Royce Nelson, Square Dance Caller - Biography

I began square dancing in 1972, at a time when nearly every town had a square dance club and every club was full of young, active members. Always fascinated by the calling abilities of Theron Johnson, my friend and local club caller, I thought of calling, but never took the initiative to give calling a try. After 4 years active dancing, square dancing took a backseat to raising a daughter and pursuing a career.

In 2001, nearly 30 years later and 600 miles from where I first danced, I was brought back to square dancing with my wife, MaryAnn, through an incredible series of events. Nearly as incredible were the events that again piqued my interest in calling. I first called in 2002 and have been actively calling since.

I have been teaching square dancing for as long as I have been calling and enjoy it just as much. I regularly teach for my local club, the First City Squares in Bemidji and for the Friendly Squares in Park Rapids. I also call at family & church camps, wedding receptions, parties and fundraisers.

My calling style is heavily influenced by my early experiences as a DJ at high school sock hops, my fascination with creative and unique choreography, and my philosophy that I am foremost an entertainer. I find that my favorite music is classic Top 40, DooWop, and country music, but I have a wide range of musical genres in my case. I try to call dances that are high energy and fun for everyone.

I have attended the Rhythm Records Callers School and seminars with several national callers. I am a member of CallerLab, Minnesota Square Dance Callers Assn, and am licensed by BMI/ASCAP. MaryAnn and I are Past Presidents of the NW Region of the Minnesota Square Dance Federation and are hosts of the Golden Plus Square Dance Weekend.