From the Mic Episode 5 – Gaye Fifer
…we’re part of creating something that’s unique and unusual where nobody’s worrying about tomorrow or feeling bad about what happened yesterday. We’re just in this experience totally together. I love that feeling. ~ Gaye Fifer Gaye Fifer is an accomplished caller from Pittsburgh, PA. An active dancer herself, Gaye understands the subtleties of making dances particularly...
From the Mic Episode 5 – Gaye Fifer
From the Mic Episode 4 – Tony Parkes
In this episode Mary interviews Boston based caller Tony Parkes. Tony is an encyclopedia of square and contra dance history, full of vivid recollections of the many mentors and sources of inspiration that have made him the caller, dance leader, and person that he is today. From his beginnings as a 14-year-old stepping up to the mic at Farm...
From the Mic Episode 4 – Tony Parkes
From the Mic Episode 3 – Sarah VanNorstrand
This episode, Mary talks with Sarah VanNorstrand, who has been calling, organizing and teaching contra, square, and family/community dances for over 15 years. They trace the roots of her connection to traditional music and dance back to her teenage years in Syracuse, and she shares her thoughts about matching dance choreography to music, including what she learned working alongside...
From the Mic Episode 3 – Sarah VanNorstrand
From the Mic Episode 2 – Lisa Greenleaf
I’m a guide and I am the linchpin in the evening…It’s a big responsibility and I love doing it! ~ Lisa Greenleaf Lisa Greenleaf has been calling for many years throughout the USA and internationally for dances, weekends, and weeklong camps. Her specialties include traditional and contemporary contras, fun squares, challenging dances of all shapes...
From the Mic Episode 2 – Lisa Greenleaf
From the Mic Episode 1 – Phil Jamison
Welcome to From the Mic! “One night the caller wasn’t there and somebody had to call the dances and I gave it a try…” ~ Phil Jamison 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...