Become a Dance Caller!
The Southern Nevada Old-Time Contra Dancers are now looking for new callers for our dances!
What does a caller do?
The dance caller is the Master (or Mistress) of Ceremonies for the dance. Her/his man job is to facilitate a fun evening for the dancers. The caller leads the beginners lesson, explaining and preserving contra dance traditions and etiquette. The caller programs the evening's dances, coordinating with the band on what type of music should be played for each dance and at what speed. S/he teaches a walk through before each dance begins, and teaches and/or demonstrates new dance moves as they come up. Aditionally, the caller ensures that the dance is kept on schedule and announces all the necessary news.
Should you become a caller?
Do you...
- Love music and have a good sense of timing?
- Want to contribute to our community?
- Love dancing and want to help make more opportunities for it?
- Like being the center of attention and having a leadership role?
- Want to encourage traditional folk music in Las Vegas?
- Enjoy teaching?
If any of these apply to you, you should consider becoming a caller. Your calling can improve our community and make better dancing opportunities for everyone.
Its important that callers be familiar with contra dancing before they begin. Dancing will help you develop a good sense of timing and get a feel for the figures and movements used in contra. As such, we encourage potential callers to regularly attend our dances before beginning their caller instruction.
If you are interested in Calling or have any questions, please email us at:
