Dancers of the Year

At the Spring Round-Up, usually on the first Sunday in May each year, there is the draw for the LVIWSRDA Dancers of the Year. The individual club dancers of the year (couples or singles – one entry per club) who are willing to stand for LVIWSRDA Dancers of the Year participate in this draw. The term of this honour runs from June 1 to the following May 31 and the winners have possession of the perpetual LVIWSRDA Dancer of the Year trophy for the year.
Each winner receives a personalized Dancer of the Year badge plus a token for free pay parades/dance admissions. Winners are encouraged to wear their badges at all dances and events they attend during the year. The Dancers of the Year are voting members of the LVIWSRDA Association Council.
Scroll down to the last section on this page for detailed information for Dancers of the Year winners.
Dancers of the Year History
The draw for the Couple of the Year, now known as the Dancers of the Year, was initiated for the 1960-1961 dance season. From 1960-1961 to 1975-1976 the draw included club couples of the year from all of Vancouver Island. Beginning with 1976-1977 separate association Dancers (or Dancer) of the Year have been drawn from member club dancers of the year in each of the Lower Vancouver Island and Upper Vancouver Island regions.
Lower Vancouver Island Couples/Dancers of the Year - Since 1976
1976-1977 Ted & Nora Drysdale
1977-1978 Gordon & Shorty Smith
1978-1979 Art Bell & Flo Joseph
1979-1980 Hank & Jean Von Schalburg
1980-1981 Jim & June Nishihara
1981-1982 Hank & Anne Pylypa
1982-1983 Allan & Valerie Giles
1983-1984 Vince & Aileen Phillips
1984-1985 George & Alice Anderson
1985-1986 Don & Marion Roberts
1986-1987 Marino & Rebecca Danesin
1987-1988 Wilf & Elaine Dorman
1988-1989 Bill & Hilda Egginton
1989-1990 Allan & Lois McLean
1990-1991 Charlie & Lillian Brown
1991-1992 Wilbur & Mollie Wilson
1992-1993 Ken & Bev Lapham
1993-1994 Don & Pat Collis
1994-1995 Derek & Christine Tucker
1995-1996 Bill & Bev Shephard
1996-1997 Dave & Jackie Evans
1997-1998 Dave & Irene Slater
1998-1999 Roger & Norene Richot
1999-2000 Gus & Stella Jacklin
2000-2001 Arthur & Edna Morgan
2001-2002 Bob & Jean Collins
2002-2003 Jim Ferguson & Bess Page
2003-2004 Lorne & Barb Clayton
2004-2005 Bruce & Molly Spencer
2005-2006 David & Dawna Gowing
2006-2007 Bert & Norma Buckley
2007-2008 John & Janice Doutaz
2008-2009 Carol Cullimore
2009-2010 Stewart & Linda Thompson
2010-2011 Alex & Joan Wotherspoon
2011-2012 Jocelyn Perry
2012-2013 Eve Plourd
2013-2014 Wayne & Linda Townsend
2014-2015 Dennis & Pamela Sutton
2015-2016 Jack & Gerry Law
2016-2017 Bob & Barbara McLaren
2017-2018 Jack & Gisela Braniff
2018-2019 Carol Young
2019-2020 Gordon & Linda Ross
2020-2021 [nil due to COVID-19 shutdown]
2021-2022 [nil due to COVID-19 shutdown]
2022-2023 [nil due to COVID-19 shutdown]
2023-2024 Van Williams & Angel Star
Vancouver Island Couples of the Year - 1960 to 1976
1960-1961 Bob & Jean Wishard
1961-1962 Bob Hamilton & Annie Smith
1962-1963 Ed Rowe & Mary Chilcott
1963-1964 Alex & Annie Gray
1964-1965 Mel & Enes Moscrip
1965-1966 Len & Sylvia Adcock
1966-1967 Bill & Noreen Maxwell
1967-1968 Pete & Vi Lawson
1968-1969 Harold & Mabel Bohart
(Nanaimo)
1969-1970 Art & Audrey McLeod
1970-1971 Harry Teasdale; Marg Frost
1971-1972 Reg & Char Bull (Victoria)
Jim & Ada Heard (Nanaimo)
1972-1973 Dunc & Jen McColl
1973-1974 Ted & Kay Williams
1974-1975 Earl & Mary Dennis (Nanaimo)
1975-1976 Roy & Dorothy Johnson
Information for Dancers of the Year Winners
The draw for the LVIWSRDA Dancer(s) of the Year takes place at the annual Spring Round-Up usually held on the first Sunday in May each year. The individual club dancers of the year (couples or singles – one entry per club) who are willing to stand for LVIWSRDA Dancer(s) of the Year participate in the draw. The term of the honour runs from June 1 to the following May 31.
The winner(s) has(have) possession of the perpetual LVIWSRDA Dancer of the Year trophy for the year (after the current year name plate has been engraved and affixed). The trophy must be returned to the LVIWSRDA not later than the day of the following year’s Spring Round-Up. A keeper plaque will be presented to the outgoing dancer(s) of the year at this dance.
Each winner receives a personalized Dancer of the Year badge plus a token for free pay parade/dance admissions. Winners are encouraged to wear their badges at all dances and events they attend during the year.
The pay parade token is valid for free admission to:
- LVIWSRDA and VDCTA sponsored dances (e.g., summer Mainstream dances at Colwood and Royal Oak Halls, Spring Round-Up, Joint LVIWSRDA/UVISDA Dance).
- UVISDA and UVICTA sponsored dances – ask first to confirm.
- regular club dances as a visitor on the Lower Island and the Upper Island (Upper Island – ask first to confirm). Clubs where you are a member may or may not honour the pay parade token – ask first to confirm.
The pay parade token is not valid for admission to:
- special events (e.g., summer campout/dance weekends).
- dances where admission is by donation (e.g., hall benefit dances).
The pay parade token only needs to be shown. Do not place it in a pay parade basket as you must keep it for future use. Sign in as Dancer(s) of the Year; if dancing up island add “LVIWSRDA”. A club or association may ask for your primary/home club affiliation for insurance purposes.
Free privileges do not apply to club membership fees unless a club chooses to waive them at the club level. Membership fees for the CSRDS and the BCSRDF and club member assessments and postage for the Cross Trail News are still required to be remitted by clubs.
The Dancer(s) of the Year is(are) a voting member of the LVIWSRDA Association Council (Bylaws Section 5.1(d)). Meetings are usually held at 3:00 PM on the fourth Sunday in September, November, January, March, and April (AGM) at Colwood Community Hall. At each meeting the Dancer(s) of the Year usually report on their dancing activity since the previous meeting. Reports should also be submitted by email to the LVIWSRDA secretary to facilitate preparation of the meeting minutes. Attendance at these meetings is requested but not required. Meetings usually adjourn by 4:00 PM. Agendas and minutes are distributed by email.
Prior to the September, November, January, and March meetings the VDCTA sponsors a one and a quarter hour free square and/or round dance workshop beginning at 1:30 PM. The April AGM is preceded by a free dance. A single Dancer of the Year may invite a dance partner to these workshops/dances. The guest may also attend the meeting that follows.
Dancers of the Year are encouraged to visit other clubs and to attend special dances and meetings. Each Dancer of the Year determines for themselves how much club visiting they do. It is not a competition to see how many dances you can attend during the year. Most clubs will acknowledge the Dancer(s) of the Year’s attendance during their announcements.
The editor of the Cross Trail New will ask you to provide a brief autobiography (up to about 300 words) and photo for publication in the September-October-November issue. What you include in your autobiography is your choice – personal and square dancing information, or just your square dancing activities. Please email this submission, together with a photo of yourself/yourselves, to crosstrailnews@shaw.ca. The deadline is June 30. You can read prior year submissions in past September-October-November issues of the CTN.
In case you are not familiar with abbreviations that we use, here are what they stand for:
- LVIWSRDA – Lower Vancouver Island Western Square & Round Dance Association
- VDCTA (or V&DCTA) – Victoria & District Caller Teachers Association
- UVISDA – Upper Vancouver Island Square Dance Association
- UVICTA – Upper Vancouver Island Caller Teachers Association
- BCSRDF (or BCS&RDF) – BC Square & Round Dance Federation (squaredance.bc.ca)
- CSRDS – Canadian Square & Round Dance Society (csrds.ca)
- CTN – Cross Trail News
Lower Vancouver Island (from Duncan south and including the southern Gulf Islands) is BCSRDF Region 1 (region1.squaredance.bc.ca). Upper Vancouver Island (north of Duncan and including Powell River) is Region 8 (region8.squaredance.bc.ca). On the east side of Vancouver Island the boundary between Regions 1 and 8 is the Chemainus River.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask any member of the LVIWSRDA executive. Contact information is on the inside front cover of each printed issue of the Cross Trail News. You may also leave a message through the CONTACT page on this website.