BETWEEN TIPS
"BETWEEN TIPS" is the official bulletin of the
SQUARE & ROUND DANCE FEDERATION OF NOVA SCOTIA
Alex Ritchie, Editor, 58 Oakdale Crescent, Dartmouth, NS B3A 2L8
phone (902) 469-1492 email: alexandgaylan@email.msn.com
JUNE 1999
(Back Issues) (Return to Home Index)
SCOTIA DANCERS - ANNUAL SPRING FLING - 1999
The Scotia Dancers Square Dance Club of Bedford, NS held their 15th Annual SpringFling (1999) on Saturday, 17 April 1999. It was generally agreed by all - THAT IT WAS AGREAT SUCCESS !!! The Club and Class members of Scotia Dancers worked hard atorganizing and setting up for Spring Fling 99 to make it such a success. The beef was roasted,vegetables cooked, quests served, tables set, tables cleaned and reset, decorations put up, gymchairs and tables setup, entrance and foyer set up, etc, etc. Many hands made light work and ourClass certainly helped out.
MOST IMPORTANT - Everyone appeared to be having a good time, at both workshopsand dances, dancing to Jack MacArthur's calling and also dancing to Alex Ritchie's cueing. Congratulations to all the "new" Square Dancers, who had the courage and enthusiasm to get upand try out their "just learned" dance steps in the middle of such a large and boisterous crowd ofdancers.
The Grand March gave us a count of 422 dancers in the gym, this is almost 53 squares!This would make Spring Fling 99 the biggest ever, since at Spring Fling 97 there were only 414dancers. The final, official count was made, checking the Spring Fling Register and the 422count was accurate. There were 216 excellent, full roast beef dinners served in the cafeteria.
George's and Raymond's Square Dance Shops appeared to be doing a good business withpeople coming out with purchases and happy faces at a fairly steady rate. The Shops GiftCertificates were gladly accepted and raffled off and the lucky winners headed for the shopswith them. There were fifty (50) door prizes and as per tradition, all of them went to our GuestDancers - this counts out to more than one door prize per square. Sparkling Springs did notprovide the water this year, so we had a bit of a scramble, however we managed to have icedwater on hand.
As in past Spring Flings, our thanks go to Reverend Cliff Moase who did the honours ingiving the dancers still in the double Friendship Ring, the Farewell Blessing to nicely completethe evening. Then all the dancers piled downstairs to the Cafeteria and delved into the waitinglunch.
The farthest couple at Spring Fling 99 was from Sydney, NS! Couples were registeredfrom Cape Breton, Yarmouth, Clementsport, and New Brunswick. On behalf of the ScotiaDancers, I wish to say "THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING OUT AND YOURPARTICIPATION IN SPRING FLING 99, WE SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU HAD AGREAT TIME AND THAT YOU WILL
BLUENOSE TWIRLERS
Bluenose Twirlers held a badge night and twenty dancers received their 'kissin kuzins'badge. Everyone had a lot of laughs. For our Heart & Stroke, we collected $559.00. We visitedand danced at the three nursing homes in Yarmouth. Two residents participated in wheel chairdancing at Villa St. Joseph. Melbourne and SAR Communities invited the Bluenose Twirlersfor an evening of dancing to help raise funds. A travelling pen pal, Flat Stanley, from BC madea stop over to have a picture taken with the square dancers, thanks to NS pen pals fromBelleville school.
Easy Round Dances At Square Dances
At the April meeting of the Association of Nova Scotia Square and Round DanceTeachers, the following dances were added to the list of Round Dances recommended for use atSquare Dances:Dance Title | Phase & Rhythm | Choreographer | Record |
Rounds Of The Summer & Fall Seasons
Dance Title | Phase & Rhythm | Choreographer | Record |
Gloria Rios Roth -- 1999 Milestone Award
Gloria Rios Roth graduated high school in 1947. Her activities included cheerleading, gymnastics, basketball and theLeaders Club. Gloria taught the football team and the cheerleaders to square dance in the coach house attached to her home usingEd Deulacher's records in 1946.
She began teaching and calling at the age of 17. Gloria graduated from the Westfield College in Massachusetts in 1952with a B.S. Degree in Education. She started calling with a band in her early years. Gloria was married while in college and sheand her husband could not find the type of facility they desired to conduct evening and weekend square dances, so they boughtsome land and built a place called "The Woodlands". The Woodlands was a youth camp during the day and was used for squaredancing during the evenings and on weekends for many years in the Springfield, Massachusetts area. Many different callers wereinvolved with conducting square dances at this facility including the Brundage brothers, Al and Bob.
From 1951 thru 1964 she had 5 children. She never missed a birthday. Gloria turned down bookings to be at home forbirthdays. Gloria is the first female in the world to have called for 50 years. It's now almost 52 years. That in itself is a milestone.
She was instrumental in organizing the Springfield Massachusetts Area Callers Association, involved in forming of theNew England Council of Callers Associations, organized the Maritime Callers Association 26 years ago in the "The House ofRoth", conducted caller training schools for more than 40 years, became an Accredited Caller Coach the very next year alter Boardapproval of the initial nine (and she was the first). Gloria is the only female Accredited Caller Coach in Canada and she is one ofonly three in the world. Gloria has been active in CALLERLAB since 1975 and has served on several committees.
Having been a caller for more than 50 years, it is estimated that she has taught more than 1,600 people to square dance.That's an average of four squares per year. She has made numerous presentations at CALLERLAB Conventions including herinvention of the Kaleidoscope Squares. The kaleidoscope was used in the Calgary, Alberta Olympics opening ceremonies. Gloriais the first woman to travel world wide calling dances and conducting callers clinics and schools. She is the only caller to haveowned a square dance center for her entire career. She has recorded on Top, Blue Ribbon and the Sets in Order L.P.'s.
Over the years she has been heavily involved in aquatics, directing and choreographing full length shows with swimmers.Gloria has coached the first place synchronized swim team in the Canadian games. She has had a calling experience that involvedsome Lippizan Stallions. "The House of Roth" began operating in about 1970 and is still very active today promoting square,round, contra, country western and line dancing. Gloria believes that square dance callers give of themselves much more thanhighly paid entertainers. Doing what we do night after night to entertain the dancers and to see the joy and fun that are generated. Gloria thoroughly enjoys bringing joy into others lives.
There are many more accolades that could be mentioned. When you have the chance, you should sit down and talk withGloria about her many experiences.