Wendy

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 the Social Square Dance (SSD) program)

  • Wednesday nights:  Ottawa Date Squares (teaching the Social Square Dance (SSD) program)

  • Friday nights:  Russell Squares (teaching the Social Square Dance (SSD) program)

  • Sunday afternoons (2 - 3 times per month): Glengarry Tartans (teaching the Social Square Dance (SSD) program)

  • 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 - Square Dance Ottawa - on the 4th Sunday of the month, 2:30 - 4:30 PM

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

In 2015, I became 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, Advanced Committee, and Application Review Committee. I am also a member of the Ottawa Area Callers’ Association (OACA).

​I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it!