Vance McDaniel started learning to call square dancing in 1966 at the age of thirteen. With the help of his mother, Rusty McDaniel, he started his first square dance class in Mannheim, Germany at the youth center of Benjamin Franklin Village, a US Army dependant’s housing development. One hundred twenty-five eight- to eleven-year-old youths started that first class. This group later became the first square dance club for which Vance served as club caller, and they were named the Prancing Peanuts. Vance also called for the Happy Pairs, a teenage club in Heidelberg, Germany and the Glow Worms, an adult club in Worms, Germany. He attended several of Cal Golden’s weekend calling seminars and one of Cal’s week-long calling colleges at Chemsee, Germany. Howard Mason and Bob Faulkner also taught Vance many aspects of square dance calling and helped him become a better caller. While in Germany, Vance called for every EAASDC (European Association of American Square Dance Clubs) annual convention and thrice-yearly jamboree. Vance was also a member in good standing of ECTA (European Callers and Teachers Association).
Vance returned to the United States in May of 1972 and turned 19 years of age in July of that same year. He attended Fayetteville Technical College, and whenever his dad, Mac McDaniel, was away TDY (Tour of Duty) for the army, Vance would call for his dad’s clubs, such as the Braggarts at Fort Bragg, NC, the Sandpipers in Sanford, NC and the Sandspurs in Carthage, NC. In 1975 at the age of 22, Vance became club caller for the Carthage Sandspurs. Some folks out of a beginner’s class at the Carthage Sandspurs wanted to start a club in Robbins, NC, so Vance helped them start the Robbins Grand Squares. In 1976 at Seven Lakes, NC, Vance became club caller for the Yellow Rockers, which later moved to West End, NC. He then became club caller for the Harnett Twirlers in Lillington, NC. Some folks out of a beginners’ class at the Harnett Twirlers wanted to start a club in Dunn, NC, so Vance helped them start the Checkerboard Squares. For ten or eleven years from 1975 to 1986, Vance was club caller for these five clubs and others, calling for five and six clubs each week and calling for special dances and weekend festivals on Saturdays and weekends. Vance also traveled during these years calling square dances in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Vance has attended and called at nine National Square Dance Conventions.
In 1987 Vance helped start the Plus-A-Plenty square dance club in Raleigh, NC and also became club caller for the Ragtime Ramblers in Durham, NC. In 1990 he became club caller for the Merry Mixers advanced square dance club in Raleigh, NC, and in 1995 he became club caller for the Cary Cross Trailers in Cary, NC. Vance is currently club caller for the Merry Mixers Advanced (A1/A2) square dance club, the Triangle Circulaters Challenge (C1) square dance club and the Cary Cross Trailers, as well as calling for special dances and special parties on Friday and Saturday nights. Vance is the founder and driving force behind the Triangle Square Dance Alliance which is chartered to promote square dance and dancer education in the local area. The TSDA is known for introducing square dance to locals via it’s popular monthly fun dances in downtown Raleigh.
Honorable mention goes to the Heritage Pines Square Dance Club of west Cary, NC. Who knew that they would last seven years! Vance helped start the Heritage Pines Squares in Janurary of 2003. Unfortunately they folded in March 2010, but the members who were still dancing joined the Cary Cross Trailers.
Vance is a member in good standing of CALLERLAB, the International Association of Square Dance Callers, and has been for 28 years. At the 43rd annual CALLERLAB Convention in April 2016, Vance was honored with the CALLERLAB Half Century Award for his 50 years of calling! Vance is the President of the North Carolina Callers Association and has attended and called for numerous North Carolina Federation conventions and quarterly dances. He records on Platinum Records and is BMI and ASCAP licensed.
Vance calls Basic, Mainstream, Plus, Advanced A1 and A2, and Challenge C1.
Vance McDaniel
1321 Romac Trail
Knightdale, NC 27545
(919) 266-6986 (home)
(919) 889-1387 (cell)