On Saturday November 1, 2025, over 160 dancers, callers, cuers and guests attended Mike Callahan’s 65th Celebration Dance, honoring Mike’s 65 years of square dance calling.

Dancers & guests came from as far as New Jersey and Virginia to attend this special event to honor Mike.

Anne Granger and Don Naulin, Co-Presidents of Silver Squares hosted this celebration, and led the Silver Squares committee in organizing this wonderful dance.

We had up to fourteen squares of dancers on the floor to our wonderful calling and cueing staff of fourteen. Our eight callers were: Mike Callahan, Ron Schweitzer, Ray Tompkins, Ron Brown, Richard Rosenfield, Betsy Gotta, Jim Gotta, and Gary Bubel. Our six cuers were: Lisa Treichler, Mary Hinkle, Alice Bubel, Chuck Meyer, Bill Saintey, and Roy Gotta. Special thanks to Jim Gotta for setting up the dance program, and arranging the calling, and cueing staff.

In addition to dancing, the program consisted of speeches from Wanda Callahan, Mike’s wife, as well as Bruce Shaw, retired caller, and close friend of Mike. Both Wanda and Bruce shared fond memories about Mike over the past 65 years. Our Western NY Federation of Square and Round Dancers Inc. Co-Presidents, Debbie & Jeff Blood, presented Mike with an engraved desk clock from the Federation thanking him for all his support and dedication over the years. A video of a collection of pictures of Mike over the years was created by Gary Granath, which played in the cafe throughout the dance. Everyone was so generous with their delicious snacks and desserts, the cafe area was overflowing with treats for our dancers.

In addition to Anne and Don, special thanks to the other Silver Squares committee members for this dance: Cathy and Ladd Dromgold, Barb and Bob Jackson, Sue Sepkowski and Mitch Berner, Jim Lee and Rosie Holley, and Debbie and Jeff Blood. Special thank you also Gary and Lorraine Granath, Jan and Paul Weitz along with JoAnn Baxter for their assistance with setting up and cleaning up. Thank you to the volunteers that helped with setup, greeting, registering dancers, selling 50/50 raffle, dangle sales, and after the dance clean up. Thanks to everyone who brought a snack or dessert to share.

Mike’s Bio

Mike has been a fulltime caller since 1974 in the Rochester NY area. He currently regularly calls for several clubs in the Rochester area which has included dances from Beginner through C-1. Mike has taught beginner Modern Western Square Dance lessons since 1972. He is an active member of CALLERLAB the International Association of Square Dance Callers since 1976 and has served on the Board of Governors. Currently he is active with the Mainstream and Advanced Dancing Committees and past Chairman of the Advanced Dancing Committee.

Mike is currently a recording artist for Silver Sound Records, and has recorded singing calls for Red Boot Star and C Bar C Records.

Mike was recently honored by the Fairport School Community by being added to their “Wall of Fame”. Mike, the only honoree outside of the Fairport Community, was honored for his involvement of teaching Fairport High School students square dancing for over 35 years. Their annual “Showdown Hoedown” attracts over 40 squares of high school students each year. Mike lives in Spencerport NY with his lovely wife Wanda. They have 3 grown children and 8 grandchildren.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

Copy Cats Western Dance on Saturday October 4th was fabulous. A very festival dance with western hats and attire and smiling dancers.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

Copy Cats Halloween Party on Saturday October 25th and Cloverleafs’ on Sunday October 26th were so much fun! We had many creative and wonderful costumes!

Debbie Blood and Jim Gotta

Silver Squares had such a great time visiting, and dancing on Monday afternoons. Take a peek at the many theme dances we had this fall. The Crazy Hat Dance, our Halloween Party, a visiting dancer ( Debbie and Jeff Bloods grandson), honoring our veterans, and Mike Callahan’s Celebration for 65 years of calling were some of the highlights of our fall dancing.

Anne Granger

We would not be dancing if it weren’t for the extra efforts of a few dancers who consistently go out of their way to make things happen, to welcome and encourage new dancers and to help keep experienced dancers engaged. The Daphne-Norma Leadership Award is one of the ways we recognize and honor these special people.

The award is presented each year in May at Dance O Rama to honor an individual or couple who have made an outstanding contribution to dancing in our area. Recipients are selected from nominations sent in by dancers like you.

This is an award for dancers from other dancers. It's an opportunity to recognize service that stands out from others. Anyone can fill out and send a nomination, and nominations are saved over the years. The deadline for nominations is the end of February.

Now is the time to think about nominating dancers YOU appreciate for the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award. If you don’t take the time to nominate them, their contributions may go unrecognized.

Nomination forms and a more complete description of the award and its historical background are available online via the Awards page on the WNYF website, or by contacting WNYF Co- Presidents Debbie & Jeff Blood via email dfbjvbhome@aol.com

If that’s too much trouble, simply send an email with the following information:

• Nominee’s Name(s)
• Your reasons for nominating them, as fully as you can express them
• Your name and club affiliation
• Your email address and phone number

It’s that simple!

The Daphne-Norma Leadership Award is the way that our dancing community recognizes a couple or individual dancer who has demonstrated leadership for an extended period of time, furthering the cause of square and round dancing. Think about contributions that have been made over past years as well as recently.

Leadership styles vary greatly as each person is different. But going that extra mile for the sake of other dancers, and of dancing itself, is something we want to recognize.

If you know someone whom you feel stands out in their continuing service to square dancing and to others, please help us recognize and celebrate them. All it takes is for you to fill out a nomination form. Your input is very important! Tell us about the person or couple you wish to nominate by completing and submitting the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award Nomination Form. The Sooner, The Better! Every single nomination is very important, so please don’t think that what you have to say doesn’t matter!

You don’t need to know their life history. The nomination form gives you the space to tell us what you do know about their contributions to square dancing. You can also ask others to help you fill in the information. If you have nominated someone in a previous year, please don't hesitate to nominate them again this year - adding to their record of service. Nominations are kept on file by the award committee, gaining weight as they accumulate.

Each year in March, a committee made up of previous recipients reviews the accumulated nominations. They typically choose someone who has received multiple nominations over several years. So, even if you have nominated someone in the past, you can submit a new nomination form this year to add cumulative weight to their nomination file.

Remember, the deadline for nominations is the end of February. If you have any questions, please contact the email address given at the bottom of the form. For 2026, that's Debbie & Jeff Blood, WNYF Co-Presidents. Their email address is given above.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

Answering the call to help promote interest in square dance calling and cueing, the Western NY Federation is establishing the tradition of hosting an annual amateur calling and cueing event each June. The Cloverleaf Squares’ “Roaring Tiger” trophy came out of hibernation at last year’s very successful amateur calling and cueing event. Continuing the tradition, the Roaring Tiger will be awarded annually to the most entertaining amateur based on audience vote.

Any interested volunteer amateur callers and cuers are encouraged to participate. Please reach out to our WNYF callers and cuers for help and advice. They are fantastic and they encourage newbies to try calling and cueing. Experienced callers and cuers are glad to guide you on music selection or obtaining cue sheets, if need be.

Details as to date, location and calling staff are still to be determined. In March or April, we will be asking participants to register for this event so we can plan our dance program for the evening. We are looking forward to hearing our talented participants try calling and cueing.

So, please think about it and pick a favorite singing call or round dance tune. Then see one of our local callers for advice on getting what you need to start practicing.

We have heard from many past participants how much fun it is to step forward and take part in this event. This event is open to everyone, even for those who have no plans to ever become a caller or cuer.

Dancers, you play an important role in this too! Please make a strong showing to support and encourage our participants. We are looking forward to a fun evening of dancing with our members and recent graduates.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

Raised in Miami, blocks from one another. Went on to different colleges and careers. Found each other 30 years after high school. Married in an ICU in Las Vegas. Discovered square dancing in Penfield. And on their 20th anniversary, were square dancing in Scotland in a never-to-be-forgotten evening. Yep, these are special people. Robyn and Kirk Miller, both 71, enjoyed vibrant careers.

Kirk is a retired administrative law judge who worked for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, ruled in traffic court in Rochester and handled non-criminal administrative law matters in New York City. He moved here from the city.

Robyn is a retired nonprofit manager and freelance grant writer. She moved here from Honolulu. “I love it here,” Robyn said. “I love the change of seasons. I love it here a lot.” “I ended up here because of her,” Kirk said, nodding at Robyn. “I like it up here, too.”

The two met when shared friends schemed to get them together and the first meeting bloomed into a long-distance friendship, then love. “We grew up less than two miles away from each other but we never met,” Kirk said. “I met Robyn’s sister in 1972, but never Robyn. We went to separate high schools and I left to go to Florida State; Robyn left to go to the University of West Florida.

“I was living in New York City; she had just moved to Rochester from Honolulu. I was a widower and her friends and my friends decided they would fix us up. Eventually, I was flying back and forth to Rochester and we got married and I moved up here.”

“He proposed to me here in Rochester,” Robyn added. “It was a Friday. We were supposed to go on Tuesday to see my parents: my father had just had a stroke. My mother and dad lived in Las Vegas. We were on our way there and Kirk said, ‘Your dad is not doing well. Do you want to get married while we we’re there?’ We ended up getting married in the intensive care unit inside Sunrise Hospital in Vegas. Both of my parents were there.” That was 2005.

Jump to last summer, when Kirk and Robyn were walking through the library at the Penfield Rec Center. “She picked up a booklet about square dancing and told me, ‘Oh, we should try this,’” Kirk said. “My mom and dad square-danced a lot when I was in my 20s and 30s,” Robyn added. “They were very into it. They went whole-hog: the outfits, the badges, the whole thing.” “I told Kirk, ‘That looks like fun. Let’s do it.’ And he grumbled, ‘Aaaarrghh. Grrr.’”

“Let’s just say that I was less than enthusiastic at first,” Kirk said. “But I thought, ‘Let’s give square dancing a try.’ And I did. And I liked it.”

There was another piece to the story: “We have an in-law who has a farm in Connecticut,” Robyn said. “Every year he has a party he calls ‘MelStock.’ His name is Mel. I had suggested square dancing and Kirk poo-pooed the idea, but when he went to MelStock one year he square-danced and told me he liked it. That was what did it.”

Modern square dance

Last September, the Millers began taking square dance lessons through the Copy Cats Western Square Dancing Club in Penfield. To dance with an organized group, you need to understand what the caller is telling you do, which way to move and what to do with a partner. Otherwise, collisions can ensue. Learning the 17 basic steps normally takes several months, from fall into spring.

The Copy Cats have two free open houses, Sept. 17 and 24, where you can try out square dancing. Start-up classes are Oct. 1 and 8 and on Oct. 15, “Session I” classes for the full curriculum begin. Graduation from there is in April 2026.

What is offered varies by club. Some, like Cloverleafs, will have classes; others may not. You can verify what’s available and where at the Western New York Square Dance Federation website: www.squaredancingrochester.org.

The Copy Cats website encourages that “Modern Western Square Dancing is no longer your grandparents’ square dancing. Gone are the old twang songs; now squares are being called to all different types of music like rock ‘n roll, classic oldies and today’s country. You don’t need any previous dancing experience. We say, ‘If you know your right hand from your left hand, you can learn how to square dance.’ We start everyone out with the most basic calls, then work your way up the call list. What we teach is the basis for all square dancing and that is called the mainstream program. We guarantee that you will have fun. That is our number one rule.”

Copy Cats past president Bonnie Allen said the group now has 101 members and there are 16 square dancing clubs between Syracuse and Buffalo. Copy Cats dances are held at the Penfield Community Center on Wednesday nights, with two free open houses in September so newcomers can come dip their toes in some do-si-dos. To sign up to learn those 17 steps, you’ll need 17 sessions, but once you’ve mastered the steps and their calls, you can go anywhere.

“You can dance anywhere in the world,” Allen said. “The calls are always in English, the same calls we have here. The only difficulty is the accent.” Last March, the Millers went on vacation to Scotland. “An author I like has a place in Scotland,” Robyn said. “Kirk looked up square dancing online and found a square dance club. The only club in the whole country in one of the places we were going to be on one of the nights we were going to be there on our 20th anniversary. On our 20th anniversary, we went square dancing in Scotland. It was his idea. I couldn’t get over it; it was so cool.”

“The calls were in English,” Kirk added. “They were all the same, standardized worldwide, no matter where you go. We met some very nice people.”

And name of the Scottish dance club? The Aberdeen Kilt-Kickers.

Getting started

The Millers had the same learning curve everyone new to square dancing enjoys. “It was like entering a new world,” Kirk admitted. “They have their own jargon and you are learning new moves.”

Robyn did not come easily to dance, she worried. “We had taken a ballroom-dancing class. I did not enjoy it. I felt very intimidated and clumsy. But I remember after a week or two of square dancing, I was thinking, ‘Oh, I can do this.’ It just felt more accessible. I was very intimidated when I did ballroom dancing because I’m clumsy you know?”

Kirk said the class design provides all kinds of support: “You’re dancing in a group so there’s eight people working together while you’re dancing and the club has experienced square dancers in the square with you who are helping to guide you through the various moves.”

“Square dancing has a thinking component to it,” Robyn added. “I think that was helpful because I was able to think about, ‘OK, what do I do next?’ You’re being guided by the caller and your partner. The women are guided by the men. It’s very parochial. You do get guided by the fella. I remember having the sense, at the first or second lesson, ‘Oh, I can do this.’ That was my epiphany.”

She also thought that beyond the exercise and socialization, square dancing offers an intellectually satisfying moment. And she laughed while she reasoned: “There’s a great sense of satisfaction when you do something correctly. You make your progress and you don’t stop the whole square (which sometimes you do). It’s very satisfying. It feels like you’ve accomplished something. They do two dances together. The total is about 10 minutes. So if you make it through that and you haven’t broken your square or fallen on the floor, there’s a great sense of satisfaction.”

“There’s also a sense of satisfaction when, if someone makes a mistake, you can finesse your way around it and end up where you’re supposed to be,” said Kirk.

“Like they say,” added Robyn, “if you screw up, keep going.” “You’re with a very nice group of people,” Kirk said. “They’re very friendly, very helpful. They welcome the beginners; they help you out.” “People are so nice,” Robyn agreed. “I find that when I’m square dancing, I’m smiling. I just feel cheerful. There’s something cheery about it.”

Gary Bubel has been a square dance caller for 54 years and was doing his job on a night the Millers were on the floor. He said he came to some conclusions a long time ago.

“Square dancing is one of the best-kept secrets. It’s two hours of cheap entertainment and you won’t find better people than square dancers all over the world.”

“It’s cheaper than a movie and a lot more fun,” Kirk said. “We dance three times a week,” Robyn added. “It’s something we can do together, though we tend to do a lot of things together. It’s a great activity for couples or singles. The clubs always make sure there are single people there, so you have someone to dance with. They make a point of making sure that somebody who comes by themselves isn’t just sitting there.

“And guys, you’re going to impress the ladies if you learn to dance,” she said with a knowing nod. “You will never run out of women to dance with.”

Interested in trying square dancing? Visit www.copycatsdancing.wordpress.com

55 Plus - September / October 2025 Reprinted with permission PDF Version (c) 2025 by 55 Plus