SQUARE DANCE SOCIETY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Information about Square Dancing in Western Australia.

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Chris Froggatt

  • Chris started square dancing in 1970 at Corrimal and began calling in 1972. He started his first square dance club “Ghost Riders” in the Wollongong area in 1974. This dance ran for nearly five years until Chris married Linda and moved to the Sutherland Shire.

    In early1978 Chris was approached by the Rockdale Airforce Memorial Bowling Club to call for their dance on the first Saturday of each month, which had previously had Tom McGrath as the caller. This was the first square dance run in Sydney by Chris and Linda. In late 1978, Chris and Linda opened their first weekly club “Knee-Deep Squares” on Wednesday nights, teaching beginners and dancing Mainstream. Several years later they also opened a fortnightly Plus dance at Jannali Community Hall. Chris and Linda also ran the Southside Cabaret for many years, which became known as the premier event on Sydney’s square dance calendar.

    Over the years they have introduced hundreds of people to square dancing, many of who dance today in other parts of Australia. Chris taught many people how to square dance, but more importantly he strove to include fun and fellowship.

    Joining CALLERLAB in 1983, Chris has served on the Mainstream and Plus Committees. He has been President and awarded Life Membership of the NSW Callers Association, and was the NSW Board Member and Vice President of the Australian Callers Federation.

    Chris has called at National and State Conventions and featured at festivals in every state of Australia. In 1988 Chris Co-Convened Australia’s largest National Square Dance Convention, heading up the Programming, Sound and Decoration Committees. In 1994 Chris began recording for the Silver sounds label, releasing several top selling singles. In 1995 Chris called and choreographed the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney National. Chris has been invited to call in New Zealand, and the USA.

    For five years Chris contributed a monthly article in the South Pacific Square Dance Review, striving to share opinions and to stimulate thoughts of the readers. Chris has also run many Callers Schools and has written four books on calling to help new callers with their choreography and enhance their calling skills.

    Chris and Linda took a break from full-time square dancing in 2001 after running Knee-Deep Squares for 23 years.

    In 2012 Chris and Linda returned and are now back at Jannali Community Hall, running Knee-Deep Squares on Friday nights, and enjoying it as much as ever. In 2017 Chris & Linda opened Knee Deep Plus at Miranda, dancing Monday nights.

    Also in 2017, Chris started the Knee Deep Melodies record label and produces a wide spectrum of Square Dance Music for callers.