Callers and Choreographers
- List of links to Contra Dance callers
- General links to contra dance callers.
- Robert Cromartie
- Long time caller, began in 1991 in Winston-Salem, N.C. His site has notes for contra callers and a glossary of contra dance terms.
- Mary Devlin
- Mary Devlin's infectious spirit of joy and fun makes her one of the Northwest's favorite callers for both contras and English country dance. And, she's a favorite around the country!
- Beverly Francis
- Beverly teaches at English and American events from Philadelphia to Boston, has been the MC at five of New York's Playford Balls, and is frequently on the dance staff at Pinewoods.
- Yonina Gordon
- CD*NY dancers know Yonina in many guises: as caller of contras and English dances, co-MC at our Playford Ball '99, and as a morris and sword dancer.
- Fried de Metz Herman
- Master choreographer, teacher, composer, and dancer, often leads the experienced dances and gives occasional workshops. Her dances are known world-wide.
- Eric Hollman
- His motto, "If you can walk, you can dance," is the basis for clear instruction and personal success. CD*NY is lucky to have Eric call and teach contra and waltz workshops on Saturdays nights.
- Colin Hume
- A well-known and unique dance caller, composer and musician.
- Carol Martinez
- Carol calls at CDW and CD*NY and the Fried-for-all evening parties.
- Gene Murrow
- Gene is a man of many faces-English country dancer and dance leader, teacher of dance workshops throughout the US, musician, former president of the American Recorder Society, co-MC at our Playford Ball in 1999 and 2002.
- Tony Parkes
- One of the most active square and contradance callers. He started calling in 1964, possibly the first of the "baby boom" generation to do so.
- Judi Rivkin
- English country dance leader, a founding board member of Country Dance New York. See her animated English country dance terms.
- Gary Roodman
- Gary discovered English and American dancing in 1976 when his family and he went to Pinewoods Camp for the first time. Now he writes "Calculated Figures" for English dancing.
- Paul Ross
- Paul began teaching in Westchester in fall of '93, and is now one of the regulars for CDW and CD*NY. He has also taught and called dances for the Princeton and the Lambertville Country Dancers, the Saratoga Springs Dance Flurry(1999), and at Woodstock, New York.
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Musicians and Bands
- Bare Necessities
- A Boston-based quartet known nationwide for its unique presentation of English country dance music. Composed of Earl Gaddis and Mary Lea (both violin and viola), Peter Barnes (flute and whistles), and Jacqueline Schwab (piano), and playing weekly country dances since 1978.
- Contrapolitans
- CD*NY's own community band. Do you play? Contact CD*NY info.
- Contrazz
- Joe DePaolo on drums, Sam Zygmuntowicz (Brooklyn Swing Ensemble) on fiddle, Marnen Laibow-Koser on piano and viola & Bob Jones vocal and on bass.
- George Davis
- A violinist who plays country dance music; his repertory also includes chamber music and small orchestral works. He leads the English country dance band, Hudson Crossing, is a member of the English country dance band, Garden Variety, and was the fiddler for the Chelsea English Country Dancers. Plays regularly for dances in New York City, Westchester, and Stockport, NY.
- Dixie Butterhounds
- The Dixie Butterhounds are an old-time string band whose members include: Paul Boyd - fiddle, banjo; George Touchstone - fiddle, banjo mandolin, slide guitar; Jon Gersh - banjo, guitar; Mark Wholley - guitar, fiddle, mandolin. Kathy Fletcher often joins us, playing fiddle and guitar, and contributing lead and harmony vocals. Before Mark joined us full time, we had several people play guitar with us, including Bob Aumueller and Larry Unger. Alan Bradbury, Larry Unger and Dave Stryker have played bass with us.
- Earthly Delights
- Earthly Delights is both the name of a band and the banner under which a cluster of related passions are exercised. As a band Earthly Delights might be anything from a trio of wandering musicians to a full-on on-stage five-piece ensemble, and might be caught playing anything from pavans to tangos and leading anything from a simple 17th century country dance to a snazzy 19th century couples dance.
- The Fiddleheads
- The band is Jim Sirch (banjo, whistles, and bodhran), Willow Sirch (fiddle), Gary Wikfors (mandolin and mando-ephemera) and Norman Plankey (guitar) with appearances by Colin Healy (fiddle/mandolin) and other local musicians. House band for the New Haven Country Dancers and play for visiting callers like Pat Rust, Dan Pearl, Steve Holland, and Al Brozek.
- Footloose
- A high energy and oft-times zany dance band. Performing for New England style contra dances, it is a highly respected and sought-after band, playing at numerous dance weekends and week-long dance camps. Band members include Andrea Hoag on fiddle, David DiGiuseppe on accordion, mandolin and washboard, Dean Herington on clarinet, guitar and piano, and Pete Campbell on piano and bass.
- Grand Picnic
- A high-energy Brooklyn-based band that mixes the rhythmic drive of southern old-time tunes with French-Canadian and New England fiddle music.
- Lazy Aces
- Bill Christophersen, Dave Howard and David Gates Pat Plankey (bass) and Norman Plankey (guitar & drums). Contra Band.
- Nightingale
- A Vermont-based trio consisting of Becky Tracy (fiddle), Keith Murphy (piano, guitar, foot percussion, vocals), and Jeremiah McLane (piano, accordion).
- Cynthia Shaw
- Cynthia Shaw plays piano for some of the Tuesday English dances for CD*NY, and has been the musical director for the Christmas Revels.
- Orrin Star
- Orrin Star is a nationally recognized folk & bluegrass performer and teacher based in Brooklyn, NY. Winner of the 1976 National Flatpicking Championship (the largest bluegrass guitar contest in the country), he plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, sings, and performs both solo and with his trio Orrin Star & the Sultans of String.
- Wild Asparagus
- is a five-person band from western Mass. Drawing upon music from New England, the British Isles, and Canada, as well as classical sources, the band takes an original approach to traditional dance music; using their unique blend of instruments, creativity, and skills, they offer a sensitive and powerful performance.
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Country Dance Groups
- Country Dance * New York
- CD*NY has dances from September to early June: Saturday night American contra and Tuesday night English country dances. Both are at The Church of the Village, West 13th Street and Seventh Avenue, New York City. There is always a live band and a caller.
- Country Dance and Song Society
- An association of people and groups with a common interest in English and Anglo-American folk dance, music and song. Members are recreational dancers, musicians, singers, teachers, callers, dance historians and people just having fun. The activities of affiliated groups include dances, concerts, song gatherings, festivals and residential camps. Country Dance * New York, Inc. is a center of the Country Dance and Song Society. The CDSS site has links to centers all over the world. CDSS members who live more than 50 miles from NYC may come to CD*NY dances at members' prices.
- Country Dancers of Westchester
- CD*NY's neighbor, in White Plains, NY. English country dances most Thursdays, 7:30-10pm. Live music, beginners welcome. Monthly Friday parties. Church in the Highlands, Bryant Avenue, White Plains. For information: Leah Barkan, 914-693-5577 or Susan Murrow, 914-762-8619.
- English Folk Dance & Song Society
- Official web site of EFDSS, which aims to encourage, document and develop folk music, dance and song traditions within England. A membership-based organisation with an arts-centre headquarters building in London housing the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. Venue for concerts, dances, workshops and otherevents. Publishes CDs, books, English Dance & Song magazine, the Folk Music Journal, Root Source, etc.
- Gender Free Contra Dances in New York City
- Come dance in air-conditioned comfort with CDNY's neighbors across the street from The Church of the Village. Please be open to same-gender dancing, opposite-gender dancing and reversed role dancing. Refreshment contributions or a jug of water are appreciated! The LGBT Center, 208 West 13th Street, Room 301. For more information, call Brooks at 347-275-7983 or Carol Geisler at 212-966-0958, email Carol at carol.geisler@nyu.edu.
- Germantown Country Dancers
- Philadelphia, PA.
- Lambertville Country Dancers
- (Formerly Lambertville Contra Dances, held in Yardley.) The English Dances now held on the first Friday of the month at the Titusville Methodist Church in Titusville, NJ, and the Contradances are held on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at the Yardley Community Center in Yardley, PA.
- Lavender Country and Folk Dancers
- Information on gender-free dances.
- LITMA
- LONG ISLAND TRADITIONAL MUSIC ASSOCIATION. Setauket, NY. LITMA has been giving Long Islanders "that old song and dance" for nearly 25 years. We run close to two hundred events a year - contra, English country, clogging, concerts, and various sings at various sites on the Island. Check our web page for further descriptions, directions, and a current calendar.
- New Haven Country Dancers
- Come Dance With Us Twice A Month.
- New Haven English Country Dancing
- Neighborhood Music School 100 Audubon St., New Haven Friday Nights, 8:00 - 10:30 pm.
- New York City Barn Dances
- Every second Thursday of the Month, 8-11 pm.
The Hungarian House, 213 E. 82nd Street, Manhattan.
- New York City Folk Dances
- The Hungarian House, 213 E. 82nd Street, Manhattan.
- North Jersey English Country Dancers
- We dance at the Ridgewood Unitarian Society twice a month on Sundays, 2-5. For information call: 201-652-4014; 201-768-9542.
- Upper Susquehanna Contradance
- Good list of places to contradance in the Northeast.
- Princeton Country Dances
- Wednesdays 7:40-10:30 Contra and occasional English. Traditional dances of America and England are taught weekly, with live music by various bands. Traditional dances of America and England taught weekly, with live music by various bands. Beginners welcome: no experience necessary and you don't need a partner.
- Round Hill Country Dances
- English and contra dances in a beautiful setting in Greenwich, CT.
- Santa Barbara Friends of English Dance
- Some Tuesdays 7:30 to 9:30 pm Westside Community Center 423 W. Victoria, Santa Barbara, exit US 101 at Carrillo.
- Swingin' Tern Dances
- Swingin' Tern presents Contra and Square Dancing to live music in East Hanover the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month. Beginners are welcome at the dance and are encouraged to come to the beginner's workshop preceding the dance proper. No experience is necessary and one may come alone or with a partner.
- Washington, DC, Contradancers
- Metropolitan area, including Victoria's Revenge in Cape May, NJ (May) and Fall American Weekend in Buffalo Gap (Sept)
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Events and Camps
- Irish Ceili Dance - Traditional Folk Social Dancing
- February 20 through March 6, 2009
Learn Irish Traditional Social Dancing - Ceili Dance and Two Hand Dances like the Walls of Limerick, the Two Hand Horpipe, the Four Hand Reel, and the Peeler & the Goat.
Singles, couples, and beginners all welcome!
Wednesdays at 7:00 pm
Fridays 6:30 p.m - 7:30 pm
Ripley/Grier Studio 131 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus)
Instructor: Maura Mulligan - TMRF
http://web.me.com/mauramulligan
mauramulligan@aol.com
Máire Ní Mhaoileagáin
201-869-6717
$12 per class
- Ashokan Fiddle and Dance
- Jay Ungar & Molly Mason's music and dance camps in the Catskill Mountains. Study music or dancing with our carefully chosen staff of exceptional teachers. Offerings include three week-long summer programs and a 3-5 day winter weekend at New Year's. Programs feature classes, workshops, dances, jam sessions, song swaps, and great food! Jay & Molly host each event and teach some of the classes.
- Baile Mundo Maya
- Come explore Guatemala where Maya and Colonial cultures intersect in a site of extraordinary natural beauty Dance every night to the exciting Music of Wild Asparagus in a unique ballroom with a gorgeous wood floor nestled in colonial ruins. Spend your days exploring, shopping, studying Spanish, or just relaxing. This is the perfect time (midwinter) to visit the Land of Eternal Spring. In our mountain setting, humidity is low, days are warm and sunny, and evenings are pleasantly cool. The price of $875 includes transportation between the hotel and Guatemala City International airport (GUA), 7 nights in double or triple rooms in a five-star hotel, all dinners, and the first morning's breakfast and orientation program. Only $150 holds your space.
- Buffalo Gap
- Located on two hundred acres, secluded amid the mountains of West Virginia, the camp is in a valley between two mountains, Slane's Knob and Sandy Ridge. Buffalo Gap Community Camp provides an idyllic setting for a variety of functions, ranging from dance and music events to retreats, youth or family events, meditation, business seminars, workshops, and weddings.
- Champlain Valley Folk Festival
- University of Vermont, Redstone Campus, Burlington, Vermont - early August.
- Christmas Revels
- The New York Revels, 328 Flatbush Avenue, P.M.B. Box 270, Brooklyn, NY 11238.
- Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
- A three-day community of folk music and dance at the foot of the Berkshires in east-central New York State mid-July.
- Hudson-Mohawk Traditional Dances
- Dance Flurry a three-day festival of music and dance held in February (Presidents' Day weekend) in Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Lark Camp
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July 31 - August 8, 2009
Music and Dance from the World Over
Music, Song & Dance Workshops * Cabins * Dances * Parties * Sessions * Great Food * Dance Hall * Dining Hall * Camping * Fire Circles * Mendocino Woodlands Redwoods
Full Camp 8 Days or Half Camp 4 Days
- Mendocino Folklore Camp
- Each summer since 1962, folk dancers from across the United States and beyond have gathered at the beautiful Mendocino Woodlands to share a unique celebration of ethnic dance, music, and culture. Folklore Camp, pioneered by Madelynne Greene, was the first folk dance camp to use the Woodlands, and today we carry on the tradition and spirit of this ever popular event.
- NOMAD
- Participatory dance sessions, with contras, squares, English country, international and more. Concerts of folk music from the US and around the world. Musical instrument workshops; sing-alongs and song-swaps; dance performances; family song, dance and craft activities; storytelling for all; handcrafts and folk bazaar.
- New England Folk Festival Association - NEFFA
- A nonprofit educational and cultural organization, sponsoring and preserving high standards of performance of the folk arts and traditions in New England, etc.
- New York Baroque Dance Company
- 18th Century Dance Classes every first Saturday of the month from 3:30-5:00 pm. Mark Morris Dance Center at 3 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, NY (corner of Flatbush Ave). Only $12 per class!
- Pinewoods Camp
- A traditional dance and music camp providing weekend and weeklong sessions, mostly for adults, with some family sessions. Located between two ponds near Plymouth, Mass.
- Ralph Page New England Dance Legacy Weekend
- This event, held annually during Martin Luther King Birthday weekend in January at the University of New Hampshire at Durham, brings together dancers, musicians, and callers in a weekend of dance, music, and discussions. This is a pre-registration event, but there are opportunities for drop-in attendance.
- Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp
- Set in the beautiful Colorado Rockies outside of Denver, Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp is staffed with musicians who are highly-regarded for their superb playing as well as excellent teaching.
- Strafford Ball, Strafford, VT (1st Sat. in Oct.)
- With condensed instructions for English country dances and balls
- Trumansburg old-time fiddle banjo workshops
- Stay at a participating Trumansburg B&B and take an old-time fiddle and banjo workshop with Judy Hyman (02/24/2007), Richie Stearns (03/31/2007) and others. Enjoy a 3 course family-style evening meal paired with Cayuga Lake wines. Package includes: music workshop, lunch, and dinner; accommodations with breakfast are separate. Pre-register two weeks ahead with a participating Trumansburg B&B of your choice.
- Victoria's Revenge Dancefest
- Fabulous Mother's Day weekend, Friday and Saturday: Friday evening contradance, Saturday picnic lunch and daytime workshops, culminating in the Evening Ball, plus lots more. Note: advance registration only. With a link to Contradancers.com, a web site for Washington DC metropolitan area contradancers.
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Ritual Dance Groups
- Greenwich Morris Men
- They have performed in the streets of NY, before the nation's capitol, in the Cotswold region of England, whence comes their tradition, and been featured in The Christmas Revels.
- Half Moon Sword
- Half Moon Sword is the oldest women’s long sword and rapper sword team in New York City.
- Home Page of Morris and Sword Sides
- This page is the morris section of The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Dance.
- Morris Ring's Argonet Website
- A revival of Morris Dancing in England started around 1900, and in 1934 the Cambridge Morris Men invited five other teams to join them to form a national organisation. The six clubs - Cambridge, Letchworth, Thaxted, Oxford, East Surrey and Greensleeves - met at Thaxted in Essex that year to inaugurate The Morris Ring.
- Ring O'Bells
- The first women's morris dance team in the United States.
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Scottish Dance Group
- Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, New York Branch
- The New York Branch meets Thursdays at Holy Cross School, 332 W. 43rd Street (between 8th and 9th Aves.), NYC, at 7:30. We dance throughout the summer. All are welcome!
- The Cameron Scottish Dancers
- Fridays at The Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, 7 W. 55th St., NYC, at 7:00.
- Scotia Dancers of New York
- Scottish classes are held Monday evenings at the Madison Avenue Baptist Church, 30 East 31st Street, New York, NY.
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Great Dance Web Sites
- Dance Figures
- English Country Dance Terms with Sound and Animation. Compiled by our own former CD*NY member Judy Rivkin.
- Shall We Dance
- Swing, Ballroom, Latin &am; Country Western - in Tribeca: offering classes, lessons, workshops.
- New York South Folk Dance
- A list of southern New York folk dance groups holding folk dances such as Balkan, Cajun, clog, contradance, English country, international, Irish, Israeli, Morris, ritual, Scottish, country, swing, tap, traditional square, vintage, western square, Zydeco, and all other forms of traditional and ethnic dance. Also with links to sites giving information about folk dancing here.
- Australian Folk Dances
- Australian folk dances of all types: contra, square, ritual, international.
- Ted Crane's National Day-of-the-Month Country Dance List
- A comprehensive grid: where you can dance any day of the year, plus such things as a mathematical approach to the contradance, etc. Based in Ithaca, NY.
- Connecticut Contradance Links Page
- We are your one stop link to all Connecticut Contra Dance Dances, Callers and Bands.
- Connecticut Folk Dance
- An extensive list of folk dance groups.
- Contra SENE
- SouthEastern New England Contradance Page. Email Gary Wachs if you want to be on his email list of Contra news.
- Kiran's Contrapage
- Kiran Wagle's web site stuffed with goodies for contradancers.
- Sapphire Swan Dance Directory
- A comprehensive guide to dance resources available on the web.
- Charlie Seelig's Contra Links
- An attempt at a large set of links to contradancing pages and email information. Additions, deletions and corrections welcome.
- The Dancing Master, 1651-1728
- An Illustrated Compendium by Robert M. Keller
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Newsletters and Articles
- Dance Gypsy
- The Dance Gypsy is a monthly (10 months per year) calendar/newsletter about activities relevant to the New England dance community. We attempt to provide a complete directory to all regularly scheduled dances within our region (which may roughly be defined as "rural New England," or perhaps "Western New England." We do include events in parts of New York that are adjacent to New England (e.g., Albany or Saratoga Springs) but do not even attempt a thorough coverage of events in the Boston or New York City areas. We also attempt to cover as many special events (less frequent than "monthly") as possible. Special events outside of the basic region are covered as space and interest permit. Typically we list approximately 300 dances.
- The Dance Niche
- Roger W. Broseus's wonderful compilation of English country dance information.
- Dance Quotes
- Historic quotes with links
- Description of Contra Dancing
- From Fort Collins, CO
- English Country Dance Mailing List
- ecd-request@playford.slac.stanford.edu. Put a period in the subject line; in the message body, type SUBSCRIBE. Must use the email address where you want to receive Country Dance email. If you tire of it, email the same place again and, in the body, type SIGNOFF.
- English folk and traditional music on the Internet
- A guide to Internet resources relating to English folk music.
- rec.folk-dancing
- Rec.folk-dancing is a news group for those wanting to read or submit postings about folk-dancing.
- Folk Dancing
- Folk dancing is a page of general folk dance resources.
- Palmer's Pocket Playford
- UK descriptions of English Country dances.
- American Morris Newsletter
- Information by, for, and about Morris Dancers.
- National Public Radio Archives:
- Interview of English country dancing on "All Things Considered" (4/23/97). Lisa Wertheimer of NPR interviewed Gene Murrow and Beverly Francis, shortly after Linda Wolfe's New York Times article appeared.
Interview of contradancing on "All Things Considered" (1/1/01). Noah Adams talks with members of The Sevens, who call themselves a "Celtic groove band." They play for dances and occasional concerts in New England. Members are Sarah Blair, Mark Roberts, Liza Constable, Mark Hellenberg, Stuart Kenney. They traveled to Vermont Public Radio's studio in Colchester for this interview. We hear a bit of contra dance music and complete versions of I Truly Understand, and Miss Otis Regrets.
- Wikibooks
- Ten Stupid Things Beginners Do to Mess Up Their Contradance Experience
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Miscellaneous
- Anglo American Dance Shop
- We promote Anglo-American Dances in Western Europe, have courses and a large sales division with dance & folk articles.
- John C. Campbell Folk School
- The Folk School was founded in 1925, a collaboration of two progressive educators and an Appalachian community. Olive Dame Campbell, Marguerite Butler and the people of Brasstown created a unique institution that seeks to bring out the best in people. As in the beginning, the Folk School seeks to bring people toward two kinds of development: inner growth as creative, thoughtful individuals, and social development as tolerant, caring members of a community. Throughout its history, the Folk School has worked toward these goals through performing arts, agriculture and crafts rooted in the traditions of Southern Appalachia and other cultures of the world.
- Highland Dance Center
- Home of Highland Precision Clogging. North Georgia’s New Competitive Clogging Headquarters. We are a clog dancing studio is the southern appalachian mountains. We love clogging and want to keep it alive!
- The Folk Music Society of New York, Inc.
- The New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club.
- Jane Austen Society of North America
- JASNA brings scholars, enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals together to study and celebrate Jane Austen.
- Singing Rounds
- Resources for singers of rounds.
- Theatre Development Fund Costume Rental
- The TDF Costume Collection is a rental company serving not-for-profit theatres, opera and dance companies, universities, colleges, schools and other performing arts organizations nationwide.
- The Johnson Girls
- Their repertoire ranges from driving chanties to ballads and laments, all rendered with rich harmonies in their own inimitable style.
- Waltz Workshop
- Rich Albanese leads waltz workshops for contra dancers.
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Supporters and Friends of CD*NY
- WKCR
- Columbia University's radio station. They announce our dance sessions and give away free tickets.
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