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Roger McNeil and his wife Bernadette took square dance
lessons in Aberdeen, SD in 1973. They quit dancing in
1977 when their son David was born. His sister Michelle
soon joined David and Roger and Bernadette spent the
next few years raising their children. In 1988, they
moved to Fargo, ND to pursue job opportunities. In 2000,
they realized that they could do whatever they wanted
because they were empty nesters!! They had talked, off
and on throughout the years, about checking out the
square dancing in Fargo, which is exactly what they did
in March of 2000.
Roger started dabbling in calling during 2001 with his
first "public" calling in October of 2001 after the
North West Region meeting. He asked the emcee and four
couples if they would stay after the meeting so he could
practice with live people. Imagine his surprise when
three other couples peeked around the corner - they were
visiting in the hall and came back to see "who that
caller was". Boy did he sweat after he saw the
spectators (actually, he sweat thru the whole tip).
Roger has been calling for clubs ever since though he
will never forget his first paid gig for a New Year's
Eve dance hosted by the Lakeside Twirlers of Winger.
Roger has called at state conventions in North Dakota
and Minnesota, a South Dakota Festival, and
International and National Conventions. He is currently
booking club dances in five states. Roger and Bernadette
also hosted their first bus trip to Branson "It's
Christmas in Branson and We're Goin' Dancing" in
December, 2005 and have since hosted two more:
December, 2006 and 2007.
Also
on their calendar is a bus trip to Nashville in October
2008.
Roger started cueing round dances but now Bernadette has
now taken over that position. They teach and are angels
for both square and round dancing.
Roger and Bernadette have been Convention Chair of the
2003 and the 2007 North Dakota State Square and Round
Dance Convention and Vice Chair of that Convention and
Chair of the 2004 International Convention. They were
also Publicity Chair of the 2004 Minnesota State
Convention hosted by the North West Region of the Square
Dance Federation of Minnesota, Inc. Bernadette is
currently serving her fourth term as the State Treasurer
of the Square Dance Federation of Minnesota.
Roger is a member of the Minnesota Square Dance Caller's
Association, the North Dakota Square Dance Callers and
the American Callers Association.
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