Western - Modern Square Dance Caller & Leader
Caller Profile
Caller Profile
Sam & Sue Dunn took beginner square dance lessons in Ohio in 1974. He called his first singing call (1) year later.
Before they moved to Florida, Sam was the club caller for the Kittyhawk Squares in Dayton, Ohio for 25 years. Sam has been calling for the last 50 years.
Sam retired from International Truck & Engine after 32 years. Sam & Sue started spending the winter months in Florida in 2001.
In August of 2003, they decided to sell their home in Ohio and bought a new home in Sebring, Florida.
They are the parents of 3 children, they have 11 grandchildren, and 1 great granddaughter.
They have been married for 56 years
Sam's Credits Include
- He is one of the charter members of the American Callers Association
- He currently belongs to the American Callers Association, the Florida Callers Association, and the Suncoast Callers & Cuer's Association,
- He is a past president of the Miami Valley Callers Association, and the Midwestern Ohio Callers Association.
- He has recorded on Red Boot Star, Tar Heel records, and most recently on Miracle records.
- He has been the sound chairman for 4 Ohio State Square Dance conventions.
- Sam is 1/3 of the popular calling/singing group The Good Ole' Boys. He sings tenor.
- He calls and teaches all levels from basics to A-2
- He has traveled to England - London, Ontario, and Mexico to call festivals and square dance cruises. He still flies back and forth to Ohio and Michigan for special dances and festivals
Weekends & Festivals & Club Caller
- Sam & Sue have been on staff at many square dance weekends including English Mountain in Tennessee, Weekend Getaway, Rainbow Jamboree, Pumpkin Promenade, Labor Day Fun Fest, and Single Rama in the past years,and they are proud to have been one of the featured callers at the West Coast Fun Fall Fest in Lakeland, Florida in 2005 and 2009.
- He currently is the club caller for the Grande Squares in Frostproof, Florida, the Harmony Hoedowners in Sebring, Florida , and 1-2-3 Squares in Sebring, Florida.
Extra Mile Award 2007
Sam was very surprised and pleased to receive the Extra Mile Award from the Florida Federation of Square & Round Dancers on May 18, 2007. This is an award presented by the Florida Federation each year to show appreciation to both callers and cuers who go beyond the norm in giving freely of their time and talents to the square dance activity.
This award was given to him in recognition of valuable contributions to the square and round dance movement in the state of Florida The West Coast Association has always been proud of their relationship with the Suncoast Callers & Cuers Association, but one caller really stands out for his support of not only our association but the square dance activity itself.
He began calling 29 years ago in Dayton, Ohio, and moved to Florida in 2002. He quickly became involved with the West Coast Association and the Suncoast Callers & Cuers Association. He called for the West Coast Fall Fun Fest in 2005, and not only promoted that year but he promotes our other Fests even though he is not calling.
In 2005, we needed more skits for our after party, so he gathered the dancers from Sebring and they did three or four more skits for us.
In 2006, even though he wasn't on the program, he arrived on Friday night his wife and grandson and sold 50/50 tickets for us all night.
He added a West Coast Association page to his personal website and promotes all of our Association Dancers (which includes copies of the flyers) along with the Florida State Convention and the Fall Fun Fest.
One of our callers was unable to return to Florida this year due to a fatal illness in his family. Although this caller already has a full schedule, he has assumed as many of the other caller's dates as he could. He is always willing to call for demos and benefits whenever asked.
Wrapping It Up
Wrapping it up, Sam & Sue have been calling and teaching for 45 years. They love the square dance activity. And they love living in Florida, even in the summer. They invite you to look at their website to find out where Sam is calling and join them for a fun filled evening. Yes, he still does festivals, books dances out of state,and would like to call for your club.