Callers

Betsy Gotta

Betsy Gotta of North Brunswick, New Jersey has been square dancing since 1952 and calling since 1962.  As a full-time caller Betsy currently calls regularly for 5 square dance clubs, calls all programs from Contra through C-3B and is an accredited Callerlab Caller Coach.

   Averaging approximately 300 dances/classes per year, she has also attended the last 52 consecutive National Square Dance conventions, and called at the last 50 of them. In addition to her regular home calling program, Betsy travels throughout the United States & Canada for guest calling engagements, weekends, festivals, SD camping groups, and callers' schools. Her weekends include Wakefield , VA, Cherry Ridge, PA, Rehobeth, DE, Harper's Ferry, MD, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco, Cleveland, San Diego, and Toronto.. Her festivals have included the Richmond Festival, the Border Booster Festival in Montreal, Peel the Apple in New York, Star Spangled Festival in MD, Stars and Squares Forever in Washington, DC, Palm Springs Dance Fest in CA, Crack the Crab in Baltimore, MD, Stars Across the Border in Toronto, Ont, and the Mid-Winter Festival in Anchorage, AK.  She has done caller's schools and clinics in NY, NJ, DC, FL, MI, VA, WI, MN, OH, PA, Canada, and England.

   Betsy also is the featured caller for instructional videos produced by Square Dance Videos Inc. and sold by Gottadance Videos, and has recorded for County Line and Desert Gold Records.
Betsy is a former Vice-Chairman of CALLERLAB, is serving her 9th term on the Board of Governors, served two terms on the Executive Committee, was a member of the Executive Committee of Legacy, is Vice-Chairman of ARTS-Dance, was Chairman of Contralab, was the General Chairman of the 1992 New Jersey State Square Dance Convention, and with her husband Roy is on the Board of Directors of ROUNDALAB. She is a founding member of the Callers' Council of NJ, a charter member of the Square Dance Council of NJ (and it's current Chairman), and with her husband Roy, a member of the Northern NJ Round Dance Leader's Council and Roundalab.
   In 2001, at the IAGSDC Convention in Vancouver, Betsy received the Golden Boot Award, for her efforts to bridge the gap between gay and straight square dance clubs.
   In 2006, at the CALLERLAB Convention in Charlotte, Betsy received the Milestone Award, CALLERLAB's highest honor, for her numerous contributions to the square dance activity.

 

   At the 2012 National Square Dance Convention in Spokane, WA Betsy was honored by the National Executive Committee for her Support, Devotion and Calling At the National Square Dance Convention 1963-2012. 

Facts:

  • Square Dancing - Since 1952
  • Calling - Since 1962
  • 1st National Convention – 1961
  • 1st called at a National - 1963
  • Round Dancing - since 1975
  • Full-time caller since 2000
  • Schedule - Approximately 300 engagements per year (Contra thru C3)
  • Bachelor of Arts Degree (Art Major) - Hood College (MD) - 1969
  • Accredited CALLERLAB Caller-Coach - 1991
  • Recording Artist - Gottadance Videos, County Line Records, Desert Gold Records.
     
  • New Jersey Affiliations
    •  Caller's Council - Founding member & past president
    •  Square Dance Council - Charter member & past president
    •  Round Dance Council - past president (with cuer husband Roy)
    •  State Convention - past General Chairman, program chairman, registration chairman, education chairman, & program book chairman
  • National Affiliations
    • CALLERLAB - Member since 1976, - Board of Governors (9 terms) (First American woman elected to the BOG) - Executive Committee (2 terms) -  Former Vice-Chairman - Accredited Caller-Coach (First American woman to be accredited), - various committees.
    • LEGACY (now defunct) - Member since 1983, Past Board of Directors, past Executive Committee member.
    • ROUNDALAB - Member since 1985 - Currently on the Board of Directors.
    • ARTS-Dance - the current CALLERLAB representative and Vice-Chairman
    • Contralab - Former Chairman
       
  • Caller Coach Info
    • First Callers' School conducted in 1973 (Staten Island, NY)
    • CALLERLAB Caller-Coach Accreditation - 1991
    • Schools & Clinics Conducted throughout the US, Canada, and England
Video: Betsy with the live band in Cincinnati
Dan Koft

To be supplied

Video: Dan Koft Calling for the Rutgers Promenaders Square Dance Club

Cuers

Roy Gotta

Roy Gotta of North Brunswick, NJ started Square Dancing in 1972 while still a student at Rutgers University. He was so impressed with the teacher that he married her (Betsy Gotta - see other resume) in 1974. He and Betsy began Round Dancing in 1975 and began teaching Round Dancing in 1978 and Roy currently cues and teaches through phase IV.
Roy has 3 local round dance clubs and is the club cuer for his home square dance club. Guest appearances are usually with his wife Betsy (traveling as a caller/cuer team) but he also does guest cueing appearances by himself.

 

Roy joined Roundalab in 1978,  and he and Betsy are members of the Board of Directors. He has attended 37 National Square Dance Conventions, cueing at many of them. With his wife Betsy, he is a member of Callerlab, Roundalab, ARTS-Dance, Square Dance Council of NJ, Callers Council of NJ, and Northern NJ Round Dance Leaders' Council. In 1992 He and Betsy were General Chairman of the NJ State Square and Round Dance Convention.

 

 

Dances that Roy & Betsy have choreographed include "Thank God For Kids", "Walking My Baby Back Home", "Love Is..."(Roundalab ROQ), "Send For Me", "A Summer Song",  "All Over The World"(Roundalab ROQ), "Rose of San Antone", "How Do You Do It", I'm Into Something Good", "Yesterday's Gone", "Dead Skunk", "You Beat Me To The Punch", "My Love Twostep". and "When I Take My Sugar to Tea".
 

 

Facts

  • Square Dancing - Since 1972
  • Round Dancing - Since 1975
  • Cueing - Since 1978
  • First National Convention - 1973
  • Schedule - Approximately 175 engagements per year (Cueing & Teaching)
  • Bachelor of Science Degree (Landscape Architecture) - Rutgers University (NJ) - 1973
  • Masters Degree (Vocational Education) - Rutgers University - 1988

 

  • New Jersey Affiliations
    • Northern NJ Round Dance Leaders Council
    • Square Dance Council - Charter Member & past president
    • Callers Council
    • State Convention - past General Chairman, program chairman, registration chairman, education chairman, & program book editor.

 

  • National Affiliations
    • Roundalab - Member since 1978,  member of the Board of Directors
    • Callerlab - member since 1975, currently on ad-hoc committee for combating music sharing
    • Legacy (now defunct) Member msince 1983, past Board of Directors, past Executive Committee member.
    • ARTS-Dance - Currently on Board
Video: Roy Gotta Cues "Tips of My Fingers" Waltz Round Dance
Kathy Koft

To be supplied

Video: Kathy Koft Cues "Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do" Jive & "Midnight In Moscow" 2-step