VDCTA
The aims and purposes of the Victoria & District Caller Teachers Association (VDCTA) are:
- to encourage, foster, and promote square and round dancing;
- to work in harmony with CALLERLAB and ROUNDALAB toward the full and proper use of standard terminology and definitions of calls or cues;
- to provide for the free exchange of dance material and other useful and helpful information and ideas;
- to offer training, advice, and encouragement to members; and
- to encourage participation in round dancing by teaching the rounds recommended by the Round Dance Committee and, at the discretion of the caller/cuer, any round that he/she may wish to use.
The VDCTA sponsors four free workshops each dance season from 1:30 to 2:45 PM on the third Sundays of September, November, January, and March, and a free Mainstream dance on the fourth Sunday in April, all at the Colwood Community Hall. All graduate square dancers and round dancers are welcome to attend.
Workshop programs – which include square dancing and/or round dancing – vary from session to session. These workshops allow callers to experiment with square dance calls and for cuers to try out new rounds and to teach new Rounds of the Month.
The VDCTA hosts a New Dancer Hoedown in late winter for new dancers part way through their lessons and a Round Dance Party in the spring that offers rounds at both square dance and higher levels.
Each dance season the VDCTA and the LVIWSRDA jointly sponsor the Spring Round-Up, usually on the first Sunday in May at the Colwood Community Hall, to welcome newly-graduated dancers, draw for the Dancers of the Year, and wind-up the dance season.
Each year the VDCTA sponsors a Hall Benefit Dance for the Colwood Community Hall, usually on the last Wednesday in May, with all proceeds going to improvements at the hall.
The two Associations also jointly sponsor a series of summer Mainstream dances on Wednesday evenings during June, July, and August, with two dances each month. These dances are also held at the Colwood Community Hall.
See posters advertising these events on the COMING EVENTS page and check the CALENDAR page to confirm the dates and times.
VDCTA Executive - 2025-2026
President – Kirk Rockerbie
Vice President – Garry Dodds
Secretary – Pat Zeeman
Treasurer – Connie Ritchie
Past President – Pat Zeeman
Round Dance – Marilynne Cunningham
For email please leave a message on the CONTACT US page.
VDCTA Callers & Cuers
Lorne Clayton – Victoria
Marilynne Cunningham – Salt Spring Island
Garry Dodds – Victoria
Stuart Hemmings – Victoria
Elizabeth Hohner – Port Alberni
Connie Ritchie – Nanaimo
Darrell Roberts – Victoria
Kirk Rockerbie – Victoria
Richard Sharman – Sooke
Pat Zeeman – Victoria
For email please leave a message on the CONTACT US page.
A Brief History of the VDCTA
From 1954 to 1978 there was one callers’ association, the Vancouver Island Caller Teachers Association (VICTA), for all of Vancouver Island. In 1978 the Upper Vancouver Island callers separated from the VICTA to form their own association, firstly combined with the dancers’ association, the Upper Vancouver Island Square Dance Association (UVISDA), and then the following year as a separate association, the Upper Vancouver Island Caller Teachers Association (UVICTA). For Lower Vancouver Island the original association name, VICTA, was changed to Victoria & District Caller Teachers Association (VDCTA).
Victoria & District Caller Teachers Association Presidents - Since 1978
1978-1979 Jack Weber
1979-1980 Bob Aitken
1980-1982 Fred Willing
1982-1983 Doug George
1983-1985 Al Ritchie
1985-1986 Fred Willing
1986-1988 Arch Erickson
1988-1990 Denis Kirkpatrick
1990-1991 Herb Fox
1991-1993 Brent Besse
1993-1994 Stuart Hemmings
1994-1996 Brent Besse
1996-1998 Vi George
1998-2000 Brent Besse
2000-2001 Jack Weber
2001-2002 Brent Besse
2002-2005 Pat Zeeman
2005-2006 Marcel LaBelle
2006-2008 Herb Fox
2008-2011 Brent Besse
2011-2019 Pat Zeeman
2019- Kirk Rockerbie
Vancouver Island Caller Teachers Association Presidents - 1954 to 1978
1954-1955 John Mooney
1955-1957 Norm Williams
1957-1958 Russ Ard
1958-1959 Dawn Draper
1959-1960 Hud Graham
1960-1962 Mark Coppinger
1962-1964 Cam York
1964-1966 Doug George
1966-1968 Jack Weber
1968-1970 Fred Willing
1970-1971 Ernie Bawtinheimer
1971-1972 Fred Willing
1972-1974 Cliff Anderson
1974-1975 Cam York
1975-1977 Doug George
1977-1978 Jack Weber
