Triskaidekaphobia: a celebration of caller Kirston Koths (1948-2024)

The year was 1980 when Kirston Koths (1948–2024) moved to the Bay Area. A new caller from Boston, he started a 2nd Friday contra dance in Berkeley. Contra dance was new to the area—the only regular dance was in Palo Alto. BACDS did not yet exist, and when it formed Kirston became member #2. Kirston organized, managed, and called his Berkeley dance for 25 years, eventually asking BACDS to take it on. By then contra dancing was flourishing in the Bay Area, with dances in Palo Alto, San Francisco, Mill Valley, Santa Cruz, and many nearby cities. Contra dancing took hold in the Bay Area, as in much of the country, due to the efforts of the early organizers, and Kirston was one of them.

Kirston wrote at least a dozen dances. “Nantucket Sleigh Ride,” with its distinctive dip-and-dive figure, was wildly popular in the ’70s in New England. His most memorable West Coast dance, and the namesake of tonight, is “Triskaidekaphobia.” In appreciation and in celebration of his contribution to this community we present this special evening.

Doors open at 6:45; socializing and sharing stories from 7:00–7:30; dancing 7:30–10:00pm.

Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St Berkeley

(2 blocks east of Christ Church, location of the Thursday dance series)

A cavalcade of callers and musicians. Calling will be Larks and Robins.