Howard Cockburn - Victoria
I 
began square dancing at Westgate Square Dance club in October 1979 at the insistence of my wife Brenda. I really wasn't keen to try square dancing but Brenda can be very persuasive when she wants to be. After my first night of dancing I was hooked, not sure if it was the dancing or the fact that I won a block of chocolate in the Monte Carlo that convinced me. By April 1981 I had become a trainee caller with Frank Kennedy and in July 1982 Brenda and I began Crossroad Squares in Werribee. In 1990 Brenda & I opened Southern Cross Plus and in 1998 we opened Southern Cross A, all three clubs are still running.
At the 1983 Melbourne National Convention, I was given the opportunity to call at one of the sessions. I have attended and called at 33 National Conventions and served on 5 National Convention Committees including 2005 in Warrnambool where I was Convenor. I have recently been elected Co Program Manager for 58th National Convention. I have had the opportunity to be feature caller in all States of Australia and have also featured in New Zealand a number of times.
When I am not square dancing Brenda & I spend a lot of time with our two daughters Meagan & Rachel and the loves of our life, our grandchildren Logan and Ruby. We also really enjoy travelling with our Travel Buddies Mike & Lorraine. In October 2014 I will be retiring from work and will be looking forward to the next era in our lives.
Jaden Frigo - Victoria
I was born in Cairns, Queensland in 1997 however have spent most of my life in Melbourne, Victoria. Square dancing has long been a part of my life, the first dance I attended I was only 6 weeks old (although I admit my dancing knowledge was limited at that stage!) After several years of watching I learnt to square dance at Golden Squares in 2004 and was soon out and about dancing at several clubs.
After years of admiring top callers such as Brian Hotchkies and Peter Humphries I decided to have a go at calling, my first call was at an Amateur Callers Night in February 2006. In October 2006 I visited Frank Kennedy's Newport club, and with great encouragement from Frank I quickly started improving and before long I started receiving calls at several dances. I am very appreciative to all the callers who gave me a go at this early stage, without their support I would never have made it to where I am today. In early 2007 I started attending Matamoras Squares with Peter Humphries, Peter was quick to offer me a call and advice and Peter also ensured he gave me a call at large events such as Speewa and his club birthdays. I can’t thank Peter enough for his help in developing my calling.
In early 2008 I became an official trainee under Frank and started calling hoedowns whilst working hard on improving singing calls. In late 2008 Frank encouraged me to try round dance cueing and soon enough I was also cueing a couple of rounds a night at Frank’s club. Over the next few years I continued to develop and received calls at many different clubs and events.
In late 2011 I decided to open my own club and in April 2012 'Australiana Dancers' was formed. Once again Peter and Frank were crucial in getting the club up and running. In September 2012 I took over calling at Early Birds Mornington (due to their club caller Clem Parkinson retiring) and I call weekly for this club also. After a while there was significant interest in having a new night for Plus and Rounds and Australiana Tuesdays was formed with a fortnightly Rounds, fortnightly Plus format. Australiana Dancers has graduated over 40 learners through its first two learner classes and dances 4-5 sets each week (with at least a set of under 18s!). Australiana Dancers has hosted feature callers including Barry Wonson (1st Birthday) and Paul Bristow UK (2nd & 3rd Birthday).
I call from Basic/Mainstream through to A2 and cue rounds up to PH IV. Adelaide will be the 6th convention I’ve attended and the 3rd I have been programmed for. I am a member of the Victorian Callers Association, Australian Callers Federation and Callerlab.
Outside of square dancing I am currently doing my Year 12 VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) School Studies with main topics in Software Development, IT Applications, English and Further Maths. My main interests include watching and playing many different sports, website design, travelling, listening to music and watching movies (especially comedies).
I am looking forward to a great convention in Adelaide, see you there!!
Ella Whyte - Victoria
Ella and Ron Whyte started teaching rounds in their square dance club and formed a Round Dance Club in 1957 on the 1st & 3rd Sundays monthly. Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels were run from 1.00pm to 9.00pm. This Sunday club is now an Intermediate level club.
Thursday night rounds commenced in 1992 and remains as the night for the Advanced level dancers.
Ella started cueing and teaching in the 80’s on her own and cues and teaches at both clubs to this day.
Ella has been teaching and mentoring cuers for the past 20 years. Over the years Ella has been involved in the programming of rounds at State and National Conventions and is still involved in all aspects of the Round Dance Association of Victoria.
Ella has been on the RDAV committee in various capacities since its inception in the year 2000.
In 1983 the Australian Round Dance Association was instigated by Ron & Ella.
ARDA continues today as round dancing’s National Association.
In the early days there were many dance demonstrations at club level as well as State, National and International Conventions. Ella wrote dance choreography and did the training of the dancers.
Showcase rounds were introduced to the National Convention in the late 1970’s by Ron & Ella and still continue today.
Ella currently runs her club from her private residence in Heatherton. Her venue is a fully equipped dance room. The venue is used almost every night and weekend for many hours of dancing of both Rounds & Squares as well as meetings.
Click here to see the Sunnyside Round Dance Club page on the Round Dance Association Victoria website.
Coral Wegmann - Victoria
I commenced cueing with Ella Whyte as my mentor in Mid 2010. I consider myself privileged to have been given the opportunity to learn this craft at my own speed with beginner dancers.
This fast tracked my abilities and allowed me to cue/teach almost entire sessions at an early stage.
In March 2011 Barry and I conducted an extremely successful 6 week Rumba/Cha workshop. After the workshop was completed several of the participants continued on with us on Monday nights.
In October 2012 we successfully conducted a 6 week Jive workshop and now include Jive regularly in our dance sessions.
In July 2013 Barry, myself and our dancers agreed it was time for a name change.
Harlequin Rounds is the delightful name we chose with the consensus of our dancers and we look forward to forging a new identity as our group continues to grow.
We now have club badges and a banner that we proudly display at conventions and other functions.
Regular nights include dances from Phase II to IV Waltz, Two Step, Foxtrot, Rumba, Cha and Jive.
Beginners are most welcome. Please contact Coral if you wish to join us on 0407 814 686 or cozweg@bigpond.com
Click here to see the Harlequin Rounds Round Dance Club page on the Round Dance Association Victoria website.
Carol Simondson - Victoria
I started square dancing in 2000 and rounds in 2003. I commenced cueing in 2004 and started KINTYRE Dance Club in 2009. KINTYRE celebrated 5 years in July this year.
I love both disciplines of dancing and enjoy putting back into the activity by way of memberships and committee work.
I joined the Round Dance Association of Victoria Inc. in 2003 and held a variety of positions over a nine year period. I am a member of ROUNDALAB, USA and am currently on the Phase I & II and Phase III Standards Committees. I am also a member of the New South Wales Round Dance Association, South Australian Round Dance Association, and the Queensland Round Dance Association.
I currently hold the position of Editor and Records Officer for the Australian Round Dance Association and was Secretary from 2008-2012.
In Canberra 2014 I received my 10 year ARDA Membership Award - I was very honoured.
Adelaide 2015 will be my 11th consecutive National Square Dance Convention and I am looking forward to 'coming to the Cabaret’. The only regret I have is that I did not know about square dancing until the year 2000.
I have attended and cued at three New Zealand round dance Festivals and in 2013 convened the RDAV Spring Festival in Victoria. It is my ambition to attend the next United States National in 2015 and maybe have a cue for the dancers overseas.
Paula Wright - Victoria
I have been a square dancer for 21yrs and club calling for 18yrs.
I took over Activ-ates Frankston 10 yrs ago. We dance mainstream. It is a weekly club and we have had beginners each year and I am happy to say most are still dancing at higher levels.
I have attended almost every State and National Convention in 20yrs and called the Dressed Set twice. I am a member of V.S.D.A. ,V.C.A. A.C.F.
Activ-ates is a mainstream club and I enjoy mainstream, plus, contra and clogging lines. My husband and I travel a lot in our caravan and visit as many clubs and events as possible.
Our club has done several demonstrations for local events and retirement villages. Activ-ates is in their 25th year and still going strong.
Other Registered Callers and Cuers
Janice Alexander
Ralph Weise
Graham Jameson
Charmaine Jameson
Neil Wynn
Bernadette Young
Peter Humphries
Laurina Collyer