History
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club was started in 1984 by Art and Jenny Barkley in Large, PA, a community in Jefferson Hills borough. Art started the club because, as he was taking lessons at the Grand Squares club, he would get together with others in his class to go over the dances, and he would be able to show the others how to do some of the calls. Gradually this informal group grew into a club. The name was chosen when Art, Jenny and her sister were trying to decide on a name for the new club. They had considered a lot of names when Jenny's sister said "we need a name that happy go lucky people would like". Art said, "that's it".
Art and Jenny Barkley
Art designed the badge himself adding the arms and legs and face to the letters P to make the dancers. In addition to Art calling square dances, Art's wife Jenny taught country dances (not line dances) like two step and waltz, which were done between the square dances.
The first club had 14 new dancers and 10 angel couples. They began classes in the fall and graduated them in April from the CALLERLAB Plus program. The first class was in a school gym in Large. In the second year it moved to the Number 2 Fire Hall in Dravosburg since the gym had very poor acoustics. The Dravosburg hall could hold 12 squares and was air conditioned in the summer.
Dravosburg Fire Hall #2
1207 Luscombe Lane
now decommissioned
Dravosburg Fire Hall #2
Classes were held on Thursday nights and the club dances were on Fridays. There were many dinner dances such as those at Christmas, where the students were invited, and the students' graduation dance (see highlights in video below). On Fridays which fell on the 13th there were lights out dances with flashlights.
After Friday night dances members would go to the restaurant across from the Bettis plant to talk and eat.
Early highlights of the club were New Years Dances with over 200 dancers and 300 balloons that dropped from the ceiling at midnight. Art would blow up each balloon and put inside a note (like Happy New Year), or a number of a door prize. That was a lot of blowing. They also had a New Year's dance in July with about 12 squares and again a large number of balloons. For special dances Art and Jenny rented the hall at the Rostraver Ice Garden on Rt. 51 in Belle Vernon.
The video on the left is from the New Years In July dance on July 26, 1991. The video has a section with Art calling and then the count down to midnight and the balloon drop.
The club also did a lot for charity. For example, every year at Christmas they took up a collection of money and presents for a needy family with children and invited the family to their Christmas dinner dance where they presented them with the collected items.
The club was a caller run club until 1995 when Art and Jenny became too busy to continue running the club. At this point it became a dancer run club. The first presidents of the club were Dominik and Connie Cepicchio and the vice presidents were Mel and Carol Jackson. They were presidents and vice presidents for 10 or 15 years.
Happy Go Lucky dances followed the CALLERLAB Plus program and the club dances were held on Friday nights. with classes held on Thursday nights until 2018.
The first club caller after Art was Joe Gallo. After Joe left, the club started having all guest callers. Walt Smith , Scott Brown(1997- 2001) and Paul Teufel (2001 - 2005) helped out with instructing classes and other calling activities. Walt's wife Nancy cued at most dances thru 2013. Brad Deibert took over the class in Spring of 2005 from Paul Teufel and started cueing for the club in 2014. In the fall of 2016 Brad became the club caller. Brad came from Wyoming and called for several other clubs in the Pittsburg area. Ron Anderson from Wheeling, West Virginia also called on occasion along with Tom Mahony, Steve Staub, Denny Steiner and Rod Spencer.
Dancing moved from Fire Hall #2 in Dravosburg, when it closed in 2002, to the Pine Run Methodist Church in Clairton, PA. In 2019 the club moved again to Fire House #3 in West Mifflin near the Allegheny County airport.
OFFICERS -
Pres. - Dominik and Connie Cepicchio- 1995 to ????
VP - Mel and Carol Jackson - 1995 - ????
Pres. - John Cerqua - ???? - ????
Pres. - Martha Bradly - ????- 2014
Pres. - Maranda Williams - 2015
Pres. - Martha Bradley - 2016
Pres. - Jean Napiecek - 2017-2018
Pres. - Fran Reynolds - 2018 - present
CALLERS
Art and Jenny Barkley
Art and Jenny were from Elizabeth, PA. Art had played the sax in some square dance bands and Jenny really liked country dancing. Both of them took quickly to square dancing although Art was hesitant to start lessons at first. However, by the end of their lessons Art was helping fellow students, guest calling singing calls and even whole tips. Jenny liked to garden in the large garden next to their house.
Art and Jenny Barkley
Joe Gallo
Walt and Nancy Smith
Walter was born in West Mifflin and worked in McKeesport. He was a square dance caller in the Pittsburgh area for over 25 years.
Nancy was from McKeesport. She was a school teacher as well as a round dance instructor and cuer in the Pittsburgh area.
Scott Brown
Scott began calling in 1984. He founded Gold Rush Square Dance Productions in 1997, a square dance music production company, and has recorded and published more than 30 square dance records. He calls in the Western Pennsylvania, Northern West Virginia and Easten Ohio area.
Paul Teufel
Paul was from Wheeling, West Virginia but he also called square dances in the Pittsburgh area. He began calling in 1977 and called the CALLERLAB Basic, Mainstream, and Plus programs.
Brad Deibert
Brad began square dancing in 1975, calling in 1976, and cueing in 1979. Before he started calling he cued dances at dances his brother was calling. Eventualy he began both calling and cueing. He and his wife Lenore are currently calling and teaching squares and rounds for Friendly squares in the Pittsburgh area and for the Swinging Squares in Altoona. He is very interested in calling for youth and calls dances for them at the Pennsylvania Farm Show each year.
LINKS TO OTHER HAPPY GO LUCKY HISTORIC VIDEOS 1991 to 1993
The videos were taken by Art Barkley's sister in law Joan Wilds.
Note: these videos are on the Happy Go Lucky Historic Videos youtube playlist (not the happy go lucky playlist).
Ron Anderson, guest caller at Happy Go Lucky squares, calls Ballin' The Jack, Feb. 28, 1992
Ron Anderson, guest caller at Happy Go Lucky squares, calls Patter, Feb. 28, 1992
Bruce Williamson, guest caller for Happy Go Lucky's 3rd anniversary dance calls Out Behind The Barn, Sept. 25, 1992.
Bruce Williamson, guest caller for Happy Go Lucky's 3rd anniversary dance calls Acky Breaky Heart, Sept. 25, 1992.
Happy Go Lucky 3rd Anniversary, guest caller, Bruce Williamson, calls Plus Patter, Sept. 25, 1992.
Happy Go Lucky 3rd Anniversary, guest caller, Bruce Williamson, calls second tip of Plus Patter, Sept. 25, 1992.
Happy Go Lucky 3rd Anniversary, guest caller, Bruce Williamson, calls Ghost Chickens In The Sky, Sept. 25, 1992.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a Halloween dance on (tape said November) October 30, 1992. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling a patter tip using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a Halloween dance on (tape said November) October 30, 1992. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling Monster's Holiday using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a Halloween dance on (tape said November) October 30, 1992. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling a 2nd patter tip using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a Halloween dance on (tape said November) October 30, 1992. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling Out Behind The Barn using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a Halloween dance on (tape said November) October 30, 1992. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley making typical announcements of upcoming club activities, who had recent birthdays, what trip the club was taking, etc. This gives a hint at club activities.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a Halloween dance on (tape said November) October 30, 1992. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling Monster Mash using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.
Art Barkley calls the dance Cupid at Happy Go Lucky Valentine's dance, February 21, 1993.
Art Barkley calls Rubber Ducky at the Happy Go Lucky Valentine's dance, February 21, 1993.
Art Barkley calls a Plus program patter tip at the Happy Go Lucky Valentine's dance, February 21, 1993.
Art Barkley calls Calendar Girl at the Happy Go Lucky Valentine's dance, February 21, 1993.
Country dances (line, waltz and two steps) were done between tips at Happy Go Lucky in the early years. This video shows 3 couples doing a couples line dance to Waltz Across Texas, while others dance around them. Valentine's dance, February 21, 1993.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a St. Patrick's dance on March 19, 1993. The new students were invited to this dance. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling When Irish Eyes Are Smiling using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a St. Patrick's dance on March 19, 1993. The new students were invited to this dance. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling a patter tip using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a St. Patrick's dance on March 19, 1993. The new students were invited to this dance. This is a video of dancers doing a country western waltz between tips.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a St. Patrick's dance on March 19, 1993. The new students were invited to this dance. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling Back To Donegal using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.
The Happy Go Lucky square dance club of Dravosburgh, PA, near Pittsburgh, had a St. Patrick's dance on March 19, 1993. The new students were invited to this dance. This is a video of club caller Art Barkley calling a second patter tip using CALLERLAB Plus program calls.