Andy and Tami begrudgingly attended their first square dance class in 1999. After that first class, they were both hooked to the point of obsession. In the summer of 2003, Andy attended a caller school run by local caller coach John Marus. With the patience and support of the callers and dancers of San Diego County, Andy was given the opportunity to learn the art of calling — a learning process that never ends.
Andy is the caller and teacher for four weekly clubs in the San Diego area: a Hexagon club, a multi-level (Basic thru A-2) club, a traditional Plus club, and an A-2 club. As a caller, Andy believes that his job is to facilitate the dancers' enjoyment of each other. To Andy, a successful square dance is one where the positive energy is high, and dancers dance smoothly and confidently and are challenged a bit, but most of all share a hearty laugh or two.
Michael Kellogg began square dancing in 1983 at the age of 21, with the express intention of becoming a caller. He taught his first two beginner classes for two local clubs exactly one year after walking in the door at his beginning square dance class. Michael currently teaches beginner level thru C-3A on a weekly basis, and calls Mainstream through C-3B at special events.
Dancers know Michael today for his high energy, exuberant and uplifting calling style, and technical but easy to understand teaching approach. It's hard not to have fun when you're dancing to Michael's lively presentation.
Michael is a computer scientist by education, and spent many years working as a Senior Systems Analyst for Technicolor Home Entertainment Services in the design and manufacture of optical discs. He has since retired and now devotes full-time to calling.
When he's not calling or dancing, some of Michael's passions include fountain pens, mechanical watches, and vintage hats (especially from the 30s and 40s).
Michael lives in Northridge, a Los Angeles suburb. He has two grown children, and two grandchildren.
Both Andy and Michael have called often for hoedowns in the Bay Area and have called in the past for the SCVSDA Jubilee. Dancing to them never gets old! Welcome back, Andy and Michael!
David Mee has been calling for over 44 years. He began calling originally in 1975 at the age of 11; however, he did not fully pursue the calling profession until 1980. Since that time David has become a very popular, well liked, and highly sought after caller.
Known for his playful yet professional style, he calls dances throughout California on a regular basis. He has also called dances internationally in several countries including Denmark, Sweden, China, and in 2025 New Zealand will be added to the list. David calls and teaches all levels from Basic to C-1. He has recorded for Shakedown Records and more recently has been added as a staff caller for Chic Recordings.
In addition to his square dance calling, David works as an executive for Disney, and, as the saying goes, for David it truly is "The Happiest Place on Earth."
Dawn Mee began her teaching career in the mid-70s as a clogging instructor, choreographer, and founding member of the Cripple Creek Cloggers exhibition team. After over 30 years of teaching clogging, she decided it was time to retire and begin a new chapter of her dancing career. She began teaching round dance classes in 2017.
Dawn currently teaches two very successful round dance classes in Anaheim. Presently, she teaches Phase II-IV, and dances through Phase VI. Dawn is a member of ROUNDALAB, ICBDA, and SCRDTA. She has served as Secretary for SCRDTA, and she and her husband, David, are currently the Directors for the Palm Springs Round-Up Festival, which supports all phases of round dancing.
Dawn has choreographed several dances, including: "Remember When IV" (Phase IV Slow 2-Step); "What A Man Gotta Do" (Phase III Cha); "Photograph" (Phase IV Rumba); and "A Perfect Night for Dreaming" (Phase IV Waltz).
David and Dawn have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandsons. They both enjoy playing cards and games, going to church, and spending time with family and friends! This will be their first Jubilee. Welcome, David and Dawn!
Our Top Ten Callers and Local Cuers
Keith Brown joins the SCVSDA Top Ten Callers for the first time this year — congratulations Keith! He began square dancing in 1989 in a class taught by a friend-of-a-friend who was a caller. He met his current wife, Kimberly, at the Jubilee that year and married in 1994. He has been calling since 1991 after being partially pushed into it by another caller friend. He has never called at an Amateur Caller Night! After he took a long hiatus from calling and dancing, save the occasional filling in for sick or vacationing callers, the Sage Stompers in Seaside pulled him back in in 2016.
Keith currently calls for the SCVSDA club Lucky Steppers in Sunnyvale and was also, for many years, the club caller for Sage Stompers. He is the Vice President of the Santa Clara Valley Callers Association. He is still called on to fill in for callers when they are MIA. Keith and Kimberly are now enjoying round dancing (2 years "new" after soooo many false starts) and trying to work their way through Phase III and IV with the help of Sue and Phil Harris. He is working on round dance cueing (just in case), but has no plans to teach round dancing at this time.
Tork Clark has been calling since January 2010 and is the club caller for Bows and Beaus. He regularly calls for Castaways and enjoys teaching and filling in for other club callers. Tork taught a class sponsored by CPSD and the City of San Jose, and recently completed teaching the annual Bows and Beaus Plus class that began in January 2024. Tork has been an SCVSDA Top Ten Caller since 2014, and has called SCVSDA General Dances and other area hoedowns.
Joe Dehn has been calling since 2004 and regularly calls through C-3A. He is a club caller for Belle Swingers, Interlocked Squares, and Top Cats, and class coordinator for Stanford Quads. Joe is Chairman of our 65th Jubilee and was also General Chairman of the 51st and 61st Jubilees. He serves as Vice-President of the Santa Clara Valley Square Dancers Association and is webmaster for the SCVSDA and the California Council of Square Dancers as well as for several local clubs. He is President of PACE NorCal. Joe is a member of CALLERLAB's Basic and Mainstream, Plus, Advanced, Challenge, and Definitions Committees. He has called many times at Jubilee in the past and has been selected as an SCVSDA Top Ten Caller eight times, beginning in 2012.
Keith Ferguson, a long-time SCVSDA Top Ten Caller, still remembers the excitement of his first Jubilee in 1977 and has not missed one since. He began calling in 1983 and was club caller for Bows and Beaus from 1987 through 2015. He currently serves on the SCVSDA's General Dance Program and Whing Ding Committees, and calls for SCVSDA General Dances. Keith has called at every Jubilee since 1996.
Mary Gingell has been square dancing since she was 12 years old, and calling since 2004. She calls Plus through C-3A, and is a club caller for SCVSDA clubs Belle Swingers, Interlocked Squares, and Top Cats. She served as President of the SCVSDA from 2015 to 2019 and currently serves as SCVSDA Secretary. Mary is serving as SCVSDA Jubilee Program Chairman this year, as she did for a number of past Jubilees. She was the Chairman of the 49th and 64th Jubilees. Mary is a member of CALLERLAB's Advanced, Challenge, and Definitions Committees.
Kurt Gollhardt is President of the Santa Clara Valley Callers Association and has been calling in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2006. Kurt calls Basic through C-1 and is a regular club caller at Lucky Steppers, Oaktown 8s, El Camino Reelers, and Elks 'N' Does, and manages the SCVSDA club Advanced Squares. He has been very active in promoting new approaches to teaching and supporting newer dancers, most recently as a champion of CALLERLAB's new SSD program. Kurt frequently calls SCVSDA General Dances, Whing Dings, and other Association dances. This is Kurt's eighth year as an SCVSDA Top Ten Caller.
Sue and Phil Harris have been round dancing for over 50 years and teaching for almost 35 years. They've been teaching in the San Jose and Santa Cruz areas since 1994. They have written over 50 round dances and love the time spent teaching people to enjoy round dancing as much as they do. Sue and Phil served as General Chairmen of the 26th Annual SCVSDA Jubilee in 1982, and have served as Round Dance Program Chairmen for many Jubilees, including this one. Phil was also Chairman of the USAWest square dance convention in Reno in August 2018.
Harlan Kerr has been calling for 38 years and calls for beginners through C-4. He currently calls regularly for Stanford Quads in the immediate area, as well as for Martinez Swingers, Foggy City Dancers, Diablo Dancers, and Redwood Rainbows. Harlan served as Chairman of CALLERLAB from April 2021 to April 2023. In 2017 he received the CALLERLAB Chairman's Award of Excellence for Outstanding Contribution to CALLERLAB. He is a ten-time SCVSDA Top Ten Caller, serves on the SCVSDA's General Dance Program Committee, and is a frequent General Dance caller.
Sandi Kremer started partner dancing over 35 years ago and has since continued learning a range of styles of social dances. In addition, she also taught dancing for 14 years. She started square dancing in 2014 and soon after began round dancing with Paul Albert. After retiring from her career in 2019, she began her journey as a cuer and has been enjoying cueing and teaching round dance ever since. She is a member of ROUNDALAB, NCRDTA, ICBDA, and SCVCA. Sandi is the club cuer for Bows & Beaus in Los Altos and cues and teaches with Sue and Phil Harris of Galaxy Rounds.
Rich Reel started dancing with Foggy City Dancers in 1995 as a New Year's resolution and attended his first callers school in 1996, beginning to call regularly for clubs in 1998. He currently calls for Ranchero Squares in Hayward, Swinging 21ers in Fremont, and Western Star Dancers in San Francisco. Rich has been an SCVSDA Top Ten Caller since 2009, and is a frequent caller at local General Dances. He is, and has been for a number of years, the Sound Coordinator for the Jubilee.
Harry Sameshima learned Plus as a member of the second square dance class taught at Stanford Quads. He started dancing rounds in the 1990s and currently does them with his wife, Constance Noel. Harry is cueing with his mentors, Sue and Phil Harris, at Galaxy Rounds.
Arlene Scallon was in the first CPSD (Committee to Promote Square Dancing) class in 2006. Thus began her enjoyment of this great square dance hobby. After retiring from teaching seventh grade English, she began round dancing. Cueing came next. Arlene cues for an Advanced�club, Star Eights, and local area club Rockin' Jokers. She also cues twice a week for Galaxy Rounds. Arlene was born in San Francisco and although she loves traveling, the Bay Area is home.
Bill van Melle danced Challenge for nearly 20 years before taking the plunge into calling in 2005. He is a club caller for Stanford Quads, Belle Swingers, and Interlocked Squares. In addition to calling at Jubilee, he has also called at Golden State Round Up. He called for the MIT Tech Squares' Fall Challenge weekend in 2018 and 2019. Bill calls all programs from Plus through C-4. He has been selected as an SCVSDA Top Ten Caller seven times, beginning in 2015.