Your favorite square dance caller.

Subject: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Bert
Date: 05 Mar 14 - 11:36 PM

Of course it is the first one who taught you square dancing. So that would be Len Jannaway, of Basildon Essex, UK.

Running a close second would be the late Tommy Cavanagh of the Lister Square Dance Club.

Others way up there are Pete Sansom and Robin Rumble.

Feel free to add your own choices.

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: doc.tom
Date: 06 Mar 14 - 07:01 AM

Culver Griffin

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 06 Mar 14 - 07:39 AM

John Chapman, Colin Hume, Ralph Meakin (who introduced us to modern squares one year at Whitby and brought some very helpful members of his club to get us through), Geoff Cubbitt.
We went to Ranch House Squares in Wythenshawe for a couple of years with Trevor Day. No sign of them on Google.
Whitby also had Culver Griffin one year (his tour company went bust while he was here - before the days when they all propped each other up)

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 06 Mar 14 - 10:26 PM

Bonny MacDonald called for many years for dances fiddled by Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald. It's hard to surpass that!

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Bert
Date: 07 Mar 14 - 05:57 PM

Then there is Chris Vear, and Wally Spratt. And who was that English style caller who was with the YHA in the late Fifties, Early Sixties, I remember him from High Roding and Maldon Youth Hostels.

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 07 Mar 14 - 06:58 PM

Nice to see some folks with a dance interest on mudflap

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Bert
Date: 07 Mar 14 - 11:39 PM

Mudflap LOL. It gets like that sometimes doesn't it?

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: GUEST,BobL
Date: 08 Mar 14 - 02:33 AM

IMHO, the late Bernard Chalk. Memorial dance in London tonight (called by Mark Elvins, another candidate) and I shan't be able to get to it - grrr!

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 09 Mar 14 - 03:03 AM

On this side of the pond, I have to cast my vote for Bugs Bunny in Hillbilly Hare.

You be the judge.


Jay

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Mar 14 - 03:52 AM

I'm surprised there's so much interest in square dance here. I thought it would be 90 percent contra dance and 10 percent square dance. I learned square dance in fourth grade, and haven't done it since.
On the West Coast of the U.S., I think the best-known contra dance caller is Eric Hoffman. He's a nice guy, too.

-Joe-

Subject: Wally Spratt
From: GUEST,Brian Faulkner
Date: 01 Jul 19 - 11:00 AM

Was with Wally in the early days at Harrow/South Kenton. Wonder if Wally is still alive and Cora as well. Long time back now.

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: beardedbruce
Date: 01 Jul 19 - 11:55 AM

A slight aside:


Coming up:

https://www.marylandsquaredancing.com/MDSDF7.asp



Past ( list of callers 2nd page top of flyer)

http://www.wascaclubs.org/wascaclubs-60th-festival-flyer/

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 01 Jul 19 - 03:51 PM

Francis Hawkins. He took Country Dancing after school at Blackwell County Primary in East Grinstead, where he taught. This was some 55 years ago! He also called at local barn dances, some of which I attended.

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 01 Jul 19 - 05:01 PM

Previous link from years ago is no more.

Time to stir the pot anew:

Hillbilly Hare square dance


Jay

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 02 Jul 19 - 10:10 AM

Squares win over contras any day, for me.
Contras often go on so long that I lose track and start doing the previous dance. Squares have a lot more scope for interesting moves, and if called (or partly called) without a walkthrough can be exciting. Or utter chaos, but never mind, square your sets and wait for the call.

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: GUEST,SB
Date: 02 Jul 19 - 06:27 PM

Great sequence of square dancing antipodean style in 1968 ...

Country and western music legend Tex Morton presents this popular 60s Saturday night music show. The Auckland studio audience is seated on hay bales in a barn-styled set and provide the chorus to the musical numbers. The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, The Country Touch Singers and Square Dancers, Jan Butler, fiddler Colleen Bain, and resident guest singers Kay and Shane perform. Tex himself sings a novelty number about the good ol’ days, and applauds Butler: “Isn’t she a redheaded little spark? I wish we had colour television!”

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-country-touch-1968

====

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Mr Red
Date: 03 Jul 19 - 03:11 AM

FWIW I only seem to recall the worst Irish Set callers. Like the the Irishman in Gennetines (Le Grand Bal de la Europe) calling in Franglais. Imagine having to translate in your mind from the garbled Franco-Irish Franglais to Irish to Barn Dance.

Monde = Tout le Monde = House (around) = all Polka around the set.

Moulinet = Wheel = Star (just to confuse; moulinet is French for reel!)

and I didn't get to hear what was said for christmas (=basket).


But I do remember Lynn Render at Chippenham this year calling a contra square in a workshop. (think 2D contra in squares across & down the room). Clear instructions and even changing the dance halfway through because some sets get trapped in a corner loop. Which happens if the number of sets does not fit neatly orthogonally.

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Murpholly
Date: 03 Jul 19 - 04:17 PM

Pat Palcic was my favourite square dance caller. First met him at Cecil Shaarpe House but then followed him all over the south east he was such a good caller. Danced for him out side various museums in London and in a variety of old pubs too. Great man and very happy days and evenings.

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: meself
Date: 03 Jul 19 - 04:56 PM

George Wade is my new favourite - just discovered this today: https://soundcloud.com/user-19695412/masons-apron-square-dance

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: meself
Date: 03 Jul 19 - 05:06 PM

Here's another Ontario guy I've always liked: Fred Townsend

Subject: RE: Your favorite square dance caller.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 05 Jul 19 - 08:15 AM

Yes, to Mr Red. Irish set dance isn't 'called' it is taught, and some of the teachers have no mike technique at all but will come round and explain to each set in turn. Val Knight ran a good workshop though. And called a good dance (I remember one at Chippenham)