Tim's Philosophy As A Square Dance Caller

First and foremost Square Dancing should be fun!  Square Dancing should be challenging as well, but always in the forefront is fun.  Dancers have more fun dancing than standing around waiting for the square to start back up.  That does not mean they want choreography they can dance to without thinking.  Dancers want a challenge.  Interestingly enough, in a properly formatted dance, there will be times when dancers will not only want a challenge, but will desire and welcome easy choreography.  It is up to the caller to be smart enough to know when the dancers want what.  The dancers may not even know what they want.  It is up to an astute caller to understand and predict the dancers needs and desires.  Then be able to deliver what they desire.

The caller should not only predict the dancers needs, but he must be able to guide and steer those needs and desires.  He should be able to create a desire in the dancers which will then create a need.  A clever caller does this by using all the tools available to him.  Choreography, vocal inflections, various music styles, music tempos, humor, personal interaction with dancers, and intensity of delivery are just a few of the tools a caller should be using.  These tools allow the caller to set and control the mood of the dance from start to finish.

The wise caller also understands dancers arrive at the dance in various moods.  Some have had a bad day at work, some have had a good day.  Some feel energetic and some feel tired.  No two people are the same emotionally or physically.  It is up to the caller to establish a starting point for these dancers to merge and evolve both emotionally and physically then bring them along on a journey together.  This journey will ultimately bring them the fun, and satisfaction of accomplishment, resulting from a properly programed evening of square dancing.