Welcome to sdcallers.com

Dedicated to the art of calling Modern Western Square Dancing, this site features articles written by some of the greatest leaders in the activity; all of them now appearing for the first time on the internet as a free download.  
Articles are subject to all U.S. copyright laws and remain property of their respective owners

Articles are in Adobe Acrobat format (*.pdf ).  If you have trouble viewing these documents,
you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, downloadable from the Adobe website.

Up-dated on December 1, 2007

Blue Star Workshop

The latest edition of our on-line newsletter written for both caller and dancer is now ready to download

click here to view
Blue Star Workshop - December 2007

Blue Star web page

Dance Ranch web page

New Hi Hat web page

Ernie Kinney

Whether at a dance or class; on records, tapes or CDs; on the movie screen - Ernie Kinney defines entertainment as a caller.  He is also responsible for probably the largest selling square dance record ever - "El Paso City".

Ernie's manual of how to teach the Basics Program is a treasure for every caller seeking success in teaching MWSD.

click here to download

Jay and Helen Orem

Founding staff members of Sets In Order magazine, Asilomar institutes, and producer of Sets In Order Records.
Their article on Square Dance organization is priceless.
This is a must read for caller, cuers, and anyone involved in clubs or associations.

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Bob built an outstanding reputation as a teacher of new dancers; his recordings for Sets In Order Records - "the fundamentals of square dancing" are legendary.  Bob was a teacher in Los Angeles schools and a recipient of Callerlab's Milestone Award

In 1956, Bob Ruff wrote "Teaching Can Be Fun" for Sets In Order Magazine's, Summer Asilomar institute.  His words are presented here

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Lee is a most respected teacher of callers, who over fifty years ago developed an outstanding plan of instruction and encouragement for new callers.  A founding member of Callerlab, a milestone recipient and member of the Square Dance Hall of Fame.

From Sets In Order Magazine's Asilomar Institute comes timeless information for the caller from Lee Helsel

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Ralph Maxhimer

A caller/cuer who along with his wife, Eve, were founding members of the National Square Dance Convention and the Southern California Caller's Association, which from the start was the largest caller association in the world; Ralph was elected it's first president.

This article is great reading for dancer and caller alike.  Written over fifty years ago, the message is as important as ever

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Doc Alumbaugh

At the presentation of Callerlab's prestigious Milestone Award, it was said that Doc Alumbaugh was one of the first callers to travel and call in States outside his own home area.  He founded one of the first Square Dance Record Companies, Windsor Records

In 1952 at the First National Square Dance Convention in California, Doc presented a workshop of styling suggestions, which are presented here for callers and dancers to read and learn.

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Ed Gilmore

An early pioneer in caller education, Ed Gilmore probably conducted more caller classes than anyone, in the two decades prior to his death in 1971.  Although much of his time was spent on the road, calling at festivals and conducting, he always maintained a strong, home club program.  Ed Gilmore is a Callerlab Milestone recipient.

Ed Gilmore's Callers Institute on June 8, 1952 was recorded and transcribed, here is a must read article.

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 Buddy Weaver

Buddy became an active part of the square dance recording industry in 1981; he is owner/producer of the largest s/d record company in the world, Blue Star Records.

Buddy's presentation to the OCCA about the future of square dance music and showmanship through music, is a well researched report.

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Presented at CALLERLAB Convention 2007, here is Buddy's presentation on how sight callers find variety

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Les Gotcher

 Les was one of the first to visualize the challenges of Square Dancing, he surprised the Square Dance world by combining the basics, a forerunner of much of the sight calling and position dancing of today.  As an author of many texts on calling, Les became a model for countless young callers coming into the activity.

His manual "Les Gotcher On Sight Calling" captures the fundamentals that every caller should know.

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In 1992, Les wrote "Choreography, Body Flow and Timing" for what would be his last caller college

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