Festival 2024 Planning Committee
Lorne has danced for 56 years & Barb for 46 years. They were Program Chair-couple for the 2004 National Convention in Calgary. Lorne has conducted eight caller schools for the AB Callers Association and calls from basic to C1 as well as cues rounds to level II. Lorne was the Mystery Caller for the Pacific Northwest Teen Competition. As well as being busy with the 2024 Festival, they are the ASRDF rep. to CSRDS and the Convention Coordinator for the Canadian Society and they both work full time! In their spare time Lorne & Barb enjoy cruising to see other parts of the world.
Gary & Eileen have been square dancing for about 20 years. Gary has been calling for 16 years. They host a beginners/mainstream club called Square Up and a plus/advanced club called Crossfire, both on the west side of Edmonton, AB. We thank you for planning to participate in the 2024 Canadian National Festival in Calgary and we hope you have a superb time! The Festival Committee has some great folks, and it is a pleasure working together. We look forward to seeing you across the square. Yahoo!!
Beverley & Charlie started square dancing in Indonesia in 1987. Upon returning to Calgary in mid 1988 they joined the Banff Trailers Square Dance Club. From 1995 to 2020 they operated Starlite Fashions in Calgary and took the shop on the road to many provincial and national festivals. They handled registrations at the Alberta Convention in 1999 and the National Convention in 2004. They look forward to meeting friends, old and new at Festival 2024. Charlie & Beverley are also avid cruisers.
Dawn started square dancing as a teen in the ‘70’s with the Twirling Teens in Calgary. After a long hiatus she finally convinced her husband Murray to try square dancing in Airdrie, AB with the Rockyview Ramblers. 17 years later they’re still loving it. Dawn dances up to C1 and thanks to Covid, loves Zoom dancing A2/C1 with callers and friends from around the world. Dawn was the secretary for the 48th AB Convention in 2016. Dawn keeps busy working full time and dancing three to four nights a week. She loves cats, is an avid backyard bird feeder/watcher and red is best! Hope to see you across the square.
At the urging of friends, Kelsey and her late husband Larry started square dancing in 1998 with the Banff Trailers in Calgary. Their first convention was in 2004 and they found it amazing. They started to explore Plus and eventually A1/A2. They were the treasurer couple for the provincial convention in 2013. When asked by Lorne & Barb Smith, Kelsey agreed to be the treasurer for this Festival as a way to get back into square dancing after a bit of an absence. Kelsey is very busy with five grandchildren and believes cruising is back in the forecast.
Brent & Nancy started square dancing in 2010 – When Nancy suggested they try either Regency dancing or square dancing, Brent chose square dancing and they have loved it since their first night out. They have enjoyed meeting such nice people! They have been to several conventions before & were Registrars for the 2022 AB Provincial Convention. They are looking forward to dancing, meeting new people, and learning new things. At one convention they tried Hexagonal Squares which was pretty interesting.
Joe has been calling for 59 years, having called throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. Calling and teaching beginner level through C3B, recording for Grenn records and publishing callers notes Joe has also conducted caller schools, led caller clinics, and mentored many callers around the world for the past 50 years. Joe enjoys composing music, anything aviation and motorcycles and woodworking. Married to Gail, they reside in Cochrane, AB.
Mary started square dancing with her parents when she was 9 years old.. Bruce started while working in Saudi in the 80’s. They started round dancing in 1992 in Calgary and started cueing & teaching in 2009 in Edmonton when their instructors retired. Their youngest great- granddaughter was born in 2022.
Wayne is a born Alberta Farm Boy. Wayne started square dancing 1979 was and still is a country dancer. Wayne has been on numerous executive communities and still is. He and his wife Doreen love to travel to square dances & wherever they go he leaves an AB impression as the “Man with the Cowboy Stetson & the Alberta Cowboy YAHOO!”. (Wayne presents a dangle to those who have graduated in the “YAHOO” yell to spread it around in the square dance world.) Wayne loves dancing with new & experienced dancers, the callers, cuers, instructors, the variety of music, the health aspect & lastly the travel. See you ALL ACROSS THE SQUARE in 2024.
Allan & his wife Norma live in Edmonton where Allan was a CBSA (Customs) officer from November 1981 for 35 + years. In June 1983 he began dating co-worker Norma Block. They married December 8, 1984 then started square dance lessons in January 1985 when Cloverdale back lane neighbours Ross and Margaret Nicoll drove them to 7pm Friday night lessons sponsored by the Lukes and Lucys Club. In 2015 they received the Alberta Rose Award for their many years involved with Square Dancing.
David started dancing in Spruce View, AB with the Swinging 8’s in 1963. The one thing about growing up with parents that square danced was we never missed the Penticton Festival every summer or a Wandering Squares weekend. He danced in & around Central AB until 1974 when he moved to Calgary. In 1977 David joined the Swinging Singles square dance club. David has been to many AB Provincial and National conventions and travelled Australia, where he looked up local clubs. At the 1980 AB Convention he met his future wife Joyce. They have been very involved with the Rockyview Ramblers in Airdrie since joining the club in 2004.
Marlene started Square Dancing when she was a teen and joined a singles club in 1998. She has served on many AB conventions committees as, Treasurer, Facilities and Decorating. Marlene has been in the Calgary Stampede Parade four times in my teen years; two times on Horseback and two times with the high school band. Baking is her favourite past time and stress release.
