2005 Honor Dancers

Louis and Nancy Hyll

Number of Years Dancing   57

Club Elected Positions and Years Held (Pres., VP, Sec., etc.)     None

Club Appointed Positions and Years Held (Kitchen Chairperson, etc.)

1. Program Committee (1976)
2. Constitutional Review Committee (1977)
3. Workshop & Event Chair (1976, 1980, 1996, 1997 – 4 years)
4. Equipment Committee Chair (1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995 – 5 years)
5. Publicity Chair (1980)
6. MVFD Representative to Pavilion Support Committee (1996, 1997 – 2 years)
7. MVFD Representative to MVDC (1984, 1985, 1986, 1997 – 4 years)

Service at Club Level (Kitchen, Greeters, Clean-up, Decorate, etc.)

Parlimentarian – The Hylls have never missed an annual business meeting in over 30 years.  Lou always keeps us on track and honest with the proper motions and actions.

Syllabus Project – Nancy currently is helping with MVFD’s project to put 50 years of club workshop syllabi into a computer format.

Other Clubs – Although MVFD does not know the specifics, the Hylls have been involved with many clubs throughout their 57 years of dancing.  We are sure they have served wherever they were needed.  These clubs include:

1.      YMCA Community Dances 1948-58

2.      Miami Valley Square Dance Club 1958-59

3.   Lohrey Square Dance Club 1958-62

4.   Dayton Square Dance Club 1958, 1962-63, 1971-72

5.   Boots & Ruffles Square Dance Club 1958-62

6.   Lewisburg Promenaders 1971

7.   Squares A Go Go 1971

8.   Dayton 2 x 4's 1971

9.   Enon Shooting Stars 1971-76

10.  Dayton Whirlaways 1971-72

11.  Date'n 8's 1971

12.  Delco Square Dance Club 1973-76

13.  Silver Squares 1973, 1976-77

14.  Rose E. Miller Squares 1977-80

15.  Queen City Contra Club 1974-75, 1980

16.  Kettering Historical Dancers 1975-82

17.  Open Squares 1978-79

18.  Dayton Contra Dance Club 1973-78

19.  Springfield Country Dancers 1983-86

20.  Lloyd Shaw Foundation (American dance forms) 1984-91

21.  Zivio Yugoslav Dancers 1983-90

22.  Bagatelle French Dancers 1990-92

23.  Corinth Friendly Squares 1987-94

24.  Urbana Senior Squares 1987-94

25.  Miami Valley Callers Association pre-1958, 1971-72, 1981-90

26.  ContraLab 1986-92

27.  CallerLab 1988-95

28.  Country Dance and Song Society of America (Historical American dance & Contra dance) 1984-Present

29.  American Callers Association 1996-Present

Number of Raids and Retrievals   As MVFD does not participate in Raids, we have no records of Raid participation.  However, we are sure that in 57 years of dancing, the Hylls supported and participated in Raids and Retrievals.

Special Activities (Organize or Assist with Demos, Weekend & Week long Workshops, Special Dances, Parades, World A’Fair, State Fair, Festivals, etc.)

Promotion of Dance through Demonstrations – The Hylls have promoted recreational dance through their participation in and organization of many demonstrations, including:  MVFD demonstrations of international folk dancing (Sauerkraut Festival and others), Council sponsored square dance demos (Day in the Park, Holiday at Home), historical and contra demos with the Kettering Historical Dancers (USA Bicentennial, historical fairs), etc.

MVFD Workshops – The Hylls have chaired and organized three weekend workshops for MVFD and provided assistance for numerous others by typing syllabi, proofreading syllabi, doing mailings, setting up sound, and hosting instructors in their home.  Nancy wrote MVFD’s guidelines for workshop chairs to help others organize workshops.

Promotion of Dance through Leadership – Perhaps the Hyll's greatest contribution to recreational dance has been the introduction of thousands of NON-dancers to recreational dance.  They have presented hundreds of one-time programs and classes in square, folk, contra, historical, and line dancing to community groups, schools, churches, businesses, private parties, health care facilities, and historical societies.  Additionally, many fledgling dance leaders have been helped by the Hylls with encouragement, advice, support, and materials.  Lou Hyll began square dance calling in 1949 as a substitute caller for the YMCA community dances.  As square dancing evolved, Lou continued his calling and taught western-style square dance classes for the City of Dayton in 1957, 58.  One of these classes became the Miami Valley Square Dance Club.  He was the club caller for the Lohrey Square Dance Club 1960-61, Rose E. Miller Squares 1977- 80, Corinth Friendly Squares 1987-94, and Urbana Senior Squares 1987-94.  The Hylls also led the Kettering Historical Dancers 1975-82 and the Springfield Country Dancers 1983-86.

M.V.D.C Positions and Years Held (Pres., VP, Treasurer, Trustee, etc.)

Nancy has served the Council through committee participation – in 1997 she was on the committee that created the Michael Solomon Pavilion guidelines and in 2000 she was on the committee that updated the Honor Roll Dancer award program.

Lou served on the Michael Solomon Support Committee in 1996, 1997.

Although today their health limits what they can do, the Hylls still support the Council by donating handmade items to benefit dances and conventions, and working on Council give-a-way items (buckeyes, butterflys, etc.)

State & National Positions and Years Held (State Corp, State & National Convention Positions, etc.)

Served on Ohio Mini-Legacy 1980, 1981, 1983

State & National Conventions Attended:

National:  1982, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1999 (5 conventions)

Ohio:  1962, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1995, 2001 (11 conventions)

Indiana:  1996

In addition to State and National Square Dance Conventions the Hylls have attended many folk, contra, and dance leadership workshops, festivals, camps, and holidays including:

1.      Lloyd Shaw Foundation Workshops 1962, 75-78, 84 (6 workshops)

2.      Bannerman Family Folk Dance Camp 1974-75  (2 camps)

3.      Kentucky Dance Institute 1975, 77, 79-80, 87, 90 (6 camps)

4.      Bluegrass Dance Holiday 1992-94 (3 camps)

5.      Various MVFD Ethnic Folk Dance Workshops 1972-2004 (43 workshops)

6.      Oglebay Folk Dance Camps (2 camps)

7.      Berea Christmas Country Dance School  (2 camps)

8.      Yorktown Contra Dance Holiday (1 camp)

9.      Flying Cloud Academy of Vintage Dance Camp (1 camp)

Write Up

            Louis and Nancy Hyll are truly pioneers of recreational dance in Dayton, Ohio. They began dancing traditional squares in the late 40's/early 50's.  As square dancing evolved into early western-style and on to club western-style the Hylls grew with it.  Through the years the Hylls also explored related dance forms - folk, round, contra, historical, clogging, and line dancing.

            Lou Hyll began square dancing in 1948 as a young adult. He was active in many YMCA activities, including community square dances.  Here he began his avocation as a square dance caller, learning to call as a substitute for the regular caller.  In 1954 he met his future bride, Nancy, in the YMCA Chorus, and they began dancing together at YMCA community dances.  In 1957, Lou and Nancy married.  Lou continued to call, teaching square dance classes for the City of Dayton in 1957-58.  Lou has been the club caller for several clubs over the years.  In the late 60's the Hylls began specializing in square dances for non-dancers.  In the 70's, the Hylls expanded their dancing and leadership into the related forms of folk, contra, line, and historical dance.

            Lou and Nancy have been active in many clubs over the years, so many that it is hard to count them.  They include early square dance clubs that no longer exist, clubs that have merged, contra dance clubs, historical dance clubs, and folk dance clubs.

            Perhaps the Hyll's greatest contribution to recreational dance has been the introduction of thousands of non-dancers to recreational dance.  They have presented hundreds of one-time beginner programs in square, folk, contra, historical, and line dancing to any kind of group you can imagine.  Additionally, many fledgling dance leaders have been helped by the Hylls with encouragement, advice, support, and materials.

            Lou first became involved with the Miami Valley Folk Dancers (MVFD) in 1953.  In 1971, the entire Hyll family (Lou, Nancy, and two daughters) began dancing with MVFD on a regular basis.  It wasn't long before the Hylls became active, valued members of the club.  Through the years the Hylls have  been Program Committee members, Equipment Committee Chair, Workshop Chair, Publicity Chair, Representative to the Miami Valley Dance Council, and Representative to the Pavilion Support Committee.  They have provided refreshments, planned and led Ethnic Sunday programs, and planned and led Thursday evening programs.  Nancy has typed many syllabi for weekend workshops and written articles for the MVDC Dance News.  As unpaid volunteers, they have introduced and reviewed many dances for the club (especially squares, rounds, and contras).  They have helped MVFD promote folk dance through their participation in numerous demonstrations and festivals. 

            Today, although no longer able to dance due to health, the Hylls still actively support the dance community with visits to dances; handmade items for auctions & door prizes; technical advice, costumes, & support for demos; and financial support to clubs and events.  They sincerely want the dance community to thrive and continue.

            For 34 years as active members of the Miami Valley Folk Dancers, and for 57 years as pioneers of recreational dance in Dayton, the Miami Valley Folk Dancers are proud to name Louis and Nancy Hyll as its 2005 Honor Roll Dancers and nominee for the Miami Valley Dance Council Honor Roll Dancers.