Randy & Marie Preskitt (U.S.A)
Randy and Marie Preskitt live in Everett, Washington, a lovely corner of the US. . They have been foremost in Round Dancing for many years and have choreographed many popular Round Dances.
Randy took square dance lessons in the fall of 1968 with the Jeans-N-Queens teen square dance club. He learned to round dance and call while being a member of the club and competed at the Pacific Northwest Teen Square Dance Festival in calling, round dancing, square dancing and formation/exhibition dancing.
Marie took square dance lessons in the fall of 1966 with the Buckskin Kids. She also was a member of the Teen Twirlers, Samena Teens and Mavericks teen square dance clubs until 1978. She also competed at the Pacific Northwest Teen Square Dance Festival in square dancing and won many first places in the Senior division. The Buckskin Kids Preteen club entered an exhibition at the 1969 National Square Dance Festival in Seattle and Marie participated.
Randy and Marie met in 1978 at the Penticton Jamboree in British Columbia, Canada. Their families had started attending this Jamboree in the mid 1960’s. It was a very special event with dancing outside for a week, camping in local spots, dancing in the lake, floating down the canal and a special parade for the dancers.
They were married on November 10th, 1979. As young adults they wanted to find a fun place to dance so they took A1-A2 square dance lessons with Jack Hardin and they still enjoy Advanced dancing.
They attended a phase II round dance event in 1982 and saw the prettiest demo of Bob and Mary Ann Rothers Spanish Eyes rumba displayed by Jim and Bobbie Childers. They started phase III lessons the next fall and have been round dancing ever since. They joined the Moonlighters phase V & VI round dance club in 1984 with the leaders Lloyd and Nan Walker.
They have attended many State Festivals in Washington and the following Nationals: 1969 Seattle where they both were in an exhibition, 1981 Seattle, 1992 Portland where they presented one of their first choreographies Laurann, 2005 Portland where their daughter was in the Dancing Jewels round dance demonstration group so they supported her and 2012 Spokane where they were the Vice Chairman of Rounds.
As members of the Moonlighters club they were asked to be the Sound Chairman at the 1987 URDC/ICBDA convention in Seattle, WA. Randy and Marie did not attend another convention until 1995 which started continuous attendance to date with exception of years 1997 and 2000. They have had the opportunity to present many dances they choreographed at URDC/ICBDA. Both their Son, Matthew and Daughter, Leslie, were in the Stray Cats round dance group that presented a demonstration in Winston-Salem, NC in 2007 and San Antonio, TX in 2009.
They served on the URDC/ICBDA board of directors for six years and were Hall of Fame chairman from 2007 – 2012.
Randy started calling for the Jeans-N-Queens teen club in 1977 and continued calling for many different clubs until 1996. He started calling again for the Shirts-N-Skirts teen club in 2007 and still calls for them. The Jeans-N-Queens and Shirts-N-Skirts compete at the Pacific Northwest Teen Square Dance Festival. Randy and Marie trained the teens to compete in squares, round dancing, calling, cueing and exhibition/formation dancing. The clubs have won many awards.
He called and cued for the following clubs: Jeans-N-Queens teen square dance club from 1977 to1992, Advanced/C1 workshop group from 1978 to 1980, Cross Trails Square Dance club from 1982 to 1988, Juanita Pairs and Squares from 1984 to 1994 and Square Crows from 1994 to 1996.
They became the teacher and cuer for the Monday Bunch phase 5-6 Round Dance club in 1991 and the Happy Rounders phase 3-4 Round Dance club in 1992. Both of these clubs dance at the Hayloft dance hall in Lynnwood, WA.
Randy and Marie have choreographed numerous dances including: Au Revoir Paris, Teacher’s Pet, In Love with You Rumba, Beautiful Isle of Somewhere, How Lucky Can One Guy Be, The Way We Ought to Be, You’ve Got a Friend in Me, On Days Like These, Tu Me, Beat of Your Heart, Recuerdos De L’Alhambre, My First My Last My Everything, Dream a Little Dream of Me (Slow Two Step), I Got a Girl, The Best is Yet to Come, The More I See You, Almost Like Being in Love, and Laurann. Randy and Marie have taught dances and clinics at festivals and weekends in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, Canada, in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, Missouri, Utah, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Colorado, North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, Washington, DC in the states, and in Germany, Sweden and Japan.
Randy and Marie have 3 children and 1 grandchild.
Randy retired from the Boeing Company in July of 2014 after 36 years.
Marie works at Macy's.