Sharing ideas and experiences for the betterment of Square Dancing
barryadmin During the COVID-19 pandemic a number of Zoom caller groups emerged. These sessions typically provide tutorials and/or discussion on topics of interest to callers. The Orange County Callers Association website is hosting a collection of recordings of such sessions. A wide variety of topics and speakers are covered.
Bob & Dorothy Simpson and Darby Love, in Nanaimo, BC created a whole series of videos they titled “Dancing In The Garage”. They are aimed at people who can’t assemble an entire square – or maybe not even another couple. This story explains how they went about creating the series and designing their choreography to provide a dance experience for one couple – or even individual people. Their objective was to minimize the use of phantoms, which differs somewhat from many other offerings that assume at least 4 real people.
This story by two of SSD’s most prominent practitioners goes over the rationale and usage of the system and how it has been shown to address square dancing’s most prominent problem: recruitment and retention.
This book is an authorized biography of a true square dance legend: Marshall Flippo.
This is the story of some people who wanted to hone their dancing skills, and formed a club to help them do it.
Square Dancing is an overwhelmingly social activity. Therefore, it is essential that square dance groups create a social environment that feels welcoming, engaging, and safe. Events in recent years have caused shifts in social norms that raise questions about what “welcoming, engaging, and safe” actually means. CALLERLAB has acted to provide guidance in this area. The result is two documents, one providing an overview of objectives and a handbook of procedures, and a second containing a template process that clubs could adapt for handling instances of inappropriate behavior.
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 people using the system in the field.
This article points to editions of Jack Lasery’s Notes For Callers note service. This publication had a focus on choreography and teaching tips. The list below covers editions from 1969 to 1990.
This is the story of Cuesta Squares which is an LGBTQ club that dances in San Luis Obispo, CA. It is different in that it is told by a new member and relates his experiences learning to dance with the club. It is an excellent example of the importance of the social environment of the group to the success of the club.
The linked page shows a list of all the people who have served as Chairman Of The Board of Governors and their years of service.
Each year CALLERLAB holds a convention that provides great opportunities for education and networking. The linked document shows a list of past conventions and their locations.
The Milestone is one of CALLERLAB’s most prestigious awards. To be eligible for the Milestone one must have worked in an uncharted field of square dancing and effected positive change that has stood the test of time. Additionally we look for unselfish contributions, professional leadership, and having had broad influence in the square dance activity. The link takes you to a list of Milestone winners.
This article points to editions of Notes For European Callers originally produced by Al Stevens and later taken over by Lorenz Kuhlee. This publication was a caller note service with a focus on choreography, but also containing other topics of interest to European callers. The list below covers editions from 1988 to 2001. Click on the title to view a pdf of the scanned edition. Earlier pdfs are not full-text searchable but later ones are.
This article points to editions of News ‘N Notes (Advanced) produced by Ed Foote. This publication was a caller note service with a focus on choreography, but also containing other topics of interest to callers. The list below covers editions from 1984 to 1989. Click on the title to view a pdf of the scanned edition. The pdfs are not full-text searchable.
This article points to editions of News ‘N Notes produced by Al Brundage, Earl Johnston, and Ed Foote. This publication was a caller note service with a focus on choreography, but also containing other topics of interest to callers. The list below covers editions from 1984 to 1989. Click on the title to view a pdf of the scanned edition. The pdfs are full-text searchable.
This document shows the history of the CALLERLAB Board Of Governors since 1975.
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 the title, it dealt primarily with choreography and new calls. The list below covers editions from 1972 to 1992.
This article points to editions of Mikeside Management by Stan and Cathie Burdick. The list below covers editions from 1992 to 2001. Click on the title to view a pdf of the scanned edition. The pdfs are full-text searchable.
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 caller would push them through the various call actions by hand. This procedure was tedious and error prone. So most callers developed “checker cheats” to simplify moving the checkers and reduce errors. The sources below are collections of some of these checker cheats.
Saddlebrook Squares of Tucson, AZ and their caller Larry Kraber have made and excellent set of teaching videos for the Mainstream and Plus programs. These videos are available online or can be ordered on a DVD.
CALLERLAB has a rigorous examination process for awarding credentials to caller coaches. Coaches who pass are authorized to advertise themselves as a CALLERLAB Accredited Caller Coach. This document lists the current ACC’s as of the publication date.
Cory Geishauser provides some ideas for stimulating socialization by getting people to ask questions about each other.
The UNITED SQUARE DANCERS OF AMERICA, INC. (USDA) was formed on June 26, 1981, during the National Square Dance Convention held in Seattle, Washington, and has grown to the size that approaches the representation of 310,000 dancers throughout the United States. USDA is an organization formed by dancers, for dancers, and is under the operational control of dancers.
The United Square Dancers of America published this open letter with guidance on handling dances during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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, zeros, getins, getouts, or full patter sequences into the database. It is delivered with a database preloaded with many useful sequences.
During the COVID-19 pandemic all callers suddenly found themselves with lots of time on their hands. Jeremy Butler and Ted Lizotte decided to use some of that time productively and provide a series of online lectures to further caller education. A wide variety of topics and speakers were covered.
There have always been pockets of people who find themselves unable to assemble a whole square, or sometimes even another couple, but who want to dance anyway. The COVID-19 pandemic turned the whole square dance population into such people. This article provides a collection of recordings specifically aimed at people dancing by themselves. Some are in the form of a “virtual dance” where you can see other couples dancing along with you in their living rooms. Some are more in form of a demo couple showing you the moves.
Ed Foote provides some hints about dancing Wheel Thru successfully.
Ed Foote provides some hints about dancing Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears successfully.
Ed Foote provides some hints about dancing Load The Boat successfully.
Ed Foote provides some hints about dancing Load The Boat successfully.
Ed Foote writes about some relative common but nevertheless bad combinations to avoid when calling Advanced.
Ed Foote describes the ins and outs of Dixie Grand along with a couple of pages of sequences that illustrate various ways a sight caller can use it.
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 for 30 years. He created the National Advanced and Challenge Convention which for decades was a highlight on the calendar of most challenge dancers. He is a CALLERLAB Accredited Caller Coach and has run or served on the staff of hundreds of caller schools across North America and around the world. In 2008 he received the Milestone award, one of CALLERLAB’s highest honors. He writes prolifically and has published articles in most of the major square dance magazines, often as a regular monthly columnist. He currently writes a column for American Square Dance called All Things Considered. Below are pointers to a number of these articles as well as some education material from his caller schools.
Hunter Keller voiced four professional radio spots to advertise his beginner classes in Montana. Their first usage generated about 25 new dancers and a second round an additional 16. Each 30-second spot featured a different music style and a slightly varied message. Click on the button below to see links to the MP3 files so you can hear what they sounded like. If you’re considering doing radio spots, they provide a terrific example.
Association of Nova Scotia Square and Round Dance Teachers Newsletter. Published semi-annually in conjunction with each meeting. Each issue includes handout material for the caller workshops. Digital issues available since 1992 with an index. Most issues contain lots of choreo examples.
There are two YouTube channels that collect videos related to square dancing and square dance history: squaredancehistory, and squaredancehistory2. The first (squaredancehistory) contains 100 video clips recorded at the November 2011 Dare To Be Square weekend held at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.. The second (squaredancehistory2) includes videos illustrating the many styles of square dance and some interview material explaining the evolution of MWSD.
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 program of square dancing, joined by dancers from New York, Chicago, Ohio and Wisconsin. Assisted at the mic by caller Dave Taylor, who calls for a group of young dancers, Kopman provides lucid responses to the host’s questions, and he provides clear demonstrations of the differences between traditional and modern square dancing.
This podcast is for the purpose of square dance education.
These are audio files that have been digitally re-mastered from albums and videos previously released on the various music labels owned by Buddy Weaver. Listeners are welcome to listen (stream) or download any of the podcasts. Use the podcasts for dancing in your home or for research – it is provided to you at no charge.
This two-page document from Cal Campbell explains two different procedures for resolving a square from ocean waves.
The video was created by a member of the Cal Poly Country Line Dancing Club and includes clips from when Darren Gallina, Square Dance Caller was teaching them. It shows young people having a lot of fun with dance activities, and square dancing is part of it.
This document was produced by a CALLERLAB Ad Hoc committee to provide guidance to callers who would like to call for children in a school environment. It was assembled by callers with considerable experience in that area.
This promotional video was produced in 2019. It shows an attractive collage of slides depicting dancers having fun over a soundtrack of Dan Nordbye doing a singing call.
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 emailed to you, or you can view past editions on their website at https://www.behindthemikewebsite.com
The purpose of this summary article is to provide a searchable index of the table of contents entries for past Behind The Mike issues. This will make it easier to zero in on editions that have material of particular interest to you.
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 the SSD experimental lesson program.
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 training materials.
In order to design choreography callers must have an intimate knowledge of the characteristics of each call they use. The purpose of a Call Analysis Sheet is to provide a format for analyzing each call and documenting that information. Three examples are provided.
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 and they are a tool that all callers need to be familiar with. This article provides a brief overview of what modules are, an introduction to the terminology involved, and pointers to many other sources of information.
For the past several years CALLERLAB has included a convention session called “A Visit With the Legends”. In each session several well known and pioneer people were interviewed and told “war stories” about their careers and events in their lives. These sessions have proven to be extremely popular with the convention audience. The sessions were recorded, some with audio only, some with video, and some both. While the recordings are all contained in the pages that list CALLERLAB education session recordings, we have created this summary article listing the “legend” recordings so you can find them faster.
This summary article points to some places where recordings of interviews with callers have been collected.
Square dancing is enjoying a surge of interest from both dancers and callers in the greater Chicago area. Clubs in Glenview, Wilmette, Evanston and Arlington Heights, as well as Chicago’s North Side, will be offering classes for beginners and intermediate dancers starting in September. But without callers to lead classes, this uniquely American dance form would be in danger of extinction. Luckily, Chicago has become one of the leading areas in the country when it comes to the number of square dance callers-in-training.
This summary article contains a table that points to a number sources for images and posters related to square dancing. They can be quite useful for marketing or creating flyers.
This chart is provided by Scott Bennett who markets Yak Stack speakers. It shows the proper way to hook up speakers to an amplifier to ensure loading is proper. For Hilton equipment the load should be 4 ohms or greater.
Yak Stak is a venerable name in square dance speaker equipment. It was recently acquired by Scott Bennett who has put out a modernized version with an even better sound.
This Minnesota website is an example that promotes MWSD and serves as an entry point for people who are interested in learning to dance.
This 4 minute promotional video features an interview with caller Dan Sahlstrom of Minnesota describing what MWSD is, what it’s like, who can do it, and how to learn more.
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 in particular the value of attending convention. The second, by Allan Hurst, gives some tips on doing effective presentations at a CALLERLAB convention.
This document summarizes the results of a survey taken by the IAGSDC of their member clubs to understand what efforts were being made towards recruitment and retention of dancers and which strategies were meeting with the most success.
There are some differences in culture and customs between straight and gay square dance groups. Callers who have never called for a gay group before often have questions about what those differences are, and what they should expect.
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 to be easier to learn, uses fewer calls, and is more forgiving when you make mistakes.
Ever wonder what a “technical zero” is exactly? Or what use they actually are? Are you afraid of using them because the results seem unpredictable? In this paper Barry Johnson takes you through what they are, how they work, and how you can use them to benefit your choreography.
The WIC Music List contains music that experienced female callers have found works well for them.
This discussion forum moderated by Cal Campbell has a wealth of material about square dance modular choreography. The purpose of the group is education in the use of square dance modules and the sharing of modules.
The West Coast Square Dancing site provides a great example of effective marketing of square dancing. It serves as a vehicle to promote several clubs in western British Columbia. In addition, they have designed a modified teaching plan called the Flexible Learning Program that allows more student intakes per year and also accommodates people who have to miss lessons due to travel or work.
Daryl Clendenin is a veteran caller who has taught scores of beginner classes. Follow the link to see his detailed 20-lesson plan to teach his MS group for 2018-19. The 92-page document contains his teaching plan and sample choreography for each lesson.
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.
When Bruce Holmes was learning to call, he had no luck finding a textbook to help him through the process. Now that he is a caller, he has written the book he wished he had when he was first learning.
Cal Campbell has put up over 200 teaching videos for Community Dance and party night dances. Sometimes the written description of a dance isn’t enough to figure out how it works if you’ve never seen it done. This resource let’s you see how the dances work and how to teach them.
This 79-page caller text was written in 1966 by Jim Mayo, a square dance calling icon and a founding father of CALLERLAB. Despite its original publication date, this is not a historical document. Most of the information and guidance provided is still applicable today.
This 14-page white paper by Kip Garvey explores how understanding the patterns of relationships that occur in normally arranged couples can enhance a caller’s control while sight calling and resolving.
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 the SSD list. There is a separate set that contains calls from the SSD list. The link points to a PDF file that prints 6 calls on each 8-1/2×11 page. The print is double sided so that when you print the pages the call name is on one side and a dancer-friendly description of the call is on the back. These sets of cards can be distributed to dancers as a teaching aid.
The Mount Baker Council in the Seattle area had good success running a “No Experience Necessary” dance in partnership with a local YMCA.
Bruce Holmes is the caller for a new club in Evanston, ILL called North Shore Squares, which at the time of this writing has been in operation for about 18 months. This story is an inspiring personal narrative that charts his journey through the process of using the Social Square Dance (SSD – formerly named Sustainable Square Dance) system as a tool to dig their club out of an all-too-common hole.
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 the SSD list. The link points to a PDF file that prints 6 calls on each 8-1/2×11 page. The print is double sided so that when you print the pages the call name is on one side and a dancer-friendly description of the call is on the back. These sets of cards can be distributed to dancers as a teaching aid.
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 as a teaching aid.
This 9-page document discusses the factors that should be considered when designing a custom teaching order, regardless of program.
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 of the documentation they provide is a set of call definitions from Basic to Plus. They are abbreviated definitions that are intended to help dancers remind themselves about how the call works.
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 the Sustainable Square Dance lesson system (previously known as Club 50) to facilitate rapid intakes of new dancers combined with retention after graduation from lessons. As a teaching aid they prepared booklets containing a concise and easily read definition for each call, many including color diagrams to illustrate the action. The first booklet contains calls on the SSD list. The second contains the MS calls not on the SSD list and the Plus calls.
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 their dancers they have created a series of teaching videos that demonstrate the calls in the SSD 50-call lesson plan. Follow the link to see the list of call videos, both in alphabetical order and by lesson.
The Alberta Chatter newsletter is published every six to eight weeks. It contains articles on promotion, member retention, and general interest articles, as well as a regular column by a visually impaired dancer, Dee Jackins, entitled “The Lighter Side of Darkness”.
This Winning Ways story from a newer caller explains how she is using the SSD program to teach new dancers.
Blue Bonnet Squares in Houston bought an advertising display in a local mall to advertise their classes.
This article describes the steps the Johnny Appleseed Square Dance Club went through to build a successful class.
This article describes some dos and don’ts when talking to new people about square dancing. How to best make it appealing and engage their interest.
At the Northern New Jersey Square Dance Association annual convention in 2018, Betsy and Roy Gotta delivered individual keynote addresses. Together, these presentations provide a wealth of insights and suggestions on how to market, recruit, and retain new dancers.
In 2008 Barry Johnson wrote a suite of documents that take you through the ins and outs of digital music: how to connect equipment, where to get it, how to edit it, and how to manage it. The articles are listed below (click on title to view PDF)
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 for long-term square dancers. While the idea of a shortened entry list is certainly not unique to this system, its design differs in providing a mechanism for keeping dancers in the entry program for at least 2 years, and in many cases, forever. The SSD Teaching Guide provides a lesson plan, teaching tips, and sample choreography to assist callers in using the system.
This book traces the history of the American Square Dance from its earliest roots to modern day. It was compiled by reviewing the documents and artifacts donated by the Square Dance Foundation of New England to the collection at the University of New Hampshire. The author was the major curator of materials collected over a span of more than thirty years.
GoldWave is a music recording and editing program on Windows. It permits recording from a variety of sources and producing a variety of sound file formats. It has features for pitch and tempo shifting, noise elimination (such as clicks and pops), cropping or extending recordings, adjusting bass/treble balances, and much more.
Audacity is a free multi-track audio editing program that runs on several platforms including Windows, Linux, and MAC OS. It permits recording from a variety of sources and producing a variety of sound file formats. It has features for pitch and tempo shifting, noise elimination (such as clicks and pops) elimination, cropping or extending recordings, adjusting bass/treble balances, and much more.
The Square Rotation Program (SQROT) is used at a dance to assign dancers to squares. The objective is to ensure a thorough mixing of dancers such that each dancer dances with as many different people as possible.
CSDS (Ceder Square Dance System) is a comprehensive program that incorporates under one roof all the facilities needed by square dance callers.
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 program is available free of charge from the website. It has both Windows and Linux versions.
SqView is a music management program for callers, cuers and line dance leaders. It is specifically designed for the music management and performance needs of those groups. The program also displays lyrics, programlists, definitions and choreography. It is available from the website free of charge in both Windows and Android versions.
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 for animated Square Dance Choreography since its introduction in 2004. The New Callarama 2 has been totally redesigned on the basis of Microsoft .Net Framework, supported by all Windows operating systems since XP.
This story recounts the results of three years of experience with the 12-week Condensed Teaching Method (CTM) – sometimes also referred to as the Condensed Teaching Order (CTO).
This is the second year that our Strathmore club, just east of Calgary, used ‘The Nest’ program for new dancers. What this method has meant for us in Strathmore is that our club is not only surviving, but thriving.
Jerry Junck reports on an observation from a club on Vancouver Island. Their format involved having a round between tips and they noticed that new dancers had difficulty getting into squares with the experienced club members. This seemed to be because the experienced dancers were doing the rounds and simply squared up right away since they were already on the floor. The club decided to make a change and do the round immediately after the square dance tip, then take the break. Now they have found that the new dancers were able to join squares with experienced dancers much more easily.
This account from Jerry Junck describes a seemingly trivial change in the way dancers are seated during breaks which he believes has improved the social atmosphere of the group and lead to an increase in the number of dancers attending his dance.
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 Mainstream list that are used in SSD 50 and also lists separately the Mainstream calls that are NOT used.