Callers
Andy Shore
Andy has called in 25 US States, the District of Columbia, and in Vancouver and Toronto Canada. In 1993 he traveled with a group of Gay & Lesbian square dancers to Russia and Latvia & got to teach and call with a simultaneous translator! In 1996 he went with another group to Australia (where less translation was needed). He has called at the 49th National Square Dance Convention in Baltimore, MD (2000), the 50th National in Anaheim, CA (2001), the 51st National in St. Paul, MN (2002), the 53rd National in Denver, CO (2004), the 54th National in Portland, OR (2005), and the 55th National in San Antonio, TX (2006). I was on staff at the 1992 (Albuquerque), 1996 (SF), 2003 (San Diego), 2004 (Phoenix), and 2005 (Santa Clara) conventions of the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs. He has also called at several California State Square Dance Conventions.
In 2002, Betsy Gotta passed on the Golden Boot Award to him at the 19th annual IAGSDC convention. He awarded it to Rick Hawes at the 20th convention in 2003.
After 23 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, Andy moved to Southeastern Florida in August 2004. He calls a bit for the South Florida Mustangs and is looking for other calling dates/clubs in the area!
Darren Gallina
Darren began square dancing at the age of thirteen with his younger sister. The local square dance class in Lompoc, California, did not allow children at the time so he and his sister took lessons at the Squaws & Pas Square Dance Club 30 miles away in Santa Maria.
He was immediately drawn to the music and
the calling of square dancing. Darryl Hamilton, the caller who taught him
to dance, also gave him his first square dance record, "Something About
You Baby I Like", and taught him to call.
He called his first full dance for the Valley Whirlers Square Dance Club in Santa Maria at age 15. His parents, who also square dance, had to take him to that first dance because he didn't have a driver's license yet. It wasn't long after that dance that he became the Club Caller for the Valley Whirlers.
For the past 30 years, Darren's calling has taken him to clubs and festivals all over the state of California, and various cities in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and British Columbia, Canada. Also, he has recorded numerous square dance records on several square dance labels, including Coyote Records, Scope/Big Mac Records, and Dance Ranch Records.
Currently, he keep busy calling for many clubs throughout Southern California and call and teach for Cuesta Squares in San Luis Obispo, California.
