In the 2025-2026 season the Ocean Waves were delighted to welcome Jake and Dian ;Ring as our Caller and Cuer.  We can get to know them a bit better by reading some of their past experiences and recognize their love and joy of Square Dancing.

​

This note is from Jake and Diana

​

We took Square Dance lessons in Port Hardy (while living in Port McNeill) staring September 1980 and graduated April 1981.  We then formed the Port Hardy Crosstrailers Square Dance Club (with members from both communities.)The following year, 1982, Jake started learning how to become a caller with the help of our caller, Ken and Pat Smith (from Comox), and the assistance of Doug and Elsie Anderson (of Nanaimo at the time) who was the main teacher.  Carl Erlan from Port McNeill also took up learning to call the same year.  Jake and Carl were able to compare notes and practise together.  The following year, Jake tauhjt the new class at the old school, while Carl started teaching the school kids in the evenings.  They then started taking turns calling for the club, again with the help from Ken Smith.  

​

We continued with the Crosstrailers Club until December 1986.  At that time we moved to Campbell River where we purchased the Above Tide Motel.  We spent the next couple of years focusing on running the motel.  When we were able to hire a manager, once in a while, we were able to take up square dancing again at least once a week in Campbell River.  Jake also drove to Port McNeill once a week to call for their club as long as they could get one square out to dance

 

We sold the motel in 1990  and moved into the home we still reside in today.  In the 1990's Jake was calling for the Port Hardy Crosstrailers, the Campbell River Ripple Rockets and a new club in Fanny Bay called the Fanny Bay Inner Squares.  Jake was for awhile also teaching classes in Campbell River and Fanny Bay.   It was a VERY busy time.  He gave up the Fanny Bay Inner Square about 1994.  The Crosstrailers folded their club in 1997 as they could not maintain a club with  only o ne square.  A lot of Port Hardy members had moved away as the outdoor pit mine had shut down.

​

Diana started cueing for the Ripple Rockets when Muriel and Bob Craig decided they wanted to stay just in Comox/Courtenay area.  Muriel helped Diana for a year before Muriel fully retired from the Ripple Rockets. 

 

We called and cued for the Ripple Rockets until 2023 when we formed our own club, "Rings Squares & Rounds".   We continued calling and cueing, doing mainly square dance workshops in Courtenay.  Diana taught Round Dance classes there as well.   In 2025 we joined the Ocean Waves Square Dance Club. The club asked us to call and cue for them for the 2025-2026 season as both Fran, their caller, and her husband Roger were having health problems which required them to step away from the club. 

 

From the time we graduated square dancing, we also went to Penticton for a number of year for their Square Dance Festivals, and dancing outside in a football field overed with plywood for a dance floor.  We took our children while they still needed a babysitter, and of course took a babysitter with us.  The babysitter had the days off but had to look after our two children in the evenings while we were at the dances.  It was a wonderful holiday for 5 days.  We attended many B.C. Square Dance Festivals as well, every other year.  We have met many people and have acquired some wonderful friendships with some wonderful people along the way.

 

Jake has been calling for 44 year! Diana has been cueing for 29 years!     

 

​

​

​