Round Dance Instructors

Mary Trankel & Don Gilder

Mary Trankel and Don Gilder began round dancing in Missoula, Montana with Bud and Irene Hornstein in 1985. They started cueing and teaching in 1986 under the sponsorship of Dean and Vi Skogen. They married in March of 1987.

In January of 1988 Don and Mary began teaching and cueing for the Carousel Round Dance Club in Missoula. Concurrently they taught a round dance club in Helena for five years, from 1991 through 1995. Since 1994 they have been teaching Beginning Intermediate and Advanced Round Dancing in Missoula to the Top Hat and Tails Club and the Western Montana Workshop. They are members of Roundalab, the professional Round Dance Teachers organization.

Each year Trankel and Gilder attend advanced dance training camps in Cle Ellum, Washington and Hood River, Oregon. In addition, they attend special weekend dance training events such as: Cactus Capers in Mesa, Arizona; Rounds of April in Kennewick, Washington, Montana Round-a-Vous in Missoula, Montana, and August of Rounds in Spokane, Washington. These special events feature national dance teachers with extensive training in ballroom techniques. Trankel and Gilder also take private lessons from Jack & Judy DeChenne, who are nationally renowned teachers based in Spokane, Washington.

Trankel and Gilder were featured cuers and teachers at the State Square and Round Dance Festival to be held during Memorial Day weekend, May of 2004, in Hamilton, Montana.

Don and Mary are currently members of the Roundalab professional round dance teachers organization, the Universal Round Dance Council (URDC), and the Dixie Round Dance Council.

Universal Round Dance Council (URDC)

Dixie Round Dance Council

Don Gilder is a Records Clerk with the US Postal Service, where he has been employed since 1968. Mary Trankel has a Ph.D. in Sociology and Criminal Justice. She works full-time for a government agency as a Webmaster, and does some consulting work as a researcher and Web developer.