Markus Großmann, 30 years ECTA member
Heribert Hinderfeld, Lahn-River-Wheelers Gießen

Markus Großmann has been calling for 31 years by now. This year he has been ECTA member for 30 years. This event / jubilee has been duly celebrated with a combined club night of the square dance clubs of Mittelhessen (Lahn-River-Wheelers, Desperados, Twirling Bells und Prairie Dancer).

We could welcome the current ECTA president Björn Wagner from Bonn and Jürgen Boche from Friedrichsdorf as VIPs.

Markus was introduced to square dancing at the Helter Skelters in Hamburg Hoisbüttel very early by his parents Enno and Gerlinde, as well as by his brother Holger and his sisters Ingmar and Anke. Markus, naturally, took part as his father introduced square dancing to the confirmees. He soon learned how to call and lead the weekly club night, which was held every Thursday at the Gemeindezentrum der Ev. Johannes-Gemeinde am Volksdorfer Damm, with the aid of Marinka Schuster since he was 13 years old (!!). He passed callers examination at the age of 14 (in the year 1979) and graduated his first class two years later, which means in the year 1981.

At the age of 15 Markus performed at the square-dance-on-ice, a very popular square dance special and made many dancers prick their ears up. It soon became clear: this is an expert on stage, who might still make some mistakes, but will soon be a top caller.

After a longer residence in the USA, which Markus used to improve his calling skills, he called for some other clubs in northern Germany next to the Helter-Skelters, as well as at many special dances and jamborees in northern Germany and abroad, 49 for example in Denmark up to the A2 program.

By a, from the Lahn-River-Wheelers point of view, lucky change of his job, the Lahn-River-Wheelers were able to get him as club caller from 1997 on.

At the Lahn-River-Wheelers he has

-taught 6 Mainstream classes and graduated 73 students
-taught 2 plus classes and graduated 23 students

up until now.

He gave us much fun in square dancing as well as some sweat with his way of calling – he likes quick music.

Björn Wagner and the Lahn-River- Wheelers as well as the members of the other clubs, present at the mutual clubnight, congratulated Markus Großmann to 30 years of membership in ECTA. The Lahn-River-Wheelers thank for now 13 years of calling and hope for many more years to come.

translation: Kai Hoffmann