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WENDY

Want to add some Modern/Social Square Dancing to your event?

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Look no further!  Wendy is available for your party, social event, or team-building exercise. She has 40 years of dancing and 23 years of calling experience and has conducted numerous fun nights and party nights and workshops. Whether you are a work group, a family group, or a church group looking for something different for a fun, social evening, Wendy has the professional experience to entertain for the evening. She has provided her expertise at company dinners, church socials, wedding parties, retirement parties, birthday parties, group picnics, Christmas parties, and so much more. All the music and sound equipment are provided by Wendy, so there is no need for added expense of this kind. Contact Wendy today to entertain at your next function.

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About Me

 

I started dancing in the fall of 1983 after meeting John Charman at work and finding out that he was a Square Dance Caller. At the time, I had never heard of square dancing, so when John invited me to a demo he was doing with his Club that summer, I went to check it out. Well, I had so much fun just trying it once, that I started dancing that fall in Cobourg, Ontario, and I've been dancing ever since.

 

In 1985, we moved to Ottawa, and within 3 years, we were dancing and calling 5 nights a week, from teaching Basics with the Meri Squares, to calling Challenge for the Challengers.
 

In the summer of 2000, after having been dancing for 17 years, I decided to sit in as a student in a New-Callers’ Clinic John and I put on for some local dancers interested in learning to call. For the previous 2 or 3 years, John and I had been doing a singing call together called “I Love You Honey” (Patsy Cline tune) – John would do the calls and I would do the singing. People kept telling me I should try calling because I had a nice singing voice. Well, I was not at all interested at first, but eventually I thought I might as well give it a try. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

And I’ve managed to keep busy calling since then, too.  My current schedule is:

 

  • Monday nights: Ottawa Date Squares (calling/teaching the Plus program)

  • Tuesday nights:  Meri Squares (teaching new dancers the Social Square Dance (SSD) program)

  • Wednesday nights:  Ottawa Date Squares (teaching the Advanced1 program)

  • Starting January 26 - Friday nights:  Russell Squares (teaching new dancers Modern Square Dancing Part I)

  • I have a once-a-month dances for ANYONE to drop in and check it out.  It is 2 hours of fun to introduce people to modern square dancing:

  • Occassional Sunday afternoons: Glengarry Tartans (calling/teaching the first half of the SSD program)

  • I am also hired throughout the year for private events; for example, wedding parties, retirement parties, birthday parties, family gatherings, school physEd, office parties......

 

I am also a "recording artist" for square dance music!  Please check my Music page for more details and to hear my music.

 

I am a member of CALLERLAB, the International Association of Square Dance Callers.  In April of 2022, I was elected to the Board of Governors - a high honour, indeed!  I also serve on the Women in Calling Committee, Mainstream Committee, Plus Committee, and Application Review Committee. I am also a member of the Ottawa Area Callers’ Association (OACA).

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I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it!

Testimonials

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Wendy, we want to thank you for the wonderful event last night.  I have received e-mails from many of the participants lauding you.  We get credit for the idea but you get credit for making the party work.  Such smiles and laughter ... all night!  It was very impressive to observe how you turned the group of neophytes into square dancers!  We truly are grateful to you.

All the best,
SA & TD

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I have Wendy to thank for inspiring me to take up dancing. Her passion and love of it shone through when I met her for the first time when I signed up for a 3 session (once off I thought!) to see what it was all about. There was no stopping me after that.

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VM

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We are impressed as to your ability to teach, see what is going on in a square, and your timing, which makes dancing so much easier and more enjoyable.   Keep up the good work.  

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B&C

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Hi Wendy!

 

I'm afraid I've run into some health issues that prevent me from doing as much as I would like to do... I have to scale back, and, unfortunately, the square dancing has to go.  Hopefully, by Sept. ..., things will have improved.

 

NP

 

P.S.  I must add that I was truly impressed with your instruction style.  I was a teacher, so, I can appreciate a very good teacher, when I'm with one.  Thank you very much.

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Wendy:  Fantastic calling & great fun this evening – Bernie and I agreed that this was one of the best dances so far this season at regular dance night!!

Carole

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Hey Wendy 

   Thanks again for coming to call at my house for a Summer BBQ get together with family and friends. It was a wonderful time had by all...good wholesome fun  and exercise for all ages. 

Some got up right away when you started to call...

Others needed to watch for a bit, then joined in...

Still others needed coaxing...but said they were so glad they were coaxed because they really enjoyed it. 

And still others after watching for the night said if I do it again they will give it a try. 

So many comments on how great of a job you did teaching us the steps.

 

Thanks Wendy

See you next year?

 

-AH

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Hi Wendy, Thank you for a wonderful summer of square dancing lessons. I enjoyed every one that I was able to attend and met a lot of wonderful people. The summer review, especially for dancers at the Basic level, allowed us the opportunity to gain confidence in ourselves as dancers and prepared us to start a new season as we progress to learning Mainstream. A solid foundation is the most important thing in any spectrum of learning.

Thanks again for such a productive summer of dancing,

-B

 

Hi Wendy, Thank you, for a Very Special night, you are so kind, & a Great teacher. 

-A&R

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E and I very much enjoyed a modern square dance evening at the Churchill Centre where we normally come for contradance.  It was so easy to learn, partly because most of the moves are the same as contradance and because Wendy is the best teacher I've come across for new dance steps--and I've been to hundreds of dance lessons in the last 60 years and have taught dance myself.

--PH

 

"Hi Wendy,

Heard back from several people who enjoyed their square dance evening last Friday.

One appreciated how much you were able to teach her in one evening (she had not square danced before), and another thought it was great that you were able to include the kids -- that there would be good family memories from that which would last for years to come. I'm sure we're a pretty 'chaotic' group to deal with, but your patience and sense of humour make it all work. :-) Thanks a million,"

--Peter

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