Callers

/ˈkɔlərz/ noun

Definition

Plural of caller; people who make telephone calls or visit someone. In square dancing, the person who announces the dance moves.

Etymology

From call, from Old Norse kalla 'to cry loudly.' The -er suffix creates an agent noun. The square dancing sense developed in American folk culture, while telephone usage emerged with telecommunications.

Kelly Says

Square dance callers are musical poets in real-time - they must simultaneously keep perfect rhythm, create rhyming cues that dancers can follow instantly, and read the skill level of the room, making them among the most mentally agile performers in folk traditions.

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