Chuck started out square dancing while he was stationed at Marine Corps Base in 29 Palms CA. He had made friends in town and wanted an activity that would give him something fun to do within the community! After riding and participating at the local rodeos he saw an advertisement about “Square Dancing”! He joked about it at first with a few friends and then decided to go have a look to see what it was about. As soon as he stepped out onto the dance floor he started having a “Hootin’ and Hollerin’ good time”! The club that was hosting the class was all about having fun! It was the fun and friendly people that hooked Chuck right from the get go! Then he got 25 other Marines to try it out and what a rowdy time. The club was so accepting of the Marines that all had fun in and within the dance!
Chuck met his wife, Carla, 3 months after starting square dance classes at a Midway Dance in Riverside, CA. Four months after that they were married and have been happy together ever since. They have been dancing together for as long as they’ve been married. They have danced all over the world and have danced in many of the states in the United States! When it came time for Chuck to retire from the Marines, Chuck and Carla picked Grants Pass OR, as their home.
Chuck started calling in 2009 after attending a GSI Callers school at the Long Beach National Square Dance convention. He attended just to see if he had what it takes to be a caller. Even though the school was intense and made his head swim, Chuck realized one thing, he really enjoyed calling. Hence his journey as a caller started. But due to the lack of mentor-ship in his area he reached out to callers such as Mike Sikorsky, Wade Driver, Ken Ritucci, Scot Byars, Gary Shoemake, Pat Carnathan, Tony Oxendine and a handful of others to gain knowledge and the know how. Chuck has attended several National callers schools. Chuck is constantly learning and looking for ways to improve his calling skills & abilities and to find ways to help square dancers and to help square dancing grow!
What Chuck likes best about calling is teaching new dancers. Chuck always says “New dancers are our future! So nurture our future!” Chuck has always enjoyed teaching and to teach square dancing is very rewarding. Chuck also says “to see someone dance what you’ve taught them, to watch them enjoying themselves and having fun, is an awesome, awesome feeling”!
When Carla & Chuck started instructing & teaching they saw a real need in their local area to have a night somewhere within the week to help new dancers get additional and quality floor/dance time. That need for quality floor time also brought on the development of the “one on one” type feel of teaching that has become part of Chucks teaching/instruction style. Asking questions in this format is essential to each dancers success and for building confidence without forgetting the main reason of square dancing, FUN! Chuck’s number one rule in square dancing is “to have FUN!”
SQUARE CHUCK CALLS FOR
Chuck is the club caller for the famous Charlie Brown Squares. He also has been teaching and instructing since 2018 for the Charlie Brown Squares. It has been a very rewarding time! Keep building on the FUN Charlie’s you are doing GREAT!
Chuck has been a part of this Callers & Cuers Association for many years and have had a great time! Keep building and supporting everyone!
