Callers Choice Dances

What's a Callers' Choice Dance?

A Callers Choice Dance is a Contra Dance with multiple callers. You often get to be the first to dance the best of the new dances written by our choreographer friend, and occasionally, there's a special treat when guest callers from other dance groups are in town.

We dance to live music - often from Reel Women and the Jigelos. In November of 2009, Perpetual eMotion from Maine, on their first, get-to-know-us Midwestern tour, played the music for us, treating us to their techno-contra. Smugglers' Cargo made their Monday Club debut at the Callers Choice dance in December of 2009, and Playing with Fire brought the house down in July of 2011. The Folk School sent over an ensemble for one of our dances, and the Night Crawlers play, too.

Here's a schedule of the Callers Choice dances.

The dances are often the ones called at the Calling Parties:

• Contra Dances
• Square Dances
• Dances in Unusual Formations

We used to call English dances at the Callers Choice dances, but pretty much stopped when we started a new English Country Dance series on first and third Fridays.

We welcome people who have never danced before, but who are willing to give it a shot — it is our tradition to be helpful and friendly to newcomers.

Callers

*The Calling Party blog: see http://dancecaller.blogspot.com. It hasn't been well-kept-up lately, but the early postings are worth a read.