We started square dance lessons in the fall of 1981 with Bob Worley
of the Thalia Thumpers Square dance club and graduated in May of
1982. After attending several square dances and seeing Round
dancing, Judy talked Eddie into taking lessons. We started Round
Dancing in the fall of 1982 and graduated from Round Dance basics
with Ann Richardson in May of 1983. Eric, our son who was 12 years
old at the time took lessons also. Eric became a cuer seven months
after graduating from the basic class. I was his assistant in
teaching his first round dance class at age thirteen.
I started cueing in 1985 for the Tarheel Squares dance club in
Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Our first experience in teaching
round dancing was during the 20 minute break the club took for
refreshments. We taught a basic routine to the round dancers during
the break. In 1987, I started cueing for the Currituck Cutups in
Barco, North Carolina and the Thalia Thumpers in Virginia Beach, VA.
We started our first basic class in North Carolina and graduated 11
couples that year for the Currituck club. We also started teaching a
round dance basic class in Virginia Beach for the Thalia Thumpers
and graduated three couples that year.
I have filled in cuing for many of the square dance clubs in the
area and have also cued in Richmond, Virginia; Salisbury Maryland,
Seaford, Delaware; Springfield, Pennsylvania; English Mountain in
Tennessee, and the Square Dance Nationals in Cincinnati, Ohio. We
choreographed “Misty” a phase IV foxtrot and swing in 1992 and
presented and taught it at the Square Dance Nationals in Cincinnati,
Ohio. We received a Round of the Month Certificate from the the
Round Dance Council of Florida for "Misty" as it was selected as the
phase IV Round of the Month in Oct/Nov 1992. We are presently on
staff with the Beach Bash weekend in Nags Head, North Carolina in
October of each year coordinated by Elbert and Claudia Harrison.
Elbert Harrison and Matt Worley, known as the dynamic duo are the
callers. We are also the guest cuer/ teachers with the Chincogteague
Square Dance Round Up with Bob Worley and Crown Records Staff in
September of each year. Starting in February 2006 we will be on
Staff with the Sweetheart Weekend in Virginia beach coordinated by
Bob and Dora Worley.
I presently cue for three square dance clubs – Thalia Thumpers in
Virginia Beach, VA; the Tidal Waves in Newport News, VA; and the
Country Squares in Chesapeake, Virginia. I cue and teach weekly for
two round dance clubs – Classics Plus Round Dance club which dances
up to a Phase V level and the Virginia Rounders which is a phase II,
III, & IV club.
The music doesn’t stop there. I am an organist for two Catholic
churches, St. Gregory’s in Virginia Beach, and St. Benedict’s in
Chesapeake and play every Sunday for both churches. Eddie is a
member of the St. Gregory’s choir so he sings every Sunday. We have
four children – three girls and one boy which are all grown and
married and we have a total of nine grandchildren.
