Catherine Burns has been at the heart of the Ottawa contra dance scene for decades. Born in Switzerland to Canadian parents Catherine traveled the world in her youth then became the house caller for the Old Sod Folk Music Society when they started a dance in the late 90s. Since then, she’s been a steady presence in the Ottawa dance scene, helping to mentor new callers and shape a warm and welcoming community in her chosen home town.

It’s amazing to see that many people just blissed out and dancing and having gotten to help them get there as a collective, as a group of people…and being like, “I helped this.” I didn’t play an instrument, but I helped them get there together with the music… ~ Luke Donforth This month Mary is…

 I think what the caller brings is probably different for each person who’s there…it’s experience, it’s confidence, it’s preparation, it’s knowing your material. But it’s all packaged and presented with your personality.  ~ Steve Zakon-Anderson In 1980, Steve walked into his first contra dance not knowing how it would change his life! He started calling…

In this episode, Mary interviews Louise Siddons about her involvement with communities in Michigan and Oklahoma, and across the pond in the UK. We’ll also learn about her work developing and teaching the practice of “positional calling” for social dance, which has recently culminated in a new book, published through CDSS, called Dancing the Whole Dance: Positional Calling for Contra. In the interview Louise shares what it’s been like to step into a leading role in the discussion about positional calling, and how her personal experiences on and off the dance floor have shaped her approach to dance leadership.

My only job is to help people have fun. Fun, F-U-N, three letter word. That’s it! ~ Wendy Graham Wendy Graham (Durango, Colorado) is a self-proclaimed “dance maniac.” Her passion for music, song and dance caught fire in 1991 on a Danish-American Exchange (DAE) youth dance tour to Denmark. Today, Wendy leads English and American…

This episode, Mary talks with Will Mentor, who began his calling career in Fairfield, Iowa, 1995. Since then he has called dances, dance weekends, and weeklong dance camps all over the United States. Canada, and Europe. Now from Northern Vermont, Will is known for his clear teaching, upbeat wit, and relaxed stage presence. He loves to choreograph evenings with a variety of dances and tempos that at times surprise and always delight. All this while keeping intact his guiding principle as a caller: “It’s about the dancers!”

It’s not about perfection in the execution. It’s not about the complicated figures that we all can do. It’s not about the puzzle. It’s really about the people and how this vehicle can bring all those people together.  ~ Chrissy Fowler Chrissy Fowler grew up in the shadow of Maine’s highest mountain, Katahdin. She went…

I think my favorite gigs are those for total non-dancers because the look on their faces when they’re having such a blast, it’s just so rewarding to see people get into it. ~ Sue Rosen A leading caller of contras, squares, English country dance and family dance programs, Sue Rosen has been actively calling for…

There’s no greater love than bringing new people into a dance and having them smile and say, I love this, I want to come back. That gives me the biggest thrill and the biggest feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction and joy. ~ Chris Ricciotti Meet Chris: I fell in love with dancing as a young…

This episode, Mary talks with caller and choreographer Chris Page, who has called contras and English country dance in San Diego for about 15 years. When calling, his main concern is being serious about dancers not taking themselves too seriously. Along with Michael Dyck, he’s turned his obsession with the history of contra dance choreography into something productive through the online database, The Caller’s Box. There are lots of fascinating tidbits for callers and choreographers alike in this one. Check it out!