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 the posters advertising these events on the COMING EVENTS page and check the CALENDAR page to confirm the dates and times.

VDCTA Executive - 2024-2025

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 us a message on the CONTACT US page.

VDCTA Callers & Cuers

Lorne Clayton – Victoria

Marilynne Cunningham – Salt Spring Island

Garry Dodds – Victoria

Herb Fox – Victoria

Stu Hemmings – Victoria

Connie Ritchie – Nanaimo

Darrell Roberts – Victoria

Kirk Rockerbie – Victoria

Richard Sharman – Sooke

Pat Zeeman – Victoria

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