Jim's Square Dance Bio and Resume

Summary

Jim is a professional square dance caller and CALLERLAB-Certified Square Dance Teacher.  Jim has been involved with square dancing since 1961 and Ann joined him in the activity in 1978.  Jim finally committed himself to becoming a caller in 1989.  Jim & Ann operate a weekly square dance club, the Good Luck Squares of New Carrollton, Maryland; Jim teaches square dance classes for the Boomerangs program in the Washington D.C. area; and, Jim and Ann regularly do parties for people that don't ordinarily square dance.  Jim guests for other square dance clubs in the D.C. Metro area and travels a bit, mostly in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.  Jim has called at 12 National Square Dance Conventions and Jim and Ann have both presented in panels, clinics, and seminars at Nationals and at CALLERLAB conventions.  Jim's calling averages 120 to 150 dances and class sessions annually.

Square Dance Classes

Jim is a CALLERLAB-Certified Square Dance Teacher and was one of the first six to receive this designation.  The CSDT program requires verification of five years of calling experience and of teaching at least three classes totaling a minimum of 120 contact hours.  Applicants then are screened by a teaching demonstration video and written and oral examinations.

Through calendar 2006, Jim had taught 25 beginner classes through the at least the mainstream program.  These classes each spanned 20 to 36 weekly two-hour lessons and total approximately 1500 hours of teaching time.

Square Dance Clubs

Jim and Ann founded the Good Luck Squares of New Carrollton, Maryland from their first beginner class in 1990.  The club dances the CALLERLAB Mainstream program weekly throughout most of the year (approximately 42 dances).  Jim was club caller for the plus program Arks and Doves of Leonardtown, Maryland through May of 2002.

Jim guests regularly for several other clubs in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and the Maryland Eastern Shore.  He also travels, mostly in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.  He has called in 16 states.

Square Dance Parties

Jim especially enjoys doing parties for people who don't ordinarily square dance.  He has done approximately 200 of these programs since the fall of 1989.  Events have ranged in size from an 7-person birthday party for a seven year-old girl where we danced a single square in her kitchen to a Girl Scout father-daughter dance with 444 girls and parents in attendance.  Jim has presented programs at the Kennedy Center Open House Arts Festival and at an international particle beam physics symposium.

Calling, Teaching and Teaching Teachers in Elementary Schools

Jim has worked as a caller and square dance teacher in elementary schools.  Some of these have been day programs as part of a physical education or music class.  Many have been evening square dance parties for children and their families sponsored by a parent-teacher or similar organization.

Jim was privileged in 1993 to present a series of training sessions to physical education teachers for elementary schools in the Prince George's County (Maryland) system.  Fifteen teachers were taught to dance the 20 calls of the Diamond Program and given basic instruction in the theory and practice of square dance calling to enable them to proficiently use the Diamond program in their schools.  The Diamond Program was developed by CALLERLAB Milestone awardee the late Jack Murtha of California.

Education and Caller Training

Jim and Ann are both big promoters of education and training.  Jim has attended ten caller schools and presented at five of them. Ann was a committee vice-chair for the 49th National Square Dance Convention in Baltimore, leading the sewing program.  Both Jim and Ann have presented education sessions for dancers and callers at local, regional, and national events.

Square Dance Leadership

Jim has been member of CALLERLAB since 1989 and became a voting member in 1992 when he attended his first CALLERLAB convention.  in 1993 he was asked to chair CALLERLAB's Accreditation Committee.  Under his chairmanship the committee developed and implemented the Certified Square Dance Teacher (CSDT) program.  Jim is a member of the National Capital Area Square Dance Leaders Association (NCASDLA) and has served three terms as NCASDLA President as well as other elected and appointed offices.

Check Jim's schedule, email Jim or phone Jim at 301-257-1348.