I recently saw a recommendation for Pourparler, happening in DC this year (
https://nfo-usa.com/pourparler/). I've never been (though I'm considering it now), but I understand the focus there is broader than contra and it seems to be more about dance sharing than a
course per se. But if your community is almost all beginners, I somewhat think you may want to do a lot of barn dances and similar things rather than starting with full evenings of duple minor contras, which can be challenging in a largely beginner crowd, in my experience.
Harris Lapiroff (he/him)
Dance Caller and Organizer
Boston Intergenerational Dance Advocates Board (Cambridge MA)
Pinewoods Camp, Inc Board (Plymouth MA)
https://chromamine.com/contra/
Long time dancer, first time caller.
Anyone know of any courses / workshops to improve my calling (in person or online)? I'm willing to travel for the right course. (E.g. Meet Me in St Louis had a calling workshop in 2024, but the schedule isn't out yet for 2025.)
My wife and I were long-time Boston-area contra dancers who are now trying to bring the tradition to our adopted city in Austria. Almost all the dancers are new, I'm a new caller, and I believe it would help me to attend a class to learn more and get feedback on my technique.
Thanks,
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