Contra dance calling

Hannah Naiman comes from a long line of folk musicians and dancers. She has been dancing for more than 20 years, teaching and leading folk dances for over 6 years. She has taught and participated in folk dance camps and programs in Quebec, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Kentucky. Hannah brings an eclectic background to the dance floor, having graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University. She received an Emerging Artist Award from Green Street Studios in Boston for her contemporary folk-based choreography in December 2006. She has a profound respect for the folk dancing tradition, but gets a real kick out of pushing the boundaries, and exploring contemporary innovations. The mixture of old and new dances that Hannah brings to the floor will make every dancer a happy camper.

Upcoming Dances:
Saturday, November 28, 2009:    Toronto Country Dance
                               St. Barnabas Church Hall (175 Hampton Ave., Toronto)
Saturday, January 22, 2010: Toronto Women's Sword Fundraising Extraordinaire!
                               Dovercourt House (Dovercourt/Bloor) -more info coming soon.
Saturday, January 30th, 2010: Toronto Country Dance
                               St. Barnabas Church Hall (175 Hampton Ave., Toronto)
Saturday, April 17, 2009: Ottawa Contra Dance - more info coming soon

What is Contra Dancing?

Though it is a living tradition, it's one that roughly 90% of people have not yet discovered. Contra dancing, in a nutshell, is very much like square dancing. Contra dancing uses the same movement vocabulary (ie dosido your neighbour, swing your parnter, etc.) but instead of dancing with just 8 people, as in a square, in a contra dance you have the opportunity to dance with perhaps 30 people.
Contra dances, like square dances, are done with the help of a "caller". That's where I come in. The caller teaches each dance before it begins in what's known as a 'walk through'. Once the dancers have done the walk through, the caller will strike up the band, and she/he will continue to prompt the dance until it looks like everyone is flowin' along on their own.