Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Welcome New Dancers:This month & next we will welcome many new dancers as they transition from the class environment into the recreational square dance world. These new dancers have attended a course of “do-sa-dos, allemande lefts and having completed the prescribed course in fun, friendliness and good fellowship and perhaps even having learned a little bit” have the knowledge and experience to regularly participate in the mainstream of square dancing around...

Our Side of the Mic by Allynn Riggs Ah, April. What is most important about April? Most of the Mainstream classes have graduated and we have many excited and eager dancers looking for places to dance. We encourage each and every one of you to welcome these dancers. Remember that they still need about 55 to 60 more hours of dancing before they are truly comfortable. Encourage them to get out dancing at least once a week (preferred by their dance teachers) and a minimum of twice a month. Call...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs As we enter the month of May we look forward to the flowers of May and plans of summer. The members of most of our classes have joined our recreational dance activity and continue to learn to dance to new callers and to enjoy the many varied dances sponsored in our community. At this time of year some clubs are going dark for the summer, while others are planning a variety of summer activities. We should encourage all of us to continue dancing during the summer by...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs It’s SUMMER !! … Are you scheduled to go to Lyons, CO for a Red Rock Ramblers dance, attend the Colorado State Festival on June 14th-15th in Loveland, travel to Oklahoma City, OK between June 27-29th for the 62nd National Convention, on August 2nd & 3rd travel to West Cliff for the 27th High Country Weekend, on the weekend of August 9th & 10th support the dance events at the Denver County Fair and the Douglas County Fair. Those of us that live and dance in...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Wasn’t the summer terrific! Many of us traveled to Loveland for a great State Festival, thanks to the 2013 committee. Then 165 dancers from Colorado traveled to Oklahoma City, OK for the 62nd National Square Dance convention. Now many of us are enjoying the variety of summer dances. So it’s now September. The next round of classes will be starting in the next few weeks. Please support your clubs, the callers teaching classes and most of all enjoy all of the new...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs The stories we hear from callers and dancers around the country makes me jump up to say STOP IT!  You are creating a self-fulfilling prophesy of the death of square dancing.  I want to report that there is something you can do about it.  You can take ownership of your future, the future of your involvement in this activity we love so much.  First, you must decide to change! Then you must decide to learn! Then you must remember the joy, challenge, and fellowship that...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Happy Holidays … Merry Christmas … Happy Hanukkah … It is time for all of us to celebrate the joy of our activity with all of our friends, both new and old in this joyous season. New dancers are joining us on the dance floor and we are making many new friends as we dance to the music of the season. On a different note, during the last several years Callerlab has had a continuing conversation about how to have an entry level program that would make it easier for...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs After a delightful New Year’s Eve Dance last night it became clear that our dance activity can grow if we enjoy each and every dance, each and every person that we meet at a dance. I ask you … would you participate in an activity where there are complaints about the work to prepare for each event, complaints about the commitment to come and bring refreshments, complaints about the lack of folks that will volunteer to perform the actions necessary for the...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Thanks to Mike Olivieri for the following report that he presented at the CSSDA meeting in Greeley the weekend of January 25th.   The Denver Area Callers and Cuers Association invited the presidents of all the Denver area square and round dance clubs to join the callers and cuers at their meeting to discuss several topics. They initially included: Booking callers & cuers... local vs regional vs national, producing dance evenings that attract both our members and guest...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Well, we had our usual Colorado March with snow, wind, rain and sunny days that remind us of the coming summer. Speaking of Spring & Summer, have you started to make your summer plans?  Have you registered for the 2014 Colorado State Festival that is scheduled for June 13-14th at the Crowne Plaza Denver, right here in Denver, near I-70 & Chambers Rd. Check out the details on their site: www.royaljubilee2014.com. And don't forget the National Square Dance...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs As we enter the summer season we look outside and realize the beauty of our Colorado environment and the many recreations provided by having mountains to explore only a few miles away and fine weather to make each and every day enjoyable. As we view our world we can feel very blessed by the people we know and the opportunities we have. So as each of you enjoy the many summer activities include a dance every now and then. Summer Dances: We hope to see many of...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs This month please think about all of the activities to invite new people to join our square and round dance activity. How can you help welcome the new friends to the various square and round dance classes? How can you help the caller or round dance teacher? On the square dance side make sure you are an angel that is welcome to the class. The most important action you can take is to let the teacher teach by saying very little, being in the right position with...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Listening to the radio a while back, I recognized a message that we should all hear. The message was simply to say “Thank you”. “Thank You” to the dance community, the members of our club(s), the leaders of our club, our local callers & cuers, the proprietors of the halls we use for our dances and on a very individual basis to ourselves. As a representative of the local callers & cuers, I want to thank everyone in our dance community, the club leaders, the council...

What Am I Paying For? Hi all, Have you ever (or always) thought caller fees were a bit high for calling a two hour dance? When hiring guest callers most clubs do not realize the expenses that are involved for the caller other than just calling your two hour dance. So, here are some items to consider when booking an out of town caller or in some aspects your local callers as well. 1. Travel Time – Travelling to & from your dance is an expense for the caller. How does the total time spent...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Have you ever asked yourself why you square or round dance? Do you think that everyone’s reasons to square dance are the same as yours? Do you dance for the joy of the dance? Do you dance for the fellowship of your fellow dancers? Do you dance because of the exercise? Do you dance because of the challenge of the puzzle? Etc. etc. etc. When we visit a club we very quickly experience the energy of the club members and the guests that are attending the dance....

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs The callers and cuer’s of the Denver Area Callers & Cuers Association wish all our friends in our dance community the very best for Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year. Attend and enjoy the holiday parties of this very special season. Recently, I was thinking of what thoughts would help our square dance community. I wanted to express an opinion that has evolved from our years of being engaged in the Denver square & round dance community, the Lloyd Shaw...

Weather to dance or not to dance! Hi all, Our summer weather that extended itself into November has exited stage south and been replaced with record artic cold snaps and bouts of snow, ice, & fog entering stage north. Welcome to Colorado! This type of weather can put us into a quagmire, “Weather to dance or not to dance” when bad weather strikes. We can take steps in making good, prepared decisions. My top ten things to consider in dealing with dances and our infamous Colorado weather! 10....

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs During the last month many callers, cuers and dance leaders from the Denver Area met for a discussion of a variety of topics of interest. Some of the topics that were discussed or should be thought about included: Should social activities outside of the dance floor be considered in our activity? Everyone agreed that social activities outside the dance events would benefit their groups. Should callers respond to scheduling and contract communications in a timely...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Welcome to Spring in Colorado. Many new dancers have joined our activity in the last few weeks. We want to welcome you to our favorite recreation. As we begin this month there are many dances and events for the dance community. First and most important is the annual Fun, Friendship and Fame dance, held this year on April 12th at the Arvada United Methodist Church, 68th & Carr in Arvada. This event is co-sponsored by DAS&RDC and DACCA. As callers and cuers we...

Our Side of the Mic by Bob Riggs Happy New Year! The Denver Area Callers & Cuers Association wish all a Happy New Year. We are looking forward to working with you to provide entertainment for your dances during 2013. As you begin planning your Spring & Summer activities remember that State Festival is the second weekend of June in Loveland, the 62nd National Square Dance Convention is the 4th weekend in June in Oklahoma City, OK. Recruit, Retain, Regain (3Rs) ... for all of you that dance and those...