The Federation’s purpose is to promote square and round dancing through a variety of activities and provide a forum for coordination among its affiliated 15 clubs.

The Federation’s Executive Board meets with club presidents or representatives a minimum of 6 times a year to keep clubs informed of programs, issues and help coordinate activities.

Western NY Federation of Square and Round Dancers Inc (WNYF) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that maintains the following online presence for the benefit of our member clubs and dancers:

Our WNYF website: Square Dancing Rochester

Our WNYF Facebook page: Square Dancing Rochester Facebook

Our WNYF quarterly online news: News & Photos

The WNYF website online news is updated quarterly on the first day of March, June, September, and December.

The WNYF website includes the following information for our WNYF Clubs:

• Club Dance Schedules along with Ads and Flyers
• WNYF Club Presidents & Contacts
• Caller and Cuer contact information
• Club News, Articles, and Photos
• Insurance: Membership in the WNYF enables our clubs to purchase USDA dancer and liability insurance which is required by most dance venues.

WNYF organizes the annual Dance-O-Rama (DOR) Festival, traditionally the first Saturday in May

This is the largest Square Dance event in western New York. During the DOR program, recent class graduates of the WNYF square dance clubs are recognized. The Daphne-Norma Leadership Award, the highest honor given by WNYF is given to an individual dancer or couple who has demonstrated leadership for an extended period of time, furthering the cause of square and round dancing. Usually between 175 to 200 dancers attend DOR.

Some Activities that have been sponsored by WNYF:

• Annual grants to help member clubs with New Dancer Recruitment, Promotion and Retention.
• Administers the Mike Callahan Caller Grant Fund which provides caller education funds to perspective new callers in Western NY Federation region.
• Provides safety guidelines for member clubs especially during COVID and post-COVID return to dancing.
• In response to COVID, the Federation sponsored virtual square dances and round dances via Zoom and held several free outside summer dances to help clubs dance safely as they returned to the dance floor post COVID.
• Provide western square dance demos and assist with community square dance events. Ordered “Learn to Square Dance” lawn signs and made them available to all WNYF clubs.
• Ordered Square Dance Polo Shirts and made available to all WNYF clubs.
• Co-Sponsor annual New Year’s Eve afternoon dance, amateur calling night dances, and free summer dances.
• Created the Promotions Task Force to promote square dancing
• Actively promoting square dancer etiquette and creating a welcoming dance environment.
• Sponsors the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award, and the Circle of Service Awards.

Western NY Federation of Square and Round Dancers - Volunteers

Executive Board:
  Co-Presidents:  Debbie & Jeff Blood
  Vice President:  Anne Granger
  Treasurers:  Donna & Rick LaDonna
  Secretary:  Lucy Pietrzykowski
  Promotions Coordinator:  vacant

Insurance:  Carol Ann Stahl
Contracts:  Mary Claire Carlino
WNYF website:  Jim Gotta

WNYF Website Quarterly News- updated March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st
  Editor:  Jim Gotta
  Obituary Coordinator:  Anne Granger
  Proof Readers:  Jim Gotta, Sharon Meyer, Carl Webster

WNYF Facebook: Debbie Blood, Jim Gotta

DOR Committee:
  Co-Chairs:  Debbie & Jeff Blood
  Lucy Pietrzykowski, Anne Granger, Lorraine & Gary Granath,
  Donna & Rick LaDonna, Sharon Meyer, Don Naulin,
  Mary Jo & David Webster, Pat Santacroce

Recently we heard a comment from a former club president who had moved out of the Rochester Area. She mentioned the important role our Federation plays in helping the square dance clubs in Western NY. The square dance clubs in their new location are struggling and there is no organization like the Federation to assist them.

What makes the WNYF work is the participation of volunteers from every club devoting a small part of their time and attention to the wider dancing community. Whether a Federation volunteer’s role is behind the scenes or in a leadership role, it takes all of us to make the Federation and our clubs successful in keeping square dancing available in western New York. As Co-Presidents of the Federation, we are very thankful and proud of all the dancers who volunteer their time to the Federation and in turn assist our clubs and our dancing community.

Hopefully sharing this insight of the Federation and the role it plays in relationship to our clubs, will encourage others to volunteer to be involved in the Federation and the programs it sponsors. Federation meetings are virtual and not in-person, so you are able to attend from the comfort of your home.

If you are interested in learning more about volunteer positions available, please contact us directly at: dfbjvbhome@aol.com

Debbie and Jeff Blood

During the month of August, Circle of Service awards were presented to several of our square dancer members. This Circle of Service Award is a nationally recognized award presented by a previous recipient whenever or whereever he or she judges that such special recognition is appropriate. The award consists of a certificate and a pin with a logo signifying the interconnectedness of dancers of square & round dancing. This is a dancer award given to dancers for their significant contribution to the Square and Round Dance Community.

Through the years, these recipients have shown devotion and commitment to square dancing.

The following Copy Cat members were presented this award at the Copy Cats Summer Picnic on Saturday August 8, 2026: Debbie & Paul Van Graafeiland, Lynn & Don Lucas, and Jim Schaefer. These dancers served various roles on the Copy Cats Board over the past several years. Their service, ongoing support and participation continues to promote square and round dancing in the Rochester Area. Their efforts have been instrumental in keeping the Copy Cats Square Dance Club and square dancing in general continuing and growing.

Dave Hase was presented the Circle of Service Award at Cayuga Cut-Ups Steak Roast and 65th Anniversary celebration on August 22, 2026. Dave is always present, hardworking, and devoted to Square Dancing and the Cayuga Cut-Ups. He attends every dance prepared and ready. He comes early to setup and stays to clean up. He is always available to Angel new dancers. He travels to other clubs and has “angeled” new dancers around the Federation.

Please congratulate our newest Circle of Service recipients.

Please note the complete list of previous Circle of Service recipients is located in the Federation section on this website. Any one presenting the Circle Award must themselves been recipients of the award at an earlier date. This reward method is meant to be spread throughout the dance community and honor those whose accomplishments often go unrecognized.

Dancers who for three or more years, are determined to have made a significant contribution to the Round & Square Dance movement are eligible for this honor.

If you are not a Circle of Service recipient but feel a dancer should be recognized for their contributions to square and or round dancing, please don’t hesitate to notify any Circle of Service recipient of your recommendation.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

This Federation dance was so much fun! We had 6 squares dancing from several WNYF clubs. Thank you to Jim Gotta & Mike Callahan for calling and cueing.

We had four amateur callers, and one amateur cuer compete for the Roaring Tiger award at the dance. Thank you to Carl, George, Jim, John, and Nay for participating. Thank you to Jim Gotta for organizing the program and coordinating the amateur staff.

Our amateurs did an amazing job. Based on the vote of the dancers, the coveted Roaring Tiger went to John Fischer, a 2026 Copy Cats graduate. Congratulations John!!

We are already looking forward to next year’s amateur contest to see which talented amateur callers and cuers will try for the Roaring Tiger.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

A big thank you to all the dancers who volunteered their time participating in the WNYF square dance demo. We had 24 dancers from several WNYF clubs: Silver Squares, Copy Cats, and Cloverleafs. The demos were at the Greece Historical Society's Strawberry Festival Fundraiser, located in the Town of Greece Pavilion. Mike Callahan did a wonderful job calling for us.

It was quite a rainy and cool day, and everyone did a wonderful job! Despite the weather, we did have enough dancers for 2 demos, one at 5 pm and 6 pm. We were happy to receive several sincere inquiries from the community participants.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

We enjoyed dancing, and the ice cream social with Shirts ‘N’ Skirts on Friday, July 17th. Jeff & Debbie Blood, Co-Presidents of WNYF, presented the 2026 graduates who were unable to attend DOR 2026 with their WNYF graduation packets. Everyone enjoyed dancing to Dave Eno calling. It was a fun evening with everyone.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

Our dance floor was full on Sunday night, July 19, 2026 with both square and round dancers. It was a fun dance co-sponsored by Cloverleaf Squares and the Federation. We had dancers from many WNYF clubs in attendance. Special thanks to Gary & Alice Bubel for calling & cueing.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

Thank you to our volunteers for the square dance demo at the Summit at Brighton. The residents and staff enjoyed our dancing. Several residents and staff participated in our demo with our dancers. They told us it was a highlight of their special Salute to the States event.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

Thank you to our 15 volunteer dancers who participated in our WNYF square dance demo at the South Wedge Festival on Saturday August 15th from 1-2 pm. The South Wedge neighborhood is a very pretty and historical section of Rochester with beautiful homes and buildings. We enjoyed dancing to Mike Callahan calling.

Debbie and Jeff Blood

Last year Callerlab, the entity that controls the square dance programs, implemented a new 15-week Mainstream program starting on September 1, 2026. The goal is to get dancers dancing sooner so clubs will be able to offer classes to increase their membership more than 1 time per year. In the past, Mainstream classes started in September and continued through to DOR the first weekend in May.

As Class Coordinators for Copy Cats Square Dance Club, we are really glad Copy Cats used this summer to test the new CallerLab 15-week Mainstream program. We thank Ron Brown for taking his summer to take on the challenge of the 15-week program with the Copy Cats.

The new 15-week program has been challenging, but the learnings from the test have been very beneficial.

This summer class was well received and we had 20 class members enrolled in this session. It was a perfect time for a family of 5 to learn the art of square dancing.

We will not kid you; it has been difficult at times with the impact of vacations of both class members and angels. The dependency on Angels is a huge consideration. For our 11 graduates in May 2026, we averaged 31+ Angels per class. For this summer 15-week class test, which is almost double in size, we have averaged 28 Angels per class.

Due to the large volume of vacations of the class members, Ron started a 30 minute “before class review” to assist the class members who missed sessions. This optional “before class review” session has helped to keep the class on track with the 15-week program. Each week Jeff and I send the class members and angels the entire list of the Mainstream calls that the summer class has been taught to date.

As with any class, several members of this summer class have attended regularly, working very diligently to learn the program and progressing each week. For some others, we know this is a summer activity and there is no intention for them to join Copy Cats. There are some where their vacations have weakened their progress in the program.

“During this summer program, we have been reminded that the friendliness, the welcome, and the support that the kittens feel from current club members is a very important component in their decision to continue square dancing.” per Lynn and Don Lucas, Copy Cats Co- Presidents.

Copy Cats still have several things to work out but overall, Ron Brown has done an outstanding job leading the class in the new Mainstream program. He has made some modifications to the program and teaching schedule so the class dances more than 50% of the time during each session. A few comments from Ron Brown on piloting this Copy Cats Summer Test: “I continue to juggle the program to provide a fun dance and build confidence. In comparing our progress, we are on track with our regular program. Whether we can finish in 15 weeks is still a guess on my part. It is good we are trying it. Some calls, I felt needed to add in this summer test. Calls such as: walk around corner, see saw, circle to a line and turn thru. I refuse to wait until the plus program for the class dancers to learn these calls. I believe this program will need 18-20 weeks to be completed and not the 15 weeks proposed by Callerlab.”

Special thanks to our dedicated angels who have been awesome assisting Ron and the class this summer. Without them, this test and the successes realized, would not have happened.

The new Callerlab Mainstream program is to start implementation on September 1, 2026 so Copy Cats is the only in The WNYF club facing some unique challenges of testing this new Mainstream program. Our other WNYF clubs may begin teaching the new program on its effective implementation date of September 1, 2026.

Debbie and Jeff Blood