Chris Page's contra dance site

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Reviews

So many web sites list dances, but so few review them. I've decided to list my favorite dances as a caller, and then try to explain why. All opinions are personal for me, but it helps to understand my general criteria.

It's hard to fit the kinesthetic aesthetic of a wordless dance into the straightjacket of words. So often I won't use any, or will overcompensate by wasting many words about very little. Or go off on a complete tangent on some aspect of contra dance design.

I will not include directions, but will supply a link, or failing that, the best way to find the dance. (If you're the author of a dance, and actually want me to include directions with the review, feel free to email me.)

While all these thoughts are mine (and hence my own fault), they are often the result of listening to, talking with, and reading from many other callers who have been doing this far longer than I. So this is a general thanks to all those who keep trying to create contra dance criticism.

Dance name Author
Al's Safeway Produce Robert Cromartie
Awesome Double Progression Dance Donna Calhoun
Bases Loaded Jim Saxe, Lydee Scudder, and Tom Thoreau
A Bevy of Butterflies Bob Isaacs and Chris Page
Brimmer and May Reel Dan Pearl
Catch a Falling Star Melanie Axel-Lute
Coray's Silver Jubilee Carol Ormand
The Cure for the Claps Bob Isaacs
Delphiniums and Daisies Tanya Rotenberg
Eleanor's Reel Bill Olson
Fairport Harbor Paul Balliet
Flirtation Reel Tony Parkes
Frederick Contra Tom Hinds
Handsome Young Maids Sue Rosen
Hey Man Paul Balliet
Huckleberry Friend Tom Calwell and Myra Hirschberg
Joined at the Hip Russel Owen
Kitchen Stomp Becky Hill
Laura's Zigzag Rick Mohr
The Nice Combination (Updated 1/2014) Gene Hubert
Ohio River Contra Jerry Helt
Poetry in Motion Lisa Greenleaf
Ramsay Chase Joseph Pimentel
Salmonella Evening Louie Cromartie and Steve Zakon-Anderson
Sarah's Journey Gene Hubert
The Second Time Around Jim Kitch
Silver Anniversary Reel Jim Kitch
Three Thirty-Three Steve Zakon-Anderson
Trip to Lambertville Steve Zakon-Anderson
With Thanks to the Dean Steve Zakon-Anderson
You Can Get There From Here Linda Leslie
You Can't Get There From Here Carol Ormand

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