Scot and Erin Byars

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Squares and round dance
Squares and round dance

Scot and Erin Byars

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Scot Byars started dancing in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay area when his parents dropped him off at the local pre-teen club for one night of peace and quiet each week. Soon he was a member of the Spotlighters, an exhibition group.

In 1970, at age 11, Scot accepted a challenge from his partner to do a better job than she could on a singing calls, and he was hooked. Soon his dad was driving him three hours each way on Wednesday evenings to call for the Konocti Kickers in the town of Clearlake. Before long he was also club caller for the Fairfield Barnstormers (a teen club), Rancho Rascals of San Pablo (the pre-teen club where he started), and the Huffs and Puffs of San Rafael, an adult club with a regular weekly attendance of twenty-five squares.

Scot estimates he has taught over 3,000 people to square dance! Between moves throughout California, he has taught new dancers, as well as calling festivals, hoedowns, parties, and intro nights. He is a pioneer of the Blast Class format, and has been a full-time caller since 2003.

In March of 2015, Scot earned the title of CALLERLAB Accredited Caller Coach. To accomplish this, he completed a rigorous training and testing process that takes several years. He was also recently re-elected to the Board of Governors of CALLERLAB.

Currently, Scot travels all over California, plus visits to Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho Nevada, Oregon and Virginia, doing both dances and festivals. He calls each week for five clubs in El Dorado, Sacramento, Solano, and Placer counties. He is well known for his exceptional singing voice and extremely upbeat and enthusiastic style.

Erin Byars began square dancing in 1969 and round dancing in 1972. In 1974 she was asked to join the Silhouettes, a premiere teen round dance exhibition group under the direction of Betty and Bob Dean. During that time she would often dance with Bob and he would say, "Cue along with Betty." When she asked why, she was told, "Don't ask questions, just do as I say!" By the age of 19 she was cueing round dances for local clubs.

Between 1978 and 1985, Erin took some time off from cueing, but not dancing. In 1985 she and Scot became a team and he encouraged her to begin cueing and teaching again. She has been a featured round dance instructor at festivals in Alaska, California, Idaho, and Oregon.

Scot and Erin have choreographed several popular dances including "Shake It for Me" (CH IV), "One Less Set of Footsteps" (TS II), "Daydream Believer" (FT III), "Time in a Bottle" (WZ III), "You Light the Skies" (STS IV), "I Only Want You for Christmas" (TS II), "Last Words of a Fool" (WZ II) and a recent hit at the National Square Dance Convention in Oklahoma City "Caramel" (RB IV). Many of these dances have become Rounds of the Month/Quarter not only in Northern and Southern California, but in Colorado, Washington, and Wisconsin!