Copper State Square Dance Festival 2020

One of the most popular and sought after callers in the world, Tony was introduced to square dancing in 1972 through a teenage square dance program sponsored by the local Parks and Recreation Department...

With his musical background (singing professionally with a band for many years), and with his young analytical mind (majoring in both math and computer science at the University of South Carolina), he was quickly drawn into calling.

Trying to balance his time between school, his band, and his fledgling calling career quickly proved to be too much. Since he found calling so much fun, he quit the band in order to be able to devote more time to school and calling. He very quickly became very popular and soon found himself calling and teaching for five South Carolina clubs.

In 1974 Tony attended Promenade Hall Callers College in Indiana. There he first met his idol in the business - Dick Jones. Tony was so impressed with Dick that he "borrowed" much of his style and started using this new style in his own calling. Success quickly followed. Tony found himself calling all over the southeast. In 1980 Tony made the decision to go full-time with his calling. The rest, as they say, is history.

Now Tony travels almost 300 days annually doing festivals and dances all over the world. He routinely calls in over 30 states each year, and has called in almost all fifty states. Tony has also called in Canada, Saudi Arabia, England, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Holland, Denmark, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Taiwan, Australia, and Norway.

Chuck & Sandi Weiss, formerly of Howell, Michigan and now living in the beautiful Las Palmas Grand community in Mesa, Arizona, have been dancing for over 40 years and teaching for 35. They have choreographed many dances (cue sheets available on this web site), several of which have been selected as rounds of the month in various states as well as Round of the Quarter for ROUNDALAB. They have cued and taught at twenty two National Conventions and have served on staff at English Mountain, McCloud, WASCA, Circle 8, Lolo and Fontana Accent on Rounds.  They have been involved in several weekends throughout the year including organizing and serving as round dance leaders at two square and round dance events in the Midwest, the Pumpkin Promenade, in Toledo, Ohio and the Spring Frolic in Sarnia, Ontario. They organized and hosted an annual Chili Pepper Weekend, in Hartland, Michigan with Barbara and Wayne Blackford in the month of August and are currently sharing the duties of a new weekend featuring Clinics and Workshops in April of each year. They have been featured leaders at such festivals as Forest City in London, Ontario, the Rose City Festival in Windsor, Ontario, the Promenade Jamboree in Toledo, Ohio, the Rochester, New York Square and Round Dance Spring Festival and the Minnesota and New Mexico State festivals as well as two years on staff at the WASCA convention in the DC area and one year at Fontana. Most recently they have been featured leaders at the annual RivCo Square and Round Dance Festival in Indio, California. Other recent events include Oregon’s Midwinter Festival in January of 2013 and the Mid-Summer Roundup in Sisters, Oregon in August of 2012 and again in 2019.  Information for many other activities can be found on the flyer page and the Calendar page.

They are current members of ROUNDALAB, served as Chairman for two years, served on the Executive Committee for 5½, as chairs of the Standardization and Planning Committee and on the ROQ Committee for Phases IV and V. They belong to ICBDA, and are honorary members of MRDTA where they served as President, Vice-president, Treasurer, Festival Chair and Festival Program Chair. They have taught and continue to teach all phases of round dancing from Beginners through Phase VI.

In October of the last twelve years, they have participated in the St George, Ut Huntsman World Senior Games in the medal activity of Square Dancing. Each of the twelve years they have won medals and now hold silver, bronze or gold medals in each category; Mainstream, Plus and Advanced.

In their previous lives, Chuck was the supervisor of one of Michigan’s largest and greatest State Parks where he was deeply involved in working with the statewide computerized reservation system and other computer related duties and Sandi taught Kindergarten through 3rd grades in the local school system. They have one son who is the general manager of four exclusive restaurants in Jackson, Wyoming and they share their home with their cat, Shadow. Hobbies involve computing and reading for Chuck and card making and many other crafts for Sandi.

They currently are in their sixteenth year of teaching and cueing in the Mesa, Arizona area offering a full dance instruction program through Phase V. They also cue for six different square dance events each week and frequently on Saturdays and Sundays for special dances. 

Members of:
ROUNDALAB, ICBDA, MRDTA
BMI, ASCAP, SESAC Licensed