the Standard Applications documents. "Standard", however, does not mean ... Read More

Community Dance / Party Night Resources

This summary page points to material useful for doing single party nights or other dances aimed at people with no prior dance training. These dances are intended to be stand-alone ... Read More