Dance to the Music and Listen to the Calls Transcript
- [Jerry] All right, it's square dance time. I need one couple back in the back.
♪ Now turn your corner left hand round ♪
♪ The partner by the right when you come down ♪
♪ Now when you meet your partner promenade around ♪
♪ Now first couple out to the right ♪
♪ And the birdie in the cage and three go round ♪
♪ And the birdie hop out and the crow hop in ♪
♪ And the crow hop out and give birdie a swing ♪
♪ Swing birdie ♪
♪ Now couple up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ And halfway and on to the next ♪
♪ Now birdie in the cage and the three go round ♪
♪ And the birdie hop out and the crow hop in ♪
♪ And the crow hop out and you're gone again ♪
♪ Birdie swing ♪ ♪ Now couple up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ Halfway and on to the next ♪
♪ Now second couple, lead right out ♪
♪ Birdie in the cage and three go round ♪
♪ And the birdie hop out and the crow hop in ♪
♪ And the crow hop out, give birdie a swing ♪
♪ Swing birdie ♪
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ Halfway and on to the next ♪
♪ Now birdie in the cage and the three go round ♪
♪ And the birdie hop out and the crow hop in ♪
♪ And the crow hop out, gone again, birdie swing ♪
♪ Now couple up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ Halfway and on to the next ♪
♪ Now birdie in the cage and three go round ♪
♪ Now birdie jump out and the crow jump in ♪
♪ And the crow hop out and gone again, birdie swing ♪
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ And halfway and home you go ♪
♪ Everybody swing your opposite straight across ♪
♪ Now right back home and swing your own ♪
- [Jerry] My father was a caller before me. So, naturally, I think a kid would take it up from his dad. And really we started, I started out house dances. People would get together on Saturday night and move the furniture and people would come in, they'd dance. So this one night I was about 10 years old, I said to my dad, I said, "I'd like to call one." But he pushed me off side. He said, "You're too young, son." So a buddy of mine, he says, "Let him call one." So I'm 10 years old, I started calling square dances. So, really, I've been calling ever since. All this happened down in Buckhannon, West Virginia. And I came here back in 1941, started working dances around here and been working dances ever since. But I can't hold a candle to my dad. I just, I don't know, he had something there. I wish you could've seen my dad and myself and my two brothers back about 40 years ago in dance hall.
♪ Now first gent promenade the outside round ♪
♪ Now swing your honey when you come round ♪
♪ And your right hand lady with your right hand round ♪
♪ Now your left hand lady with the left hand round ♪
♪ Your opposite lady, both hands round ♪
♪ Now right back home and you all go round ♪
♪ Now two gents promenade the outside round ♪
♪ Now swing your honey you come round ♪
♪ Now your right hand lady with the right hand round ♪
♪ And your left hand lady with the left hand round ♪
♪ Your opposite lady, both hands round ♪
♪ Now right back home and you all go round ♪
♪ Now turn your corner left hand round ♪
♪ Your partner by the right when you fall down ♪
♪ Now when you meet your partner, promenade around ♪
♪ Now one, two, three gents promenade the outside round ♪
♪ Now swing your honey when you come round ♪
♪ Take your right hand lady with the right hand round ♪
♪ Now your left hand lady with the left hand round ♪
♪ Your opposite lady, both hands round ♪
♪ Now right back home and you all go round, everybody ♪
♪ Now all four gents promenade the outside round ♪
♪ Now swing your honey when you come round ♪
♪ Now your right hand lady with the right hand round ♪
♪ Now your left hand lady with the left hand round ♪
♪ And the opposite lady, both hands round ♪
♪ Now right back home and you all go round ♪
♪ Now turn your corner left hand round ♪
♪ The partner by the right when you come down ♪
♪ And chicken in the bread pan peckin' out dough ♪
♪ When you meet that pretty gal away we go ♪
♪ Now all four ladies promenade the outside round ♪
♪ Now swing the old man when you get around ♪
♪ Take the right hand gents with the right hand round ♪
♪ Take your left hand gents with the left hand round ♪
♪ And opposite gent, both hands round ♪
♪ Now right back home and you all go round ♪
♪ Now first with your heel and now your toe ♪
♪ You allemande left and you allemande go ♪
♪ [unintelligible dance call] ♪
♪ And meet your honey, and promenade the hall ♪
♪ Now you know where and I don't care ♪
- [Ed] This hall was a schoolhouse originally, and the Grange, after the schoolhouse closed and they built a new building in 1906, I believe, the Grange bought the building. It was rented to the school for a while. And probably 30 years ago, the fire department bought it from the Grange, and we've since remodeled it. And we started having dances to help to raise money to help pay for some of the cost of the remodeling. And I would say off and on for the last 30 years, there have been dances at one time or another.
♪ Your opposite by the pigeon wing ♪
♪ Come back in middle with the same old thing ♪
♪ And now your own old hook and swing ♪
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ And run that reel ♪
♪ And right to your opposite ♪
♪ Left to your own ♪
♪ Now half swing and a half promenade and on to the next ♪
♪ Two gents center with your elbow swing ♪
You dance to the music but you listen to the call.
♪ Your opposite by the pigeon wing ♪
♪ Come back in the middle with the same old thing ♪
♪ And now your own old hook and swing ♪
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ Halfway and home you go ♪
♪ Everybody swing your own ♪
- [Ed] We've had some real, real good times down here, you know. I, like, I heard the other guy say, the people are a real nice bunch of people come to these dances. And it's just sort of something that's gone on in this town for a long time. And it's a country town, and we just, it seems like we try to keep it that way.
♪ Turn your corner left hand round ♪
♪ Your partner right when you come down ♪
♪ I ain't been to heaven but I've been told ♪
♪ You can't track a rabbit when there ain't no snow ♪
♪ When you meet that pretty girl, away you go ♪
♪ Now third couple out to the right ♪
♪ And two gents center with your elbow swing ♪
♪ Your opposite by the pigeon wing ♪
♪ Now back in the middle with the same old thing ♪
♪ And now your own old hook and swing ♪
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ And halfway and on to the next ♪
♪ Now two gents center with your elbow swing ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Your opposite by the pigeon wing ♪
♪ Now back in the middle with the same old thing ♪
♪ And now you own old hook and swing ♪
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ I'll swing your gal, you swing mine ♪
♪ I'll swing my girl all the time ♪
- [Jerry] My dad took me to, like a vaudeville. I was four years old and there was a colored fellow doing the dancing. And I said to my dad, "When I get home, "I'm going to dance like that." And he said, "Oh, you're not going to dance like that." So when we went home, I made him get his harmonica and he played it and I started dancing. That's the only thing I can tell you. I've been doing it ever since. It's like anything else, you pick it up. Some guy said to me, one time, "Teach me that." I said, "I can't, it's just how the music moves me, "and that's how I do it." I can't because I have no basic steps for it. In fact, that guy wanted me to join a clogging dance one time. And he said, "But you're going "to have to change your style." I said, "I don't have no style. "I just dance the way I feel." Music's there, I do it. If it isn't, I don't. So that's how it come about with me. So I guess all it is keeping time to the music with your feet, that's all. I love to dance. Ain't nobody likes to dance any better than I do. I'd rather dance than eat when I'm hungry.
♪ Hey all jump up and never come down ♪
♪ Swing that pretty gal round and round ♪
♪ Now turn your corner left hand round ♪
♪ Your partner right when you come down ♪
♪ Now when you meet your partner promenade around ♪
♪ Now first couple out to the right, and circle up four ♪
♪ Now right and left thru and a pokey four ♪
♪ Now right and left back, and you do it once more ♪
♪ Now right to your opposite, reel away four ♪
♪ Now half swing and a half promenade ♪
♪ And on to the next, couple up four ♪
♪ Now right and left thru and a pokey four ♪
Ladies step through.
♪ Now right and left back, and you do it once more ♪
♪ Now right to your opposite, reel away four ♪
♪ Now half swing and a half promenade and on to the next ♪
♪ Second couple lead right out ♪
♪ Second couple out to the set ♪
♪ Now ladies pokey ♪
♪ Now gents you pokey four ♪
♪ Now right to your opposite reel away four ♪
♪ Now half swing and a half promenade and on to the next ♪
♪ Now couple up four ♪
♪ Now right and left thru and a pokey four ♪
♪ Now right and left back, and you do it once more ♪
♪ Now right to your opposite reel away four ♪
♪ Now half swing and a half promenade and on to the next ♪
♪ And you couple up four ♪
♪ Now right and left thru and pokey four ♪
♪ Now right and left back, and you do it once more ♪
♪ Now right to your opposite reel away four ♪
♪ Don't wait to bring great riches home to me ♪
♪ I need no diamond rings or fancy pearls ♪
♪ Just bring yourself, you're all I'll ever need ♪
♪ That's good enough for this blue Kentucky girl ♪
- [Chuck Monticello, Fiddler] Well, we knew we were done.
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ And halfway and on to the next ♪
♪ Take a little peek ♪
♪ Now back to the middle and swing her sweet ♪
♪ Hey around that couple and through that side ♪
♪ Now both couples swing 'em high and wide ♪
♪ Now circle four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ And halfway and on to the next ♪
♪ Now second couple lead right out ♪
♪ And take a little peek ♪
♪ Now back in the middle and swing her sweet ♪
♪ Around that couple and through that side ♪
♪ Now all couples swing 'em high and wide ♪
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
♪ And halfway and on to the next ♪
♪ Now take a little peek ♪
♪ Now back in the middle and swing her sweet ♪
♪ Around that couple and through that side ♪
♪ Now both couples swing them high and wide ♪
♪ Now circle up four in the middle of the floor ♪
- First time I square danced must have been 50 years ago cause I was pretty young, and we had a caller and we had to listen real close 'cause some callers are better than others. And the better the caller, the better you can dance. You can dance to the calls that they give if they're clear enough.
- [Interviewer] Do you remember who the caller was or?
- I can't remember his name.
- [Interviewer] Where was it, where was this?
- Well, it was out in the country, they called it Ray, Ray Dance Hall or something. It was just like a little barbecue place. And they had a little floor there. About four, five sets got in there. And that was it.
- [Interviewer] They use live music?
- Yeah, there was live music, oh definitely. You have to have live music. You have to have the good, old fiddlers, not the violin players. The fiddlers that make it jump.
- [Moe] That's it.
- [Interviewer] How about you, Moe do you remember the first time you danced?
- Yeah, it's been about 50 years ago down in a place they called Green Valley, down near Taylor's Town. And the place, a tornado come through and took the place out. So there's no more Green Valley Dance Hall.
- [Interviewer] What do you remember about that dance?
- Well, I remember I met my wife there. And that, I think, that was the happiest day of her life.
- [George] How about that?
♪ Now second couple, lead right out ♪
♪ Circle up four ♪
♪ Now right and left thru and back to back ♪
♪ Swing your opposite behind your back ♪
Swing your opposite partner, gentlemen.
♪ Now right and left back on the same old track ♪
♪ Swing your own behind your back ♪
♪ Now couple up four in the middle of the floor a ♪
♪ And pokey eight, pokey eight ♪
♪ Hey right hand over, and how do you do ♪
♪ Left hand back, how are you ♪
♪ Your opposite right, own to left ♪
♪ Chase that reel go right and left. ♪
- [Moe] Jerry, he's the best figure caller in this area. As a matter of fact, he's the best I've ever heard. And I've heard a lot of 'em. He's real clear. You can understand him and his tempo is nice and even. It's not fast or it's not slow, it's just nice and smooth.
- [George] He'll adjust his calls to the people that dance. If they're real old, he can, he can slow down. And if it's a real peppy crowd, he'll pep 'em up. All in his calling.
♪ Now turn your corner left hand round ♪
♪ The partner by the right when you come down ♪
- [Jerry] Now, I've had a lot of people say, "Oh, you're the best I ever heard." I said, "You never heard them all." No matter where you go, there's always somebody better. Consider yourself as good, but no better.
♪ Now three gents out to the right ♪
♪ Whirligig 'em in ♪
♪ Three, now whirligig them out ♪
♪ Now take her by the waist ♪
♪ And whirligig about ♪
♪ Now lead on the right and whirligig 'em in ♪
♪ Now whirligig 'em out ♪
♪ Now take 'em by the waist ♪
♪ And whirligig about ♪
♪ Hey lead on the right and whirligig 'em in ♪
♪ Now whirligig 'em out ♪
♪ Now take her by the waist ♪
♪ And you whirligig about ♪
♪ Now right back home and everybody swing your own ♪
♪ Now all four gents out to the right ♪
♪ And whirligig 'em in ♪
♪ Now whirligig 'em out ♪
♪ Now take her by the waist and you whirligig about ♪
♪ Now lead on right and whirligig 'em in ♪
♪ Now whirligig 'em out ♪
♪ Now take her by the waist and whirligig about ♪
♪ Now lead on right and whirligig 'em in ♪
♪ Now whirligig 'em out ♪
♪ And take her by the waist ♪
♪ And whirligig about ♪
♪ Now right back home and whirligig 'em in ♪
♪ And whirligig 'em out ♪
♪ Now take her by the waist ♪
♪ And whirligig about ♪
♪ Now turn your corner, left hand round ♪
♪ Your partner right when you come down ♪
♪ Now when you meet your partner promenade around ♪
♪ Now all four ladies out to the right ♪
♪ And whirligig him in ♪
Put him in, girls.
♪ Now whirligig him out ♪
♪ Now take him by the waist and whirligig about ♪
♪ Now lead on right and whirligig him in ♪
♪ Now whirligig him out ♪
♪ Now take him by the waist and whirligig about ♪
♪ Hey lead on your right and whirligig him in ♪
♪ Now whirligig him out ♪
♪ Now take him by the waist ♪
♪ And you whirligig about ♪
Shake it, but don't break it.
♪ And lead on the right and whirligig him in ♪
♪ Now whirligig him out ♪
♪ Now take him by the waist ♪
♪ And whirligig about ♪
♪ Now turn your corner left hand round ♪
♪ Your partner by the right when you come down ♪
♪ Now when you meet your partner promenade around ♪
♪ Now you know where and I don't care ♪
♪ And that's the end of number one ♪
I notice some of you guys are ticklish. Well, I don't know what you call it. I call it good, old-fashioned square dancin'. And I like to see the tradition kept going, somebody keep it going. Cause let's face it, I can't do it all my life. I've done so many years now.
♪ Now on to the next, swing in the rear ♪
♪ Now back around and chase your dear ♪
♪ Lady round the lady ♪
- [Jerry] It was dying out, but it's coming back. A lot of your callers are, I don't know, they're going into modern square dance calling, which I like the old traditional stuff. And I hope we can keep it running. Maybe between you and me, we can.
♪ Now last couple lead on off, swing in the rear ♪
♪ Last couple out [unintelligible] ♪
♪ Now back around and chase your dear ♪
♪ Lady around lady, gent also ♪
♪ Now lady around the gent, but the gent don't go ♪
♪ Your opposite lady lead her by the right ♪
♪ Don't swing ♪
♪ Now half swing and a half promenade and on to the next ♪
♪ Now swing in the rear ♪
- [Chuck, fiddler] Why don't you say we put our hands together for Jerry and Dodie, 44 years. How about if we all join in with them now?
♪ Now two lone gents, you do-si-do ♪
♪ Now sides forward, six and back ♪
♪ Now forward six, sashay over ♪
♪ And two lone gents, you do-si-do ♪
♪ Now home you go and everybody swing your own ♪
♪ Now turn your corner left hand round ♪
♪ Your partner right when you come down ♪
♪ Now when you meet your partner promenade around ♪
♪ Now you know where, and I don't care ♪
♪ Take that gal to an easy chair ♪
