Welcome to Square Dance Club Reviews
Review: WASCA 2013
The Washington Area Square Dancers Cooperative Association held their La Fiestival Grande at the Hilton Mark Center Hotel in Alexander, Virginia. WASCA's 54 festival lined up: Jerry Biggerstaff of North Carolina, Tim Marriner of South Carolina, Tom Miller of Pennsylvania, Steve Kopman of Tennessee, Ken Ritucci of Massachusetts, Mike Sikorsky of Arizona, Dave Walker of Michigan, Mike Callahan of New York, Wayne & Barbara Blackford of Arizona, Irene & Steve Bradt of Pennsylvania, and Chris & Terri Cantrell of Colorado.
The La Fiestival Grande was more than grand it was magnificent! WASCA members and organizers out did themselves for 2013. They put in long hours and a great deal of talent to compose an extraordinary adventure of dance and special events:
- Clogging exhibitions
- Delicious buffet meals through out the day
- Elegant and sophisticated scenic backgrounds
- Enormous gift baskets given away
- Fashion Show
- Multiple conference rooms with dance activities
- National callers
- National cuers
- Round Dance Levels II through VII
- Sophisticated clothing vendors
- Squared Dances for Advanced, DBD, Mainstream, Plus
I cannot say enough about how much fun Pat and I had at the La Fiestival Grande festival this year! The extraordinary effort WASCA had to make, for this event to be so memorable for so many people because the word was floating in the air at every turn of the corner in the hotel, WOW! WASCA organizers said there was a little more than 1,700 people registered for this event!
Jody Starling
Virginia Square Dancers
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Square Edges Square Dance Club of Newport News
Winter Wonderland Dance 2013
The Square Edges Square Dance Club of Newport News held their Winter Wonderland Dance on Saturday, January 19, 2013. The Square Edges had Caller Greg Jones of North Carolina and Cuer Pris Collins of Virginia to amuse and entertain us for the evening.
Everyone knows the darling of the Rounds, Pris Collins, in Virginia. She has a great collection of Rounds and knows how to mix it up for the Round dancers. She definitely holds a sweet spot in everyone's heart for those that round dance in the Newport News area!
Greg Jones still amazes me every time I get to hear him call. Greg has one of the best voices I have ever heard! There are less than a handful of callers that have such an incredible voice, a repertoire of songs, and composition of square dance calls to match Greg's talent. I strongly encourage the square dance clubs in Virginia to book this amazing artist for their next big event.
Jody Starling
Saturday, January 20, 2013
RSARDA Fall Festival 2012
Square Dance 'Puttin' on the Ritz'
The RSARDA Fall Festival 2012 was a great 
success this year! The
Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center at
1021 Koger Center Boulevard in
Richmond , Virginia was a wonderful hotel to have the RSARDA Fall Festival. The rooms and conference areas were in top notch shape. The hotel must have under gone a recent, total revamp to look this nice.
Kudos to Elaine and crew, for the fantastic job of getting the price way down on the rooms for out of town square dancers and the ones in town who just could not bear to stay away from the action. Three conference halls were set up for dancing, vendors were there with great deals, and a silent auction kept everyones attention peaked in claiming that special prize they were bidding on. The Richmond clubs provided tons of home made deserts and free ice cream to everyone.
Callers Bill Harrison, Jimmy Roberson, Gene Chamberlain, and Jim Durham did a great job of entertaing square dancers because they were all dancing and smiling. Plus, cuers Jim & Priscilla Adcock, Dom & Joan Filardo, and George & Jeannine Springer did a superb job of keeping round dancers fluid and graceful.
Elaine said they are going to do it again in 2013! If you missed this festival this time, do not miss it in 2013. You can contact Elaine Ragland at 804-814-3008 or email at emragland1@yahoo.com for more information about the Richmond Fall Festival 2013.
Jody Starling
October 14, 2012
Square Edges Square Dance Club
Winter Wonderland
Editorial: January 29, 2012
The Square Edges Square Dance Club presented to the square dance population on Saturday, January 28, 2012, their theme square dance Winter Wonderland. Square dance caller Jerry Biggerstaff and cuer Butch Bloxom provided the full throttle entertainment for the evening's event. Club members and other nearby club members transformed the Palmer Elementary School's gymnasium into a 'Mystic Winter Night' with carefully arranged lights and large-scale scenery. One could believe they were at an the Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye White Christmas movie set!
Square dance caller Jerry Biggerstaff from Marion, North Carolina, is an outstanding performer. He called to the floor, with just the right amount of zest to keep us buzzing around the square. Jerry has a superb voice, which makes his singing calls a delight to listen to and follow. Biggerstaff threw in a few fun gimmick tips that had the assembly laughing and smiling throughout the square dance tips. Jerry Biggerstaff is on tour in Virginia this year! Make sure you do not miss the opportunity to be at one of his stops this year in Virginia!
Cuer Butch Bloxom from Winchester, Virginia, is just a masterful as ever. Butch cues are precise, perfectly timed, and the choreography is amazing. Bloxom has a clear and modulated voice that makes ballroom dancing a joy to behold and a wonderful thrill to dance to.
The Square Edges Square Dance Club deserves a Ten for great entertainment and a perfect theme setting! The Square Edges Square Dance Club dances on Saturday nights at Chestnut Memorial United Methodist Church at 1024 Harpersville Road, in Newport News, Virginia. They occasionally square dance at Kiln Creek Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia too. Double check their posted schedule below to make sure you do not miss this exciting square dance and round dance club when you visit the Newport News area of Virginia.
Square Edges Square Dance Club
The Square Edges presented the Daffodil Festival square dance on Saturday night, April 30, 2011.
Greg Jones of Raleigh North Carolina and Pris Collins of Newport News Virginia entertained square dancers from Chesapeake, Hampton, Lexington, Newport News, Richmond, and Palmyra Virginia. The Square Edge members decorated the hall with beautiful decorations of daffodils and then loaded down the food table with delicious goodies. I told Heather, the club treasurer, that they were going to need to hold a meeting of Chocolate Anonymous after the square dance. I was going to need five minutes to list all of the sinful treats I enjoyed at the meeting.
Greg Jones is a new caller to Virginia square dance clubs. I have heard him do a singing call tip with Jimmy Roberson at the Shooting Stars in Norfolk, and he and Jimmy were very good. This was the first time I heard Greg call a complete square dance on his own. Think Jimmy Roberson, but different. 
Greg calls and sings more contemporary songs, but he also weaves in a few oldies too. Let me tell you some truth about Greg, Greg Jones has a beautiful and powerful voice that leaves you wanting for more! He has the square dance patter down and a natural humorous wit that make you laugh at yourself if you mess up. The one overwhelming gift he has and demonstrated successfully was to constantly challenge the square dancers skill level at their extreme borderline. Not many square dance callers can pull this trick off. Many callers may try to push their audience to the breaking point, but fail in making in challenging and fun, leaving square dancers frustrated and not happy. Greg leaves everyone grinning and ready for the next challenging tip.
The Square Edges hold a major event every quarter. They try to get the best of the best for these events. This does not always work out, especially when you are willing to try national callers you have not heard before. They are known for introducing new callers into the area and it is nice to hear new callers. On this night, they hit a solid home run, with Caller Greg Jones of North Carolina!
After reading this article, you may think I am promoting Greg Jones as your next square dance caller for your next club's major event... I am and I am sure I will hear and see more of Greg Jones at Virginia Square Dance Clubs in the near future! Greg has recorded songs for Platinum Records and is BMI/ASCAP licensed through CALLERLAB. You can contact Greg at (919) 266-0845 or email gjones@nc.rr.com. Picture note: Caller Greg Jones, Cuer Pris Collins, President Sam Holben, Pat & Jody.
Tidal Waves Square Dance Club
August 26, 2011
The Tidal Waves Square Dance Club sponsors a charity square dance event each year to benefit the EDMARC Hospice for Children Organization.
EDMARC's mission is to ease the trauma of a child's illness or death, and to reduce the disabling effects of pediatric illness, loss, bereavement on families.
They understand the overwhelming challenges that families face when a child is sick. All of their services: home healthcare, hospice care and bereavement support; are designed to alleviate a families pain, anxiety, and fear. EDMARC's professionals offer comfort, strength, and support so that families can do the same for their child.
On August 26, 2011 at 7:30 PM, the Tidal Waves will hold their annual event to support EDMARC at Kiln Creek Elementary School, 1501 Kiln Creek Parkway, Newport News, VA. Virginia Square Dancer joins the Tidal Waves in soliciting your support for EDMARC. Tell your neighbors and friends to come out to the Tidal Waves, on this very important evening, to support one of only a hand full of Virginia organizations that directly support our children, grand children and families.
As square dancers, round dancers, and parents we know how much energy, patience, and love it takes to raise children. When our child or our grand children are suffering from serious illness, how much would we give to help them? How much of our assistance, time, money, worry, and love would we give? EDMARC helps families, not just the child. EDMARC helps with coordinating other agencies, with the other children, giving parents a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to, gives parents a break from their day-to-day struggle, home health care, hospice care, bereavement support, and professional consultations. EDMARC is there for families; 24 hours, seven days a week.
Why Square Dancers And Round Dancers Support EDMARC
- 90% of EDMARC's Financial Support comes from Donations
- Bereavement Support
- Donations to EDMARC are Tax Deductible
- EDMARC Stories (Click the "our stories view", then the little video clip image left of "select a video")
- Home Health Care
- Hospice Care
- Professional Consultations
- Provides 24/7 care for over 60 children per day
- United Way Agency
Contact EDMARC at (757) 967-9251
Email: edmarc@edmarc.org
Website: http://www.edmarc.org/home.html
Merry Mixers Square Dance Club
September 24, 2011
The Merry Mixers Square Dance Club presents a 'Touch of Class' Square Dance each year in September. This year's event was as good as it gets! Masters Butch Bloxom and Tim Marriner put on a fantastic performance for the Merry Mixers and their friends in the square and round dancing community. Their entertainment routines keep people coming back year after year.
Everyone had a grand time dressing up elegantly for the main event. The food tables displayed pounds of great food and quite a few exquisite deserts for the assemblage. If you did not make it this year to the Touch of Class event, make sure you do next year! It's money well spent on for the return you get in food, fun, and great memories.