Great dance callers we have known

Subject: Great dance callers we have known
From: mandotim
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 10:18 AM

This is a thread in appreciation of dance callers, without whom barn dances and ceilidhs really wouldn't work at all. We (The Slippery Hill Boys) have worked with quite a few over the years, and they put a hell of a lot into making each event a real success. So who are the really good ones? I'll start the ball rolling with a top bloke from the North of England, a man with a great sense of humour and an irresistible approach to getting the reluctant or unwilling to dance their socks off; I give you Mr Ralph Smethurst!
(If you want to see who he is and what he looks like, check out Ralph here. )
Tim from the Slippery Hill Boys

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Vin2
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 12:26 PM

Well i reckon Mike Canavan from the Legplaiters Celidh Band is one to the best.

Then theres Pete Crewe from Frollicking Pete and his Fumbling Fingers band

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Acorn4
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 02:29 PM

John "Macca" MacDonald from the East Midlands.

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Emma B
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 02:31 PM

Dave Hunt aka "Dr. Sunshine"

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 04:46 PM

This is so invidious, because there are so many... but would also like to nominate Alan Simpson!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Alan Day
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 06:10 PM

Some callers I have worked with
Roger Watson
Harry Mousdell
Mary Panton
Chris Shaw
Eddie Upton
Al

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: open mike
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 07:31 PM

My experience is with contra Dance Callers..
Fred Park from Swannanoa- the only caller i saw call a quadrille)
Erik Hoffman from S.F. Bay Area (San Francisco Folk Music club camp)
Masha Goodman from Sierra Nevada Foothills (Strawberry Music Festival)
Mark Goodwin from Paradise, CA (who has called the dances in chico for several decades)
and Reina Wonita who called a dance called triskadecaphobia..among others...

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: artbrooks
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 07:45 PM

Becky Nankivell (sp?), aka Desert Dancer

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 07:45 PM

Ralph Page
Frank Kaltman
Ricky Holden
Dudley Laufman
Johnny O'Leary

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Bugsy
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 07:49 PM

Over here in Oz we have a number of great callers, but none (IMO) to compare with the late Val Hastings of Mucky Duck Bush Band.

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Old Vermin
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 04:59 AM

Gordon Potts
Phil Bassinshaw
Nick Walden
Sheena Masson
Gareth Kiddier

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Richard Hardaker
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 06:25 PM

May I nominate my wife, Sally, late of the Ellen Valley Band, currently active with Reunion & Long Meg bands? She can get anyone to dance- kids, teenagers , grannies, drunken wedding guests, wheelchairs, people with two left feet she takes them all in her stride and plays the flute too.

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 11:26 PM

Thanks, Art, but I don't think I qualify as "great" by any means!!

Ralph Page
Ted Sannella
Dudley Laufman
Jack Bailey (got me started)
Ralph Sweet

Kathy Anderson
Lisa Greenleaf
Dan Pearl
Larry Edelman
Cis Hinkle
George Marshall
Susan Michaels

This is one of those ones where I hate to make a list... but there, I have.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 10:36 AM

Dudley Laufman got ME started!
Don Primrose
David Millstone
Ralph Sweet

and the newest, latest torch bearer of tradition:
Nils Fredland!

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 11:04 AM

Taffy Thomas.

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: MikeofNorthumbria
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 11:34 AM

Martyn Harvey

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: Banjo-Flower
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 04:45 PM

Eamon Greene the caller for the Rosianna Ceilidh band
won the callers competion at Whitby festival 3 years ago
a great guy

Gerry

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 04:58 PM

Pat Shuldham Shaw, many years ago I had the pleasure of playing in a band that used him as a caller, IMO he was very good.Dick Miles

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: CupOfTea
Date: 24 Sep 10 - 10:25 AM

In Northern Ohio & Beyond for the last few decades the most important, dedicated and cheerful caller has been Carol Kopp

Jacqueline Schwab is a fine a prompter as she is a musician, and dancing under her direction to Bare Necessities is bliss.

Gene Hubert

Kathy Anderson

(signature, not on the list!)
Joanne in Cleveland

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: GUEST,Warpy
Date: 25 Sep 10 - 10:05 PM

Pat Wilkinson . Lancashire.
For Playford she is the best. Think she won a EFDSS gold award a few years ago.

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: LesB
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 04:07 AM

Martyn Harvey.
Cheers

Subject: RE: Great dance callers we have known
From: banjoman
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 07:00 AM

Nobody has mentioned the late (and very often) Rip Ripingale who believed he was the greatest dance caller ever. We worked with him for many years and even now are only just getting over it. He was also the worlds greatest authority on setting up PA systems. On the plus side, he did write a lot of dances and on a good night(too few) was a great caller