Caller Resources
Would you like to be a square dance caller or improve your calling skills? CALLERLAB can help. Whether you are just starting out or you have been calling for years, CALLERLAB has resources available to assist you in your training.
Publications
Some of the most experienced caller coaches quite literally “wrote the book.” The CALLERLAB Caller Curriculum Guidelines, with its 180-page Technical Supplement is the most complete guide to what callers need to know. The twenty-one topics covered in this curriculum are divided into three categories; Essential, Important, and Desireable. You can see a list of the topics online.
If you’re not ready to dive in to the technical details, the CALLERLAB Starter Kit is the perfect collection of publications. (Check out the CALLERLAB Sales Item Order Form for ordering information.) It has more than seventy pages of important information for the beginning caller. It includes a set of program call lists with complete definitions with timing and styling recommendations, formation and arrangement diagrams and several other important documents that should be in every caller’s kit.
CALLERLAB has additional publications available for your purchase and use, in addition to many on-line Dance Program resources.
Caller-Coaches
CALLERLAB has an accreditation program for Caller-Coaches. To be accredited, an applicant must demonstrate experience and pass rigorous written and oral testing. This program assures that accredited Coaches have both the knowledge and the experience to help you learn to call or to call better.
Most Coaches run annual schools and participate in the CALLERLAB Convention. You can get in touch with the coaches individually; consult the directory of coaches for addresses and phone numbers.
Our Annual Convention
At our annual Convention the program includes several sessions dedicated to improving the skills of our members. These are presented by world-renowned member-leaders, and often include the latest information available in this constantly changing field. The Convention sessions are taped and cassettes are offered for sale before you leave the Convention.
Tapes of Past Conventions
The training sessions at every convention are taped by Convention Tapes International. Audio tapes of interest sessions from past conventions are available on You Tube. Contact the Home Office if you have interests in these recordings.
Training Sessions At The National Square Dance Convention
Each year at the National Square Dance Convention, CALLERLAB provides several caller training sessions. These sessions are led by Accredited Coaches and other experienced callers; they cover subjects that are the most important in the approved curriculum. This training program is offered without charge to anyone registered for the Convention.
Caller Schools
List of Caller Schools Sponsored by CALLERLAB Members.
Our Web Site
We make many resources available right here on our web site:
- A list of the various square dance programs we maintain, including lists of the calls that make up those programs and definitions for the calls.
- A list of scholarships to support caller training.
- A Report of the decisions made by the Applications Review Committee.
Other Web Sites
The Square Dance Foundation of New England has many complete sets of the early note services in its collection. The entire collection of Jack Lasry is available thanks to the Square Dance Foundation of New England. Note Services.
Visit with the Legends
Visit with the legends 2012 posted to Youtube
http://youtu.be/_2N5owkNspw
Special Thanks to Johnny Wedge and Jim Mayo for videoing this session.
Visitwith the Legends 2011 posted to Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdgwEpVtVF8
Special thanks to Steve and Dot Anderson for providing this video.