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I Was A Caller for Many Years As told by Serguis Moonin to Fenia Anahonak |
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I’m
not sure when Square Dancing got started but I think it was in the Russian times.
In Russian times, they started to learn how to square dance. After the person
learns how to call, then he teaches someone else how to call for the dances.
He was not suppose to make any mistakes, then you got the right to be a
caller. You had to practice and practice with your teacher sitting and
watching. The callers were not allowed to make any mistakes, so you had to
really practice. Andrew Kamlock was the one who taught me. Andrew
Kamlock was born in English Bay, but moved to Seldovia. He’s not all
Athabascan, he is only half way Athabascan. His Daddy’s from Karluk, Alaska
his Mother was from the Seldovia. She was born Athabascan. That’s
when I moved back into Port Graham and Portlock and we used to go out
dancing. When I learned I let student here, he can do I let him know we will
dance tonight. Andrew, he says “he is my student here, he can do it, cause
already he learned.” So then, every Saturday and Sunday we began to dance,
and Names Day and Birthdays we never missed. We had to dance all the time. We
had mostly square dances. I used to be a musician myself, I played the
accordion. Pat Carlo, Jimmy, Mickey, and I, (there were for of us musicians),
played down in Port Chatham. All the way from the beginning. When I get there
I used to go square dancing. Andrew wanted to teach me and said, “Your smart.
Why don’t you take over on calling on Square Dancing?” He was a pretty good
caller. How he says? I says “how could I?” I will show you. I will teach you.
I will teach you how to call for different steps and actions.” Some times he
let me do it with the little kids just to test me. He had me do it over again
and if I make a mistake I have to do it over again ‘till I got it right. He
learned from Gabriel. Gabriel was another good caller. That’s what it was for
every Saturday, every Names Day, every Birthday, Parties during the holidays,
Christmas time and January from 8th to the 17th.during
the masking times we had lots of square dancing. Because it be part time when
maskers come in the dance right in the middle of the circle and then square
dance any kind. They
used to dress up, especially wearing coveralls and jumpers. They were
dressing like old fashioned. Sometimes when they did farmer style dancing,
they wore ragged clothes. They used to call it a farmer dance. For country
dancing they dressed up nice. At a square dance party you just come just the
way you are. The dances usually began in the early evening. We used to start That
what they use to call it (kadrilarciqukut) that’s a square dance. Mostly
sometimes just waltz and circle waltz. Tag waltz. That’s the name of it. Now
we call it the new two-step. When they have a two-step it looks fun. I use to
like to watch. I use to do it myself. I use to like it. My mom use to join
because she liked the way I acted. Every time when a caller called a
two-step, she’d come and she wanted to dance with me. They
use to come from here, Port Graham and They
use to bring their fancy clothes from Port Chatham and change them when they
got here. Fancy shoes too. They didn’t go back the same day and they use to
go back the next day. But sometimes they use to stay a week to visit. They
had dances every night, but they got tired but still played long time. Lots
longer than they do now! Use to play so long that we, the players, would be
making faces to keep from thinking about it! Even though the players would be
laughing, the players practiced long time and it would make them mess up too
much! They practiced almost every time we get the chance. We would keep the
instruments in there, the dance hall, the Guitar and accordion so we could
practice easier. Jimmy
used to give the one he was good! Jimmy used to give the girls bad time and
make everybody laugh. The first one was polka-swing and a almon left. That’s
where all the girls swing left and men to the right. Elbow-swing is just once
ladies swing to the left (just once.) All of ’em round then guys grab your
partners, swing ‘em around and do-si-do and dance around and around. Another
one is chase the squirrel and rabbit. Nobody else does the calling except me,
but I could teach or appoint someone else if I want to. I don’t cause it take
a lot of practice and you have to know what to say when! When
these kids were babies and before, they used to have strict rules the kids
had to go home before
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Copyright 1981, Volume 1 |
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