There are certain questions that come up a lot which I’ve listed below, but one of the greatest things about being alive is that there are always new questions to ask. If you’ve got one, get in touch and let’s talk.

Where can I find information about dances in my area?

In the Bay Area there are 2 organizations that host the bulk of the contra and English dances and camps. They are the Bay Area Country Dance Society (BACDS), covering the east bay, south bay and SF, and the North Bay Country Dance Society (NBCDS), which runs dances in Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties. Their websites offer information about regularly-scheduled dances as well as special events like balls and dance camps. Dances are open to members and non-members alike, though members usually get a small discount on admission to events.

If you’re outside the California Bay Area, you can often find information about dances through our national organization, the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS). CDSS’s website offers information for organizers, teachers, and anyone else connected with the traditional music, dance and song communities, and membership in CDSS offers you access to a treasure trove of dance notes, videos, contacts for individuals and organizations across the country and more.

Will you call at my fundraiser/church social/wedding..?

Maybe. I am primarily known as an English country dance and contra caller, but I also very much enjoy calling for community and family dances. I do not call square dances. If you wish to hire a caller for your event, please be aware that callers tend to book quite far in advance so it’s to your advantage to contact me sooner rather than later. If I’m not available or if you need something I can’t provide, I’m happy to refer you to other callers.

If this is a one-time event like a wedding, party or fundraiser, questions I’ll ask you when you contact me about a gig include:

  • What are the date and venue?
  • Does the venue have a dance floor, or will we be dancing on carpet, grass, cement, something else?
  • Do you already have a band and/or sound person hired for the event?
  • How many people do you estimate will be dancing, and are they all adults, all children, or a mix?
  • What kind of dancing do you want? If you’re not sure, let’s talk and I can probably help you narrow it down. Contact me.

How can I learn to call dances?

There are dance camps run by CDSS and by local dance organizations that often feature calling workshops or open mic sessions. These are valuable opportunities for coaching, with a built-in peer group and encouraging and forgiving dancers upon whom to try out your budding skills. Some camps offer caller intensives, in which you spend a full week working with an experienced caller on all aspects of the craft. If you’ve already called a few dances and think you’d like to learn more, these intensives can give you an enormous skill and confidence boost. Further, CDSS has a number of scholarship programs available to make it easier for folks to attend their week-long programs.

At a more local level, talk to other callers and organizers near you. Many of us got our start when another caller offered us a 1- or 2-dance guest slot at their event. Some callers are willing to mentor those who want to learn, either in an ongoing way or just a bit here and there. In addition to mic time at dances, the experienced callers may be willing to offer access to their libraries (more of an issue for English dance callers) or discuss important issues like programming, working with musicians, data management and more. You won’t know until you ask.

If you live in an area with a lot of active dances, it’s much much easier to make contact with folks who can help you learn how to call and find opportunities to do it. If you don’t have regular dances within reach it’s much harder. You may be able to find a small group of like-minded friends who’d be up for some house dances, informal gatherings in someone’s living room. Your group can trade off leading the dances, or not, but a group of 6-10 people can have a lot of fun with some recorded music and a clear bit of floor. There are a lot of links on my Resources page that can help you get started.