A Callers' Association? - 1952 discussion
https://archive.org/details/northernjunket38page/page/16/mode/1up
CALLERLAB, the association of modern western square dance callers, was established in 1974. However, discussions about creating caller associations had been going on for many years before that. This essay dates from 1952 and raises questions about the usefulness of such an association, starting with: "What would be the benefit to the average caller?"
The author begins by stipulating that there are three types of square dance callers:
• "First, we have the professionals. This is the smallest in numbers. They are the callers who are making their living out of square and folk dancing by making records, writing books, traveling around the country giving instructions or teaching square and folk dances and holding callers classes. This group had made a success out of square dancing. This is also the group that has commercialized square dancing. ... Up until a few years ago there were but a few callers in this professional group in the whole country. At that time we had in this section, Sammy Spring, "Pop" Sweet, John Garrity, Harold Gates and a few others." These men were all fiddlers who also called, and the new professionals follow in their wake.
• "For our second group or callers we have a group who have a position dulring the day and call for square dances at night; supposing we call them semi-professional callers. This is by far the biggest group in numbers and to them should be given credit for the continuance of square dancing. You will find one of these men tonight calling for a small group in a grange hall or small village town hall; tomorrow night you will find him calling in a big hall for a group numbering three or four hundred.
• "Now we come to the third group. We can't say amateur for we do not know of a caller who hasn't at some time or other received pay for calling. They are the callers who call once in a while; or is a beginner; or has called for a long time and just isn't good enough to call steady or isn't interested enough to keep at it."
And then the author posits the big question: "Would an association help all of them or would it be of direct benefit to one group in particular?"
It's not surprising that the author raises serious questions about the value of such a national association; the essay is published in Ralph Page's Northern Junket, and Page argued strenuously for traditional square dancing in the face of the rise of modern square dance.
Tags: callers, Pop Smith, Pop Sweet, Sammy Spring
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Jim Mayo 3 - Start of CALLERLAB |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Jim Mayo - CALLERLAB history |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Jon Jones - CALLERLAB history |
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CALLERLAB, the association of modern western square dance callers, was established in 1974. However, discussions about creating caller associations had been going on for many years before that. This essay dates from 1952 and raises questions about the usefulness of such an association, starting with: "What would be the benefit to the average caller?"
The author begins by stipulating that there are three types of square dance callers:
• "First, we have the professionals. This is the smallest in numbers. They are the callers who are making their living out of square and folk dancing by making records, writing books, traveling around the country giving instructions or teaching square and folk dances and holding callers classes. This group had made a success out of square dancing. This is also the group that has commercialized square dancing. ... Up until a few years ago there were but a few callers in this professional group in the whole country. At that time we had in this section, Sammy Spring, "Pop" Sweet, John Garrity, Harold Gates and a few others." These men were all fiddlers who also called, and the new professionals follow in their wake.
• "For our second group or callers we have a group who have a position dulring the day and call for square dances at night; supposing we call them semi-professional callers. This is by far the biggest group in numbers and to them should be given credit for the continuance of square dancing. You will find one of these men tonight calling for a small group in a grange hall or small village town hall; tomorrow night you will find him calling in a big hall for a group numbering three or four hundred.
• "Now we come to the third group. We can't say amateur for we do not know of a caller who hasn't at some time or other received pay for calling. They are the callers who call once in a while; or is a beginner; or has called for a long time and just isn't good enough to call steady or isn't interested enough to keep at it."
And then the author posits the big question: "Would an association help all of them or would it be of direct benefit to one group in particular?"
It's not surprising that the author raises serious questions about the value of such a national association; the essay is published in Ralph Page's Northern Junket, and Page argued strenuously for traditional square dancing in the face of the rise of modern square dance.