Gary Carpenter - New South Wales
1974: Started Square Dancing
1975: Started Calling
1975: Attended my 1st National Convention (Melbourne)
1975: Attended 1st NSW State Convention, Calling in Junior Hall.
1976: Callers School with Brian Hotchkies
1977: Started Club Calling Sharing Spatiores with David Cox
1979: Started Carpenter & Co Square Dance Club at Tuggerah calling solo
1980: Married to Jenny
1980: Co-Convenor of State Convention with David Cox & Jeremy Weedon
1982: 1st Call at a National Convention at Brisbane
1987: 1st Daughter Larissa Born
1988: Elected President of NSW Square Dance Callers Association
1989: 2nd Daughter Tarla Born
1990: Convenor NSW State Convention
1990: Attended 1st MiniLab in Australia (Gold Coast)
1994: Attended 1st Australian Caller Cuer Conference (ACT)
1995: Program Manager National Convention Sydney
1998: Attended 2nd MiniLab (Adelaide)
2006: Coordinator ACF Caller’s Conference (Toukley)
2008: Attended & Presented at 3rd MiniLab (Gold Coast)
2009: Carpenter & Co Celebrates 30 Years of Operation with a Weekend at Riverwood Downs
2011: Attended 1st National Convention to be held in Darwin
Favourite Food - HOT Curry & Chilli Dishes
Favourite Colour - Green but I wear more Blue
Favourite Sports Star - Steve Waugh
Favourite Singer - Stevie Nicks
Favourite TV Show - Star Trek
Favourite Movie - Note Book
Hobbies - Other than Square Dancing… Trying to keep my wife happy.. And Travel.
Pet Hates - People whose level of incompetence mean they shouldn’t have Driving Licenses
Highlights of Your Calling Career - Program Manager at 1995 National
Convenor of 1990 State Convention
Funniest Experience - Watching Howard Cockburn & Paul Bristow trade jokes at the 1994 ACF Caller Cuer Conference.
Most Random Encounters - Bumping into Paul & Marina Long in Stirling Ranges National Park post 1993 National in WA. Bumping into Paul and Marina Long at Patong Beach in Phuket in 2011.
Terry Lee - New South Wales
Currently self employed as a Consulting Engineer in the Aluminium Window/Door and Façade industry.
By trade a Cabinet Maker, Toolmaker and Specialized Welder, Television Camera Operator and Editor and Owner of a Television Production and Duplication business, involved in production of TV and Radio Commercials and Corporate Videos, also duplication of other production houses products with over 200 Hi Level Stereo VHS Duplicating machines from 1983 until 1990, then returned to the Engineering Industry.
Born Gawler in SA early 1940’s. Moved to Sydney 1964 spent many years as an MC at a Sydney Ballroom Dance Club that was run on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night, that came about because my mother had taught me over many years what music could be used for the different dances.
In late 1999 a lady that was a member of that club asked me if I had ever been to a Round Dance, I asked her what that was and she said everything we do here, the only difference is you do not have to remember the whole dance, you are given instructions all the way through the dance for your next move.
I went with her to Geoff and Linda Redding’s club and in three weeks learnt enough to easily dance three dances. I was told a little later that if I wanted to learn from the best teacher in Sydney I would have to go to Dance Around at West Ryde and learn from Mavis Schwarze, so that is just what I did. I spent many years learning and eventually teaching with Mavis. In 2007 I started “Victory Rounds” this club runs dances three to four times a year with all proceeds going to Children’s Cancer Research, and in 2010 Mavis handed Dance Around over to me with a promise to keep the club name and reputation in good standing and it is still operating as of this date.
Member of Roundalab.
David Todd - New South Wales
David discovered the wonderful world of square dancing through Fred and Elizabeth Meads’ Sparkilate club in the early seventies, soon becoming Fred’s trainee caller. After a Ron Jones Caller’s school in 1973, David opened the D-Bar-T square dance club in Merrylands NSW. He later ran a second club with Kevin Ryan at Parramatta. During this time David was involved in competition dancing and the training of many teams. In 1978 David called at the 1st National Canadian Convention in Alberta, Canada which was definitely a career highlight.
After a long break David returned to square dancing in 1996 and living in Blaxland in the Blue Mountains, formed the ”Mountain Devils” club. He has also called for Fairfield RSL Youth Club and Fifty-Fifty club at Greystanes. David has served as President of the NSW Callers’ Association, Public Relations Officer of the ACF and is currently President of the newly formed Square and Round Dance Association of NSW.
Calling at the more recent State and National Conventions, he now conducts a school program, introducing modern square dancing to hundreds of young Australians.
Click here to see the Mountain Devils Square Dance Club Facebook page.
Helen Hodalj - New South Wales
I am the 3rd part of a 4th generation square dance family.
My grandfather, Frank Johnson was a caller, and my mum Jan Johnson is our club caller. I cue and if needed call, and my eldest daughter can call and has done some cueing.
I have been dancing for over 30 years and started cueing in 1997 as the main cuer for our clubs October weekend since then. I have featured in local clubs weekend dances and cued at State Conventions and at the latest national.
Now that my youngest son is learning to dance, we can get to more conventions, but we have to take turns with my parents as we live on a farm and someone needs to stay at home to look after the ponies and dogs.
James Brooks - New South Wales
A Dancer since the early 1990's, I am a recent newcomer to calling.
My introduction to calling was a school with Brian Hotchkies, and from about 2009 I undertook my first stint calling with the Newport Ocean Waves Club in Sydney. This was followed by a period teaching a regular day class at the Bondi Senior Citizens Centre.
This year, with quite a bit of experience as well, as a Standby and Assistant Caller with several other clubs, I am now running and promoting my own brand new and first, so far quite successful "Just Bliss" Club at Randwick, which started in March, 2014.
Affiliated Associations:
Australian Callers Federation
New South Wales Callers Association
Contact Details:
James Brooks: P.O. Box 7 Randwick NSW 2031
Email Address: jamesmbrooks@bigpond.com
Phone: +612 9398 2965 or +61408 110 995
Website: Just Bliss Squares - Randwick
http://jbsquaredancingsydney.com.au
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Bliss-Square-Dancing-Club
Dance Location: Randwick Public School - Sydney
Park in Frances Street or access the grounds through the gates in "The Avenue”
Weekly: Wednesday evenings - 7.30pm
Learning Level Called: Basic, Mainstream
Les Heaton - New South Wales
Les Heaton
Calling for Henry Kendall Squares NSW
Calling 27 years
Calls Mainstream and Plus
Called National Conventions:
San Antonio USA
Edmonton Canada
Wellington New Zealand
Australia
Calling at Clubs Overseas:
USA
Canada
England
New Zealand
Chris Froggatt - New South Wales
Chris started square dancing in 1970 at Corrimal and began calling in 1972. He started his first square dance club "Ghost Riders" in the Wollongong area in 1974. This dance ran for nearly five years until Chris married Linda and moved to the Sutherland Shire.
In early1978 Chris was approached by the Rockdale Airforce Memorial Bowling Club to call for their dance on the first Saturday of each month, which had previously had Tom McGrath as the caller. This was the first square dance run in Sydney by Chris and Linda. In late 1978, Chris and Linda opened their first weekly club “Knee-Deep Squares” on Wednesday nights, teaching beginners and dancing Mainstream. Several years later they also opened a fortnightly Plus dance at Jannali Community Hall. Chris and Linda also ran the Southside Cabaret for many years, which became known as the premier event on Sydney’s square dance calendar.
Over the years they have introduced hundreds of people to square dancing, many of whom dance today in other parts of Australia. Chris taught many people how to square dance, but more importantly he strove to include fun and fellowship.
Joining CALLERLAB in 1983, Chris has served on the Mainstream and Plus Committees. He has been President and awarded Life Membership of the NSW Callers Association, and was the NSW Board Member and Vice President of the Australian Callers Federation.
Chris has called at National and State Conventions and featured at festivals in every state of Australia. In 1988 Chris Co-Convened Australia’s largest National Square Dance Convention, heading up the Programming, Sound and Decoration Committees. In 1994 Chris began recording for the Silver sounds label, releasing several top selling singles. In 1995 Chris called and choreographed the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney National, which featured squares, rounds and clogging. Chris has been invited to call on both Islands of New Zealand, and in four states of the USA.
Chris contributed a monthly article in the South Pacific Square Dance Review for five years, striving to share opinions, and to stimulate thoughts of the readers. Chris has also run many Callers Schools and has written four books on calling to help new callers with their choreography and enhance their calling skills.
Chris and Linda took a break from full-time square dancing in 2001 after running Knee-Deep Squares for 23 years. In 2012 Chris and Linda returned and are now back at Jannali Community Hall, running Knee-Deep Squares on Friday nights, and enjoying it as much as ever.
Other Registered Callers and Cuers
Leanne Nicholson
Jason Nicholson
Wilma Flannery
Barry Wonson