See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Show Notes

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Clip of George calling the dance Worth the Wait by Dana Parkinson at the Glen Echo Contra Dance in 2012 with music by Swallowtail
• Clip of George calling the dance Salute to Larry Jennings by Ted Sannella and Russell Owen at the Greenfield, MA contra dance in 2011 with music by Wild Asparagus

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Maia Calls the dance Playground Stomp by Julian Bee with music by Not Enough Fiddles at NEFFA 2017 in Mansfield, MA
• Maia Calls A Dance for Dan by Bill Olson with music by Callithump (David Knight (fiddle), Andrew Marcus (accordion), Paul Oorts (guitar)) at the Silver Spring, MD monthly contra dance in March, 2015.

Other links:

• Check out Maia's excellent website! Including:
  • Dance blog!
  • Dance compositions
  • She's even written a few dance tunes!

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

• Catherine has deep ties with the Old Sod Society, the house band for the original Ottawa contra dance for many years. During the pandemic lockdown several community members collaborated to create an oral history of the Society, which you can listen to here.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Catherine calling the dance Trip to Margaree by Sue Rosen at the Ottawa Contra Dance in 2012 with music by The Old Sod Band.
• Catherine calling the dance Feet in Flight by Dale Rempert at the Ottawa Contra Dance in 2015 with music by Genticorum.

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Luke calling the dance Homeward Bound by Andrea Nettleton at the August, 2019 Portland (ME) Intown Contra Dance with music by Shandy (Eileen Kalfass, Rebecca McCallum, and Jane Knoeck)
• Luke calling his own dance, If You Can Walk, You Can Dance at the Feb. 2017 Mad Robin Contra Dance in Burlington, VT with music by Maivish

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

 

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• *Audio only* of Steve calling at the Concord Scout House - 2023 (recording provided by Steve)

Steve calling the dance Hillsboro Jig by Bill Thomas at the 2019 Memorial Day Dawn Dance in Brattleboro, VT with music by Polaris.

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

 

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

Louise calling the dance The Reminder by Louise Siddons at the London Barndance in London, UK with music by Portland Drive.

Louise calling the square dance Square Line Special by Gary Roodman at the Brighton Gender-Free Contra+ dance in Brighton, UK with fiddling by Linda Game.

More about Louise

• You can buy Louise's book, Dancing the Whole Dance: Positional Calling for Contra here!
• Louise has offered a number of online workshops related to positional calling, which are accessible here on her website (along with lots of other goodies!)

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Wendy calling the dance Courtesy Promenade by Richard Wilson at the Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom in 2014 with music by The Fabulous Glen Echo Open Band.
• Wendy calling the dance Another Nice Combination by Tom Hinds at the 2017 Christmas Country Dance School in Berea, Kentucky with music by Nathan Wilson, Alice White, Mara Shea, Dave Crandall, and Sam Bartlett
• Wendy calling a square dance at the Albuquerque, NM  contra dance in 2014 with music by The Thrifters

More about Wendy

• Wendy talks about some simple exercises she does to help dancers stay alert late into an evening of dancing! See her demonstrate these moves and share other insights into her approach to calling English Country Dance in this web chat series: "Five Things Inside the Dancing Mind of Wendy Graham."

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Will calling the dance Mad Slice by Rick Mohr at the Atlanta Contra Dance Weekend in 2017 with music by Nova.
• Will calling the dance Gypsy Everyone by Seth Tepfer at Contrastock 2 in Glen Echo, MD in 2012 with music by Perpetual e-Motion.
• Will calling the square dance Willis’s Route at the Looking Glass Festival in Lansing, MI in 2017 with music by Pete’s Posse.

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Chrissy calling at the Belfast Flying Shoes Community Dance in 2015 with music by the All Comer's Band
• Chrissy calling the Sicilian circle dance ZOM Out by Zoey Phillips, Olivia Padovan-Merhar, and Molly McCracken (published in the New England Dancing Masters book Listen to the Mockingbird) at the Belfast Flying Shoes dance in Oct 2019 with music by Cedar Stanistreet, Jon Cannon and Ness Smith-Savedoff.
• Chrissy calling the dance The Baby Rose by David Kaynor at the Concord Scout House in 2010 with music by Crowfoot

More about Chrissy and the Belfast Flying Shoes community

• In 2018 Chrissy facilitated this panel discussion, "Teens Talk Contra" with a group of local, teen-aged dancers from her community
• Check out this fun video featuring scenes from the Belfast community!
• During the pandemic lockdown in 2022 the Belfast Flying Shoes All Comers Band made a group music video to mark the 15th anniversary of their dance series ♥️

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Sue calling the dance “Beneficial Tradition” by Dan Pearl at a 2011 dance at the Scout House in Concord, MA with music by the Free Raisins - Amy Englesberg, Audrey Knuth, Jeff Kaufman
• Sue calling the dance ​​"Ashley's Star" by Bob Dalsemer at the 2011 Fiddling Frog dance weekend in Pasadena, CA with music by the Figments - Anna Patton, Owen Morrison, and Ethan Hazzard-Watkins.
• Sue calling the dance “Handsome Young Maids” written by herself! At the 2011 Fiddling Frog dance weekend in Pasadena, CA with music by Nightingale - Jeremiah McLane, Keith Murphy, and Becky Tracy.

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Chris calling at the 2008 San Francisco Bay Queer Contra Dance Camp with music by the band Bag ‘o Tricks.
• Chris calling the dance Dance All Night by Rick Mohr at the Concord Scout House in 2008 with music by the band Apple Crisp.
• Chris calling the dance Butterfly Kiss by Bob Isaacs at the 2012 NEFFA festival with music by the band Jet Stream.
• Chris calling the dance Joel's in the Kitchen by Sue Rosen at the 2011 Lavender Country Folk Dancers Dance Camp to the music of Lady Gaga.

More about Chris

• So much! Chris has pretty much written a book on Gender-Free Dancing. You can also read his history of the JP Contra Dance here.
• In 2018 the Harvard Crimson picked up a great story about the Boston Gender-Free Contra Dancers
• Did you know Chris was nominated as a "Local Hero" during the CDSS Centennial celebration?
• Chris has been deeply involved with the Lavender Country and Folk Dancers (LCFD) over the years
  • In 202 he gave an online talk sharing the history of the organization as part of "Out of the Archives," a history project documenting LGBTQ Boston.
• Can you hear me now? Did you hear that Chris started a telephone museum in Rockland, MA? Read all about it!
• There are a lot of fun archival dance videos on Chris's YouTube channel

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

COVID hit the From the Mic team and we're a little behind on episodes. We'll be back in the next week or so, but in the meantime, check out this teaser for our upcoming interview with Chris Ricciotti. How far would you go for just one more square dance? See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Rick calls his own dance, Rick's Triplet #1 at the 2011 Chattahoochee Country Dancers Au Contraire November Dance Festival in Atlanta, GA to the music of Crowfoot (Adam Broome, Jaige Trudel, and Nicholas Williams)
• Rick calls the dance Tica Tica Timing by Dean Snipes at the 2015 Flurry Festival with music by the Great Bear Band, (Andrew VanNorstrand, Noah VanNorstrand, Kim Yerton, Rebecca Bosworth-Clemens, and Dana Billings)

Other links:

• Once you've listened to Rick on this podcast, go check him out on his own podcast! Rick hosts and produces the Northwest Philly Neighbors podcast where he interviews, you guessed it! His neighbors!
• Explore dances written by Rick here and find lots more goodies on his website.
• Learn about the By-Ear Open Band
• And for all you dance card enthusiasts, thanks to Rick for sharing the fruits of his epic internet search for heavier weight index cards!
• Lastly - how cool is the World of Tessellation Art that Rick made!?

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Chris calling the dance Chinese New Year written by himself with music by the Gotham Pioneers (Lise Brown, Naomi Morse, Peter Siegel) at the Concord Scout House in 2011
• Chris calling the dance Half a Slice written by Bob Isaacs with music by the Crabapples (Teresa Fife, Bob Silberstein, Norm Cotton, Marta Lynch) at at BACDS dance in Palo Also, CA in 2011
• Chris calling the dance Midwestern Rories written by himself with music by Welcome to Your Feet Again (Lloyd Carr, Mike Kerr, Siena Kaplan and Rachel Reeds) at the Portland Intown Contra Dance in 2018

More about Chris

• Chris's website contains a wealth of knowledge and gifts: all the dances he's ever written, dance programs, a wonderful annotated list of highlights from Ralph Page's folksy publication "Northern Junket," and more!!
• As Chris describes in the interview, The Caller's Box is a contra dance database produced by Chris and Michael Dyck. Thousands of dances at your fingertips!

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

 

Soundbites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Sue calling the contra dance Forgotten Treasure by Beth Parkes with music by Betsy Branch, Sue Songer, and Eric McDonald at the Halifax Contra Fest on the CDSS Centennial Tour, 2015
• Sue calling the square dance Tea Kettles, by Ron Buchanan with music by ... at Timber Ridge Dance Camp in 2016
• Sue calling the traditional square dance Chase That Rabbit from the Join Up Hands CD 
• Sue calling the dance Sweet Potato from the Join Up Hands CD

More about Sue and Join Up Hands

• Learn more about Sue here on her website where you can also buy her Join Up Hands book and CD.
• Sue in the news! Check out a few local news clips about a January 2022 dance residency Sue did at North Woods International School, La Crosse, Wisconsin:
  • North Woods Global Folk Dancing
  • Folk dancing helps kids learn, move at North Woods International School in La Crosse
  • Northwoods students learn folk dance

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for transcripts and more. Or click here to download it directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Soundbites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Gaye calling the dance "Gaye's Groove" with music by The Syncopaths at the 2018 Atlanta Dance Weekend
• Gaye calling "Rick's Triplet #2" by Rick Mohr to the music of Turnip the Beet (Kelsey Wells & Jeremy Lekich) at the Trillium Twirl in Michigan in 2019
• Gaye calling the grid square "Can of Worms" by Bob Isaacs with music by The Syncopaths at the 2018 Atlanta Dance Weekend
• Gaye calling "United We Dance" by Bob Isaacs with music by the Asheville Cats in Cocoa Beach, Florida in 2015

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

In this bonus episode Tony Parkes shares archival recordings of 5 callers who deeply influenced his style:

• Ralph Page
• Rod Linnell
• Ed Durlacher
• Ed Gilmore
• Fred Townsand

See the From the Mic website for transcripts and more, or click here to download a transcript of this episode directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for transcripts and more. Or click here to download it directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Soundbites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• All tracks of Tony’s calling were recorded at the 2011 Dare to Be Square Weekend in Brasstown, NC and distributed by CDSS as the DTBS Syllabus
  • Tony calling Dosido & Face the Sides, track 033
  • Tony calling the singing square The Auctioneer, track 133
  • Tony calling The Kitchen Lancers, track 064
  • Tony calling The Merry-Go-Round, track 157

Other Links

• Tony and Beth Parke’s website has all manner of good things including access to their catalogue where you can order Tony’s books:
  • Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century
  • Contra Dance Calling: A Basic Text
  • Shadrack’s Delight – 43 original dances by Tony! (The title dance, “Shadrack’s Delight,” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year!)
  • And more!
• Tony Parkes interviewed by Julie Vallimont on our sister podcast, Contra Pulse!
  • Contra Pulse Episode 23
• Check out this lovely video of Tony calling the classic square dance mixer “The Merry Go Round” at the 2020 Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, including an introduction by David Millstone. The dance originated with Ralph Page, was adapted by Tony’s mentor Ted Sannella, and then adapted by Tony himself. Tony traditionally calls The Merry Go Round” as the last dance at the New England Folk Festival (NEFFA).

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for transcripts and more. Or click here to download it directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Soundbites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Sarah calling ​​"Dennis’ 50 Years of Entrancement" written by Seth Tepfer to the music of Riptide (Glen Loper, Owen Marshall, Alden Robinson) at the Epicenter dance weekend in Mill Valley, CA
• Sarah calling “Celebrating 60” written by Linda Leslie to the music of the combined Notorious (Larry Unger, Eden MacAdam-Somer, Sam Bartlett, and Mark Hellenberg) and Seaglass (Rachel Bell and Eileen Nicholson) Band at the Echo Summit dance weekend in Sacramento, CA
• Sarah calling "Vallimont's Steamboat" written by Chris Weiler to the music of the HotPoint Stringband at the June Moon dance weekend in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Other Links

• Check out Sarah's personal website
• Sarah's home dance where she got her start dancing and calling is run by the Syracuse Country Dancers
• Sarah is a longtime collaborator with Great Bear

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for transcripts and more. Or click here to download it directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Soundbites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Lisa calling the square dance “Contra Corners Canon” written by Ron Buchanan in 2004 to the music of Dave Langford, Lise Brown, and Kate Barnes
• Lisa calling the square dance Chinese Fan in 2013 to the music of Karen Axelrod, Daron Douglas, and Anna Patton.
• Lisa calling the contra dance "Summer of '94" by Mike Richardson at the 2015 Florida Snowball to the music of the Stringrays
• Lisa calling a variant of the contra dance "Mad Slice" by Rick Mohr at the 2013 Balance the Bay dance weekend to the music of the Moving Violations

Other Links:

• From her position as an internationally recognized dance caller and teacher Lisa has been interviewed many times! Here are a few others if you want to hear more:
  • 2007 interview with Bob Brundage for the Square Dance Foundation of New England, Inc
  • Lisa appears in a series of interviews in the Square Dance History Project database
• Lisa's home dance, which she helps organize, is the Thursday Night Contra at the Concord, MA Scout House
  • She's also very involved with the New England Folk Festival Association (NEFFA)
• Lisa mentions BIDA, the Boston Intergenerational Dance Advocates
• She also mentions dance choreographer and commentator Larry Jennings, who you can get to know through his books Zesty Contras (1983) and Give & Take (2004)
• Several musicians and callers mentioned in Lisa's interview have appeared on our sister podcast "Contra Pulse!" Check them out here:
  • Tony Parkes
  • Larry Unger
  • Amy Larkin

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

In the debut episode of From the Mic we meet Phil Jamison of Asheville, North Carolina. Phil is nationally-known as a dance caller, old-time musician, and flatfoot dancer. He has called dances, performed, and taught at music festivals and dance events throughout the U.S. and overseas since the early 1970s, including over forty years as a member of the Green Grass Cloggers. His flatfoot dancing was featured in the film, Songcatcher, for which he also served as Traditional Dance consultant. From 1982 through 2004, he toured and played guitar with Ralph Blizard and the New Southern Ramblers. He also plays old-time fiddle and banjo.

Over the last thirty years, Phil has done extensive research in the area of Appalachian dance, and his book Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance (University of Illinois Press, 2015) tells the story behind the square dances, step dances, reels, and other forms of dance practiced in southern Appalachia. A 2017 inductee to the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, Phil teaches traditional music and dance at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, where for twenty-five years he served as coordinator of the Old-Time Music and Dance Week at the Swannanoa Gathering.

Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

Music and soundbites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• “Blizard Train” – “Blizard Train,” Ralph Blizard & the New Southern Ramblers (June Appal Records, 1989) Ralph Blizard (fiddle), Phil Jamison (guitar), Gordy Hinners (banjo), Andy Deaver (bass).
• Phil Jamison, Thomas Maupin, and friends flatfooting at the Clifftop festival in 2010
• Phil calling the Grapevine Twist square dance and a big set dance at the 2011 Dare to be Square in Brasstown, NC
• Historic recordings from Phil (view the entire collection referenced in his book here):
  • Mellie Dunham, "Chorus Jig" contra dance (1926)
  • Samantha Bumgarner, calling a Southern (big ring) square dance to "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" (1924)
  • Ernest Legg calling "Chase the Rabbit" square dance with the Kessinger Brothers playing "Devil's Dream" (1928)
• “Zai Na Yaoyuan De Difang” (In That Faraway Place) – “March Celebration: Chinese-Appalachian Collaborations,” Jenny & the Hog Drovers and Manhu (recorded in Shanghai, China, 2017) Maddy Mullany & Clarke Williams (fiddles), Phil Jamison (banjo), Hayden Holbert (guitar), Landon George (bass), Jin Hongmei (vocal)
  • Watch a video of the group performing in China

Other Links

• Phil's website, where you can also order his book, Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance
• Square 'em up! A Dare to be Square event is happening in Dumfries, Virginia, May 6 - 8, 2022!
• Crazy about squares? There is SO MUCH on the Square Dance History Project webpage.
• Phil was featured in a great episode of Radio Lab exploring the history of square dance called "Birdie in the Cage"
• You'll find some of Phil's writing on dance traditions here on his website

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Cis calling the dance Reel to Reel by Cary Ravitz with music by Barefoot (Ed Howe and Jamie Oshima) at the 2015 - Atlanta Dance Weekend with the Chattahoochee Country Dancers
• Cis calling a square dance with music by The Figments (Ethan Hazzard-Watkins, Owen Morrison, and Anna Patton) at the 2023 Epicenter Contra Dance Weekend in Mill Valley, California.

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• David calling a variation on the dance "California Twirlin" by Janet Levatin at to the music of Nova at the Ottawa Contra dance on April 28, 2016.
• David calling the singing square dance "Deep in the Heart of Texas" to the music of the Stringrays at the 2013 Dance in the Desert weekend near Tuscon, AZ.

More from David

• David's work as a documentarian is prolific! Be sure to check out these links mentioned in the interview:
  • The Square Dance History Project
  • A Hand for the Band
  • Find MUCH more on his personal website
• David has also presented for groups all over the country, both in person and online. Check out these recordings:
  • Country dance in Modern Times: Squares, ECD, and Contras in Post-WWII America
  • Contra Dance in Modern Times: 75 years of change in post-WWII America
  • Contra Chestnuts: A New Look at Old Dances
  • Square Dance: An American Medley (for the Country Dance and Song Society)
    • Session 1 – historic roots
    • Session 2 – Northern and Southern
    • Session 3 – Western and modern

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Penn calling the dance Hillsboro Jig by Bill Thomas to the music of Applejack on May 3, 2014, in Peterborough, NH, at the "Kwackfest" dance to celebrate the life of Bob McQuillen.

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

• Learn more about Susan here on her website.
• Susan references this book, "Swinging the Machine," in the interview

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Susan calling the singing square dance Goodbye My Lady Love on the Great Meadows Music recording Susan Kevra's Full Swing
• Susan calling the contra dance As If by Jesse Edgerton at the Chattahoochee Contra Dancers and Atlanta Dance Weekend
  Contra Under the C (CD) with music by Eloise & Co (Rachel Bell, Becky Tracy, and Owen Morrison.)

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

• You can follow Ben's calling here on his caller Facebook page
• Ben is an advocate for gender-role-free dance calling. In this episode of CDSS Common Time he participates in a panel discussion on the ins-and-outs of calling gender free.
• Ben also serves on the camp committee for the Lavender Country and Folk Dancers.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Ben calling a folk-processed variant of "The Amazing Becky Cohen" written by Tom Hinds at the Swingin' Tern dance in East Hanover, New Jersey in 2019 with music by the band Blue Jersey (Frank Ruck on mandolin and banjo, Louise McClure on fiddle, Ellen Ruck on guitar, and John Burton on bass.)

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent.

• Learn more about David on his website including some of the dances he’s written!
  • In the show David mentions these dances:
    • Robin Hood
    • Maid Marian's Fancy
    • David’s Triplet #1.5 (A.K.A. “Corner Triplet,” by Linda Leslie)
• Also make sure to check out his book (co-authored with David Millstone):
  • Buy the book: Cracking Chestnuts: The Living Tradition of Classic American Contra Dances
  • Also useful is this amazing online video library, which shows examples of every dance in the book

 Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• David calling the traditional chestnut British Sorrow for the Country Dancers of Rochester at Harmony House in Webster New York in April, 2023 with music by "Confluence" (Nadine Dyskant-Miller and Barbara Dyskant.)
• David calling the traditional dance “Careless Sally” at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in 2009 with music by George Wilson, Deanna Stiles, Bob McQuillen

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly.

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Learn more about Susan on her website including some of the dances she's written!

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Susan calling at the Lake City Contra Dance in Seattle 2023 with music by "The Electrodes" (Joe Bowbeer, Joe Micheals, Marcy Kubbs)
• Susan calling the dance "Barbarella" by Tom Thoreau at the Burning Man Contra Dance in 2014 with music by The Syncopaths and Ed Howe

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

More about the Granges

• The Montague Grange is no longer active as a Grange, but the Grange Hall, now know as the Montague Common Hall, is still an active community hub now lovingly maintained by the Friends of the Montague Common Hall, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. They host social dances and music in the space along with many other events. The organization is currently fundraising for future improvements to the building.
• The Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield, MA celebrated 150 years in 2023! The Grange membership, which still includes many dancers and musicians connected to the contra dance community, has worked to broaden the mission of the Grange to encompass many facets of community enrichment (including dance!)
• The Capitol City Grange in Montpelier, VT is also still active as a Grange and still hosts regular contra dances on first, third, and fifth Saturdays of each month, along with many other community events and activities.

More about David

• David's obituary, June 1, 2021
• Before David's passing in 2021 The Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The presentation happened over zoom and the recording is still available.
• With help from many, many contributors, Sue Songer has assembled a wonderful book about David called "David Kaynor: Living Music and Dance," which also includes many of his musical compositions as well as writings about dance and dance calling.
• Midnight in Montague - Betsy Branch and David recorded a wonderful album INSIDE the Montague Grange Hall called "Midnight in Montague." Betsy is working on getting the album up on Bandcamp and also having it reprinted for purchase on CD. Stay tuned here for more info.

Thanks to Vermont Folklife

We extend a special thanks to Vermont Folklife, a statewide cultural research and education nonprofit that loaned Mary the equipment to make this recording with David and then placed a copy of the recording in their Archive so the file wouldn't become lost in the ether of Mary's personal, digital files. (Fun fact: Mary now serves as the Director of Education and Media at Vermont Folklife!)

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Diane calls the dance Roll Around by Cary Ravitz with music by Steamshovel with the Chattahoochee Country Dancers in Atlanta in 2014
• Diane calls the dance Silver Anniversary by Jim Kitch with music by Steamshovel with the Chattahoochee Country Dancers in Atlanta in 2014

Other links:

• Diane's website!
• Dance Safety guidelines from Asheville's Old Farmer's Ball
• Diane shows up in this great local news segment on contra dancing in North Carolina

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly

And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Peter leads his class of 8-10 year olds in the traditional playparty game "The Noble Duke of York" to the New England Dancing Masters recording from their Rise Sally Rise CD at the July 2022 Country Dance & Song Society Ogontz Family Camp.
• Peter teaches "La Bastringue", a traditional French Canadian circle dance to some fourth graders in a clip from the New England Dancing Masters DVD Chimes of Dunkirk - Teaching Dance to Children.
• Peter and Mary Alice dance and sing the Lorraine Hammond singing game The Tree Song, which can be found in New England Dancing Masters' book and companion CD Down in the Valley - More Great Singing Games for Children.

Other links

• Peter and Mary Alice's website - Amidon Community Music
• The New England Dancing Masters website
• Bow Tie Music - many examples of NEDM dances here in this wonderful collection!
• Pourparler - Gathering of music and dance teachers hosted by the National Folk Organization

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Click here for the episode transcript

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Ang calls the dance The Magpie and the Seal by David Zinkin with music from Sycamore (Cedar Stanistreet, Samuel Foucher, Michael Sokolovsky) at the Mt. Airy Contra Dance
• Ang calls their dance Golden Girl with music by Gus La Casse on fiddle, and Pepin Mittelhauser on guitar and mandolin at the BIDA dance in July 2024

Other things!

• Ang's very own website. Make sure to check out:
  • Dance compositions, including the dream dance "Golden Girl"
  • Dance Safety Illustrations

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Click here to download the transcript

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Jeremy calling the dance 16 for Gregg by Luke Donforth with music by The Syncopaths (Ryan McKasson, Ashley Hoyer, Christa Burch, and Jeff Spero) at the 2025 Fiddling Frog Dance Weekend in Pasadena, CA.
• Jeremy calling a square dance with music from the band Big Fun (Marty Somberg, Rob Nuhn, Myron Grant, and Lance Wagner) at the 2012 Ann Arbor Dawn Dance.

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Click to view a full transcript of the episode

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Bill calling his contra dance Weeks on the Road at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH in 2020
• Bill calling the singing square dance On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH in 2020

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Click here for the episode transcript

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Lindsey calling the dance “Susie's Send-Off" by Scott Higgs with music by Audrey Jaber and Alex Cumming at the Lake City Contra Dance in Seattle on April 17, 2025.
   
• Lindsey calling the dance "Labor of Love" by Kathy Anderson with music by Pachelbel's Bazooka (Claude Ginsburg, Dave Bartley, and Anita Anderson] at the Emerald City Contra Dance at Phinney Neighborhood Center, in Seattle, Washington on February 3, 2023

Other things!

• Lindsey's very own website. Make sure to check out:
  • Dance choreography!
  • Hear more wisdom from Lindsey and others in this great online workshop from CDSS: The Caller’s Toolbox: Gender-free Calling for Contra Callers
  • Check out a recent story from KNKX Public Radio featuring Lindsey and others from the Seattle dance community.

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent