Hall Of Fame

Hall Of Fame

The RDC officers of the Square Dance Callers Club of Great Britain (SDCCGB) would like to recognise the individuals, couples or groups who have made a lasting contribution to the Round Dancing community in Great Britain.

Contents

1 Judi & Michael Read
2 Paul & Teresa Hart
3 Susie & Gert-Jan Rotschied
4 Babs Adam
5 Bill & Helen Viner
6 Alan & Joyce Sheriffs
7 Jean Preston
8 Jan Farnell (now living in the USA)

Details about nominating can be found at the bottom of the page.

2019 Inductees

Judi & Michael Read

Judi has been dancing squares since she completed University and was initially introduced to rounds by Alan and Joyce Sherriffs. With the support of local dancers, she was encouraged into cueing rounds. In 1991 Scarlet Ribbons Round Dance Club was born and they have recently reached their 29th birthday.

With Callers Club excepting rounds she was able to access the benefits of membership and quickly established herself as a Teacher of Rounds with accreditation and the Harry Preston Award. Since then she has been an important part of ensuring rounds has a place in the UK and has recently handed over the chair of the Round Dance Council, a body that is working hard to encourage dancers and cuers in the UK.

For a number of years Michael has been her techie, an endearing term for a man of all trades. He has supported her at all times and has become her obedient teaching partner. For the level of support given to both Judi and the wider round dance community he was also honoured with the award

2017 Inductees

Paul & Teresa Hart

This award was presented in the family setting of the Whirl and Twirl Spring Fling on March 18th 2017. In addition to Stefan and Ilona Lankuttis, the ECTA RD Co-ordinator, several members of the RDC were also present, together with Lucy Hart and her new baby daughter, a number of Telemarks members and other dancer friends.

Teresa and Paul are well known in the UK and Europe as both Cuers and as a teaching couple, most recently for their sustained work at the Lytham dance week and Hose RD weekends, but for many years they have contributed substantially to the work of SDCCGB and GSI along with cueing for clubs, Saturday dances and Special events. Currently Teresa has resumed the role of RDC Cuer’s Rep and Paul continues as RDC Treasurer.

Teresa and Paul expressed their surprise (contrary to usual practice the award had not been announced at the SDCCGB AGM) and pleasure, thanking the RDC for this recognition.

2015 Inductees

Susie & Gert-Jan Rotschied

Despite their considerable involvement in ECTA, Susie & Gert-Jan have managed to be instrumental in increasing the range of rhythms and dances taught in the UK. For several years they taught at the SDCCGB Oxford RD weekends, teaching workshops and also holding Cuer training sessions.

In 1995, after encouraging the UK Cuers to set up an accreditation panel similar to the one used by ECTA, they invited them over to the Goss seminar to participate. The Cuers continued to improve their cueing and teaching skills and were also introduced to the idea of using constructive criticism within the group, something that is still used today.

Although not being involved in the UK for some years many dancers still enjoyed their choreography and the festivals they attended to teach in Europe.

2014 Inductee

Babs Adam

Shown in this photo is Sandra just after presenting Babs with her award at the 2014 Week of Dance.

Babs was one of the first round dance cuers in the UK. Her club Step-A-Rounds opened in the midlands in 1978 with nineteen couples. She often gave help and advice to others setting up their own clubs, notably Jean Preston, Marnie Slater and Sandra Higson.

In March 1990 Babs held the first British Round Dance weekend, helped by her husband John. It ran annually at Woolacombe until 2002. She also ran the November event in Torquay from 1993 until 2003. Both weekends were very popular averaging eighty dancers, who all returned with enthusiasm and new dances to their own clubs.

2013 Inductees

Bill & Helen Viner

Shown in this photo is Helen Viner holding her certificate.

"I am very sorry I can't be with you today, I would so love to be there in person. Thank you so much for nominating Bill and me for induction into the Round Dance Hall of Fame. I feel delighted and very honoured, and I know Bill would have been so very proud. It is good to know that Round Dancing is still going strong and more people are enjoying it. I would like to send my best wishes to you all and wish you Happy Dancing in the future." Helen is now 91 and still lives independently, although since a second bout of pneumonia at New Year, she has had 3 further spells in hospital, returning home most recently at the beginning of March. She still loves to hear news of all her dancing friends. She was presented with her award on the 23rd March 2013 by RDC Vice Chair Judi Read.

Alan & Joyce Sheriffs

Alan and Joyce said they were very happy to have been nominated and inducted into the Round Dance Council's Hall of Fame. They're pleased that all their efforts over so many years have been acknowledged in this way, and they're glad to hear that Round Dancing is doing so well, and that some Clubs are able to attract new round dancers.

Unfortunately they no longer have a car because Alan is not now fit to drive, so they're unable to get out to see people, although they're always glad to hear news from their round and square dancing friends.

They were presented with their award on the 23rd August 2013.

Jean Preston

On the 22nd September 2013, Jean Preston was finally, officially, presented with her certificate and trophy of induction to the SDCCGB Round Dance Council Hall of Fame - her ever busy schedule had precluded an earlier date. The dancers at Dial A Round had asked for the presentation to be made at a club evening / party night: this included a celebration cake and bouquet of flowers as well as a poem written by a dancer.

Judi Read and Jill Woodall made the presentation on behalf of the Round Dance Council, and John Webb, President of the BAASDC, proposed a toast wishing Jean another 35 years of successful cueing and teaching.

The evening was attended by Jean's daughter Heather, and many dancers from a number of clubs, including some square dancers who do not dance rounds, and some former dancers, all wishing to celebrate with Jean and honour her for her many years of service to both Square and Round dancing.

Jan Farnell (now living in the USA)

Jan started square dancing in the USA in 1970 but started dancing rounds in 1975 here in England. Like many dancers at the time she learnt some dances by heart so that she could join in and had even cued some of these dances in her local clubs but it wasn't until 1980 that she took a real round dance class herself under the tutelage of Jim and Ruth Price.

When Jim & Ruth returned to the USA Jan took over as the cuer for ‘Telemarks’ she also cued for ‘Jubilee Rounds’ and started ‘Anglian Eights RDC’. She cued at many Saturday Night dances and weekends including ‘Night Owl’ and ‘Expo’ also she cued and taught at the National Association weekend in Nottingham in 1989.

Jan also choreographed and published many dances, one of which she taught at Nottingham.

Jan was instrumental in starting up the Cuers section of Callers Club and wrote regular articles for the Callers Club magazine and presented these articles as Workshop sessions at the Callers Club bi-monthly meetings,

When she returned to the US in 1990 she started up a local club called ‘Honeybunch”.

Jan Farnell piece written by Joyce Obolewicz