I began square dancing in 1980, started calling the next year, and went full time six years later. I regularly lead over 300 dances a year.

How did a boy from New York City become a Square Dance Caller?

Very unexpectedly! Growing up in Brooklyn and The Bronx, the only thing I knew about square dancing was that it wasn't to be done! But my wife is from rural Michigan and has been square dancing all her life. She asked me to go just once, and said if I didn't like it she wouldn't ask again. I was hooked in the first ten minutes. I've always loved music and dancing, but when I saw how unique and multi-dimensional square dancing was I fell in love with it. A few months later, in beginners class, when I learned the move All 8 Circulate, I realized that the elegant choreography of the modern square dance was similar to chess, a life-long passion of mine, and at that point I decided to be a caller and threw myself into the activity.

PARTY DANCES FOR BEGINNERS are one of my specialties and passions! Square dancing is ideal for non-dancers and comes from a tradition of dances for people who didn't have a lot of time practice dancing, so the dances are user-friendly. I feature the Virginia Reel, line dances, traditional and modern squares, circle mixers, novelty dances and more, all done to a wide variety of of music. Here's a fun line dance I frequently open with.


CUPID SHUFFLE - My easiest line dance, and a great warmer-upper for a dance. These lively ladies are photographers from the Firefly Institute, at their camp in Glen Ellen.


Virginia Reel, end of teach and beginning of dance


Rapido! the fast version of the classic Hispanic line dance

I also have an extensive and very wide-ranging music library, so I can provide DJ services for your group, if you'd like.


End of easy square dance, Solomon Levi
DANCES FOR KIDS, SCHOOLS, CAMPS AND FAMILIES is another of my favorite things. Some of these groups have hired me every year for decades.
Bohemian Mixer, a circle change-partners dance


MY HOME PROGRAM consists of five weekly club nights, three in Sebastopol, one in Santa Rosa and one in Novato. I have called hoedowns and festivals all over California and in Hawaii. I am a member and former committe chairman of Callerlab, The International Association of Square Dance Callers. I call Basics through C-1, cue Phase II Round Dances, lead line dances, and regularly teach beginners classes.

 
DJ Capabilities

My Mentor, Bill Peters

Some highlights,
memorable dances


Four newspaper
stories about me





A square dance is ideal for
weddings and wedding rehearsals.
The families and friends of the bride and groom may not know each other, and may span several generations. The hands-on interactions of a square dance is a great ice-breaker!
Read more....