Posts :: contra (rss)

I've been contra dancing all my life, but got really interested in it in college. I help organize our local dance and dance weekend, play for dances with my two bands, lead open bands, maintain listings of local dances and weekends, and used to call.

• Contra Mask Status
  June 05, 2023
• Thoughts on Dancing the Whole Dance: Positional Calling for Contra
  June 02, 2023
• Dancing to Positional Calling
  May 31, 2023
• T-Shirt Size Distribution
  May 22, 2023
• Running Sound for Yourself
  May 20, 2023
• Two Axes of Contra Bands
  May 19, 2023
• Contra Caller Signs
  May 11, 2023
• Dance Profit Sharing
  May 08, 2023
• Vaccine Policies Need Updating
  April 30, 2023
• Bits of NEFFA
  April 22, 2023
• Boston Social Dance Covid Requirements
  April 11, 2023
• Kingfisher Album Kickstarter
  March 23, 2023
• Live Kingfisher Album?
  March 01, 2023
• Lessons From TryContra
  February 15, 2023
• Help Update TryContra
  February 14, 2023
• How Cardioid Are Cardioids?
  February 12, 2023
• Contra: Changing Role Terms
  February 10, 2023
• Contra Dance Lengths
  January 31, 2023
• Can GPT-3 Write Contra Dances?
  December 03, 2022
• NEFFA Should Allow Small Children
  November 25, 2022
• Contra Chords
  November 18, 2022
• Catharsis in Bb
  November 11, 2022
• Chord Notation
  November 09, 2022
• Open Bands: Leading Rhythm
  October 26, 2022
• Dance Weekends: Tests not Masks
  October 24, 2022
• Drafting a Covid Survey
  October 18, 2022
• Calling my First Family Dance
  October 16, 2022
• Glossary Dance Game
  October 12, 2022
• Preparing to Call a Family Dance
  October 07, 2022
• Set List Approaches
  September 23, 2022
• Failed Adventures in Delay
  September 19, 2022
• Guitar Pedals on Fiddle
  September 06, 2022
• Another Unphrased B-part
  September 05, 2022
• Fully Live Electronic Contra
  September 03, 2022
• Safety Committee Resources
  August 31, 2022
• Contra Dance Contact Tracing
  August 26, 2022
• Microphone on Electric Mandolin II
  June 06, 2022
• BIDA Air Quality Measurements
  May 16, 2022
• Microphone on Electric Mandolin
  May 09, 2022
• Contra Dance Mask Policy
  May 06, 2022
• What Chords Do You Need?
  April 11, 2022
• Boston Contra: Fully Gender-Free
  April 09, 2022
• Contra: Avoiding Sore Arms
  April 06, 2022
• How to ventilate
  March 20, 2022
• Experience Restarting Contra
  March 12, 2022
• Rhythm Stage Setup v4
  March 11, 2022
• It's Ok to Dance Again
  November 11, 2021
• Vaccine Requirements, Age, and Fairness
  November 02, 2021
• Comparing Options For Safer Events
  November 01, 2021
• Indoor dancing is safe enough
  October 31, 2021
• Outdoor dancing is likely very safe
  October 10, 2021
• Porchfest 2021
  October 03, 2021
• Making a Kingfisher Video
  March 13, 2021
• Dancing With Covid
  October 10, 2020
• Rhythm Stage Setup v3
  April 05, 2020
• Approaches to Electronic Contra
  March 28, 2020
• Beantown Stomp 2020 Retrospective
  March 23, 2020
• It's Time To Stop Dancing
  March 08, 2020
• Stretching the Beat
  February 27, 2020
• Playing with Arpeggiators
  February 21, 2020
• Assembling Sets for Contra
  February 18, 2020
• Porting My Rhythm Setup
  January 25, 2020
• Fiddle Effects Tech
  January 17, 2020
• Beantown Stomp Registration Update
  January 12, 2020
• Farewell to the Entertainer
  January 09, 2020
• Looking at Mixers
  January 06, 2020
• BIDA Musician Booking
  December 31, 2019
• Dance Weekend Schedule Checklist
  December 02, 2019
• How To Change a Dance
  November 29, 2019
• Bass in Contra Dance
  November 25, 2019
• Hybrid Lottery Update
  November 21, 2019
• Dance Weekends: How Much do you Play?
  November 11, 2019
• Band Coaching
  November 06, 2019
• Playing Dances With a Kid
  November 03, 2019
• New BIDA Safety Docs
  October 22, 2019
• Festival Stats 2019
  October 17, 2019
• Hybrid Lottery Admission
  October 07, 2019
• Advanced Dances
  October 06, 2019
• Battery Powered Contra II
  August 17, 2019
• Larks/Robins?
  July 28, 2019
• Battery Powered Contra
  July 26, 2019
• Sliding Scale
  July 13, 2019
• Standing Offer: Contra Music Feedback
  July 09, 2019
• Larks/Ravens and Newcomers
  July 08, 2019
• Where are the new instruments?
  July 05, 2019
• Real Time Bass Whistling
  July 02, 2019
• Bass Whistling
  June 29, 2019
• Positional Calling
  June 27, 2019
• Footboard V3
  June 25, 2019
• Instrumental Vocals
  June 19, 2019
• Rhythm Stage Setup v2
  June 16, 2019
• Adjustible Booster
  June 15, 2019
• History of Larks/Ravens
  June 10, 2019
• Beantown Stomp: Sliding Scale
  June 03, 2019
• Lessons From Dropping Out
  May 25, 2019
• Less Simple Contra Dance Piano
  May 22, 2019
• Scattered Tour Thoughts
  May 20, 2019
• 2019 Tour
  May 07, 2019
• Masonic Hall AC
  April 26, 2019
• What is Phrasing in Contra Dance?
  April 16, 2019
• Right Shoulder Round
  April 11, 2019
• Trycontra Implementation
  April 01, 2019
• Beantown Stomp Retrospective
  March 25, 2019
• Beantown Stomp: Low Fragrance
  March 04, 2019
• Beantown Stomp: Handling Registrations
  February 28, 2019
• Beantown Stomp: Registration Numbers
  February 25, 2019
• Outcomes of a Safety Report
  December 29, 2018
• Taking a Safety Report
  December 14, 2018
• Acoustic Footboard
  December 12, 2018
• Taking someone aside
  December 07, 2018
• Legal questions around safety committees
  November 14, 2018
• Right-hand mandolin or guitar
  November 11, 2018
• Blinky Lights
  October 21, 2018
• Figuring out sounds
  October 14, 2018
• Festival Stats 2018
  October 05, 2018
• What is Live?
  September 26, 2018
• Dance Weekend Update
  June 07, 2018
• Thinking about organizing a weekend
  May 08, 2018
• Larks and Ravens: how you can help
  April 25, 2018
• Footboard v2
  April 08, 2018
• BIDA Family Dance Timing
  April 02, 2018
• Communicating about contra dance sound
  March 16, 2018
• Touring As a Contra Band
  March 07, 2018
• Contra Dance Weekend Musician Gender
  February 21, 2018
• More Musician Gender
  February 13, 2018
• Recording your own CD
  January 31, 2018
• Contra Dance Admission Survey
  December 28, 2017
• Contra Caller Gender II
  October 28, 2017
• Festival Stats 2017
  October 27, 2017
• Change in Dance Weekends
  October 20, 2017
• Gender-Free Role Term Usage 2
  October 19, 2017
• L and R hand positions
  September 24, 2017
• Getting Booked For Dances II
  September 23, 2017
• Role Term Survey Responses
  February 10, 2017
• Visual Role Markers
  February 01, 2017
• Gender-Free Role Term Usage
  January 26, 2017
• How Much do Dance Weekends Pay?
  December 16, 2016
• Effect of Catapult
  December 15, 2016
• BIDA Compensation at Various Funding Levels
  December 14, 2016
• Simple Contra Speaker Placement
  December 07, 2016
• BIDA Attendance Update
  December 06, 2016
• Caller Locations
  November 16, 2016
• Festival Stats 2016
  November 05, 2016
• Tune Freedom
  September 18, 2016
• Safety Policy
  July 19, 2016
• BIDA board over time
  July 11, 2016
• How Does Streaming Pay?
  July 07, 2016
• Gendered Partnering
  July 04, 2016
• On not making assumptions
  June 27, 2016
• Handling CD Money
  June 19, 2016
• When Are Dance Weekends?
  April 29, 2016
• Fat Bear's Reel
  March 03, 2016
• BIDA Caller Booking History
  December 23, 2015
• Declining dances
  December 08, 2015
• Contra Caller Gender
  November 18, 2015
• Booking Intervals
  October 27, 2015
• Historical Weekend Stats
  October 26, 2015
• Festival Stats 2015
  October 24, 2015
• Learning Contra Guitar
  September 24, 2015
• Event Ownership
  September 21, 2015
• Cliche Contra
  June 15, 2015
• Booking Arms Race
  April 27, 2015
• Even More on Lead-Follow
  February 27, 2015
• History of the term "Gypsy"
  February 14, 2015
• Calling to Isolated Sets
  December 11, 2014
• Leading An Open Band
  October 06, 2014
• Contra Hand Roles
  October 1, 2014
• Getting Back On
  September 26, 2014
• Trombone Parts
  September 24, 2014
• Contra Dance Mandolin: Chords II
  August 09, 2014
• Contra Weekend Heatmap
  August 01, 2014
• Contra Heatmap
  July 31, 2014
• Reference Contra Dance Sound System
  July 23, 2014
• Whoops
  July 22, 2014
• Free Raisins CD Release Tour
  June 27, 2014
• Matching Tunes To Dances
  May 01, 2014
• Written Music: Corriente
  April 30, 2014
• Why I Can't Stand Japanese Square Dancers
  April 15, 2014
• Contra Dance Instrumentation
  March 30, 2014
• Gendered Instruments?
  March 29, 2014
• Choosing Contra Dance Shoes
  March 18, 2014
• Transcribing a Set
  March 04, 2014
• Contra Pay Variability
  February 26, 2014
• Dance Weekend and Festival Survey
  February 18, 2014
• Fix Gents Chain?
  February 10, 2014
• Contra Dance Band Size
  January 26, 2014
• Getting Booked For Dances
  December 28, 2013
• You Should Try Contra Dance
  November 09, 2013
• Dance Website Checklist
  October 19, 2013
• Where Can I Dance?
  October 18, 2013
• Stressful Calling
  October 07, 2013
• Can You Copyright A Contra Dance?
  September 27, 2013
• Asking dancers their preferred role
  September 20, 2013
• Repertoire Size
  September 18, 2013
• Port and Starboard
  September 17, 2013
• Contra Figure Frequencies
  September 14, 2013
• Contra Dance Handshakes
  September 05, 2013
• Double Echo Calling
  August 16, 2013
• Slap-Stomping
  July 28, 2013
• Equal Corners
  July 22, 2013
• Old-time music for contras?
  July 16, 2013
• Free Raisins Summer Tour 2013
  July 09, 2013
• BIDA Signs
  July 08, 2013
• Contra Flourish Workshops
  June 28, 2013
• How Should BIDA Finance a Sound System?
  June 07, 2013
• Contra: Looking Back 25 Years
  June 04, 2013
• Calling to the Gents
  May 25, 2013
• Same-Gender Dancing and Homophobia
  April 10, 2013
• Learning every part
  March 21, 2013
• What is leading in contra?
  March 13, 2013
• How should BIDA do gender free contra?
  March 05, 2013
• Music: Concerts and Dancing
  January 21, 2013
• Simple Satisfying Dances
  January 19, 2013
• Free Raisins CD: Live Summer 2012
  January 08, 2013
• Role Names in Contra
  January 04, 2013
• RCT of ads for BIDA
  December 15, 2012
• Calling Mad Robin
  November 26, 2012
• BIDA Dance Reports
  November 19, 2012
• Free Raisins Videos
  November 18, 2012
• Songs for the Free Raisins?
  November 07, 2012
• Audio Interface + Laptop = Mixer
  November 01, 2012
• Contra Cliquishness: Healthy?
  October 30, 2012
• Raw Attendance and Financial Numbers
  October 25, 2012
• Masonic Hall Ceiling
  October 24, 2012
• 'Lady' and 'Gent'
  October 05, 2012
• Record Your Playing
  September 17, 2012
• Draft NEFFA Sound Form
  September 03, 2012
• Medleys and tune changes
  September 01, 2012
• BIDA Health: Attendance and Financials
  August 23, 2012
• BIDA and Special Events
  August 21, 2012
• Unphrased sections of contras
  August 20, 2012
• How much does it cost to tour?
  August 06, 2012
• Dance Weekends
  August 05, 2012
• Band Names and Articles
  August 04, 2012
• Open Strings in Dance Music
  July 29, 2012
• Trumpet at Glen Echo
  July 28, 2012
• Do women and men have different motives at contra dances?
  July 24, 2012
• The Two Kinds of Feedback
  July 23, 2012
• Women asking men to dance
  July 17, 2012
• Fiddle Clip-on Microphone Placement
  July 15, 2012
• Free Raisins Summer Tour
  July 01, 2012
• When bands play confusing music
  June 13, 2012
• Microphone Testing
  June 10, 2012
• Live Music and Technology
  June 04, 2012
• The Sound of a Keyboard vs Piano
  May 23, 2012
• Contra Dance Sound: Mic Placement
  May 21, 2012
• Free Raisins Over Time
  May 19, 2012
• Sound Reflection: CDNY
  May 15, 2012
• The changing dynamic of contra
  May 11, 2012
• Sound Reflection
  May 10, 2012
• MIT Contra; 48 bar dance
  May 09, 2012
• Dance Both Roles
  May 08, 2012
• Booking ahead at contras
  May 06, 2012
• Don't teach proper formation unless you need it
  May 04, 2012
• Keyboard Sound For Gyms
  April 22, 2012
• Contra Dance Sound Policy
  April 19, 2012
• Old Loud Instruments
  March 21, 2012
• Echo Calling
  March 19, 2012
• Best contra dance video for non-dancers?
  March 08, 2012
• Piano and Contra Dance
  March 06, 2012
• Calling "Just Because"
  February 29, 2012
• Traditional and Retro
  February 27, 2012
• Waltz Tempos
  February 17, 2012
• Wrapping Bass
  February 02, 2012
• Hall Managing at BIDA
  February 01, 2012
• Group Coordination
  January 29, 2012
• Fourth Saturday Contra Dance in Cambridge
  January 26, 2012
• Clogging
  January 24, 2012
• Singing Squares: Just Because
  January 22, 2012
• Why does the BIDA open band work well?
  January 17, 2012
• Singing Squares
  January 14, 2012
• Age Segregation at Contras
  January 01, 2012
• Contra Dance Sound: System
  December 21, 2011
• Who needs phrasing?
  December 19, 2011
• Contra Dance Mandolin: Chords
  December 15, 2011
• Playing for the dancers
  December 08, 2011
• Dances, Structure, and Branding
  November 27, 2011
• Cambridge Stomp Balance
  November 23, 2011
• Squares, Contras, Phrasing
  November 12, 2011
• Notes From A Contra Calling Workshop
  November 06, 2011
• Calling Chords
  October 19, 2011
• Found a startup; limit dance organizing
  October 06, 2011
• Playing the Pie Dance
  September 26, 2011
• Old Swarthmore Folkdance Videos
  September 21, 2011
• Sunday Night Dance Committee
  September 15, 2011
• Boston Hall Search
  September 13, 2011
• Boston Needs a Centrally Located Weekly Contra Dance
  September 12, 2011
• Mandolin Microphone Placement
  September 11, 2011
• Contra Dance Sound: Microphones
  August 27, 2011
• Contra Dance Sound: Mixer
  August 26, 2011
• Tune: Corriente Del Golfo
  August 22, 2011
• Teach Yourselves The Hey
  August 19, 2011
• Outdoor Contra Last Night
  August 18, 2011
• Playing the Cotuit Contra Dance with the Free Raisins
  August 14, 2011
• Multicaller Evening at the New Old VFW
  August 13, 2011
• Calling With Lights
  August 07, 2011
• Contra Dance and Sexist Terminology: Two Perspectives
  July 31, 2011
• Contra Dance Unplugged
  July 18, 2011
• New MA Fire Regs For Dances
  July 17, 2011
• Dance Organization Fees Summary
  July 08, 2011
• Outdoor Contra
  July 06, 2011
• Dancing Around 1900
  July 04, 2011
• Techno Contra and Phrasing
  June 28, 2011
• Simple Contra Dance Piano: More Left Hand
  June 09, 2011
• Simple Contra Dance Piano: Interesting Left Hand
  June 08, 2011
• Simple Contra Dance Piano
  June 07, 2011
• Informal Contra In Davis Square V
  May 26, 2011
• A Plot To Get People Hooked On Calling
  May 19, 2011
• MIT Multi-Caller Evening
  May 18, 2011
• Sound For Really Long Halls
  May 11, 2011
• Models Of Contra Dance
  May 07, 2011
• Octave Fiddle: Video
  April 21, 2011
• Playing octave fiddle
  April 20, 2011
• Calling at a Birthday Party
  April 10, 2011
• Two Contras: Arisia and FART
  January 15, 2011
• Junket Square
  January 09, 2011
• Making a Foot Percussion Board
  November 21, 2010
• Tune Appreciation
  November 20, 2010
• A Complete Tune Index of Contracast
  November 03, 2010
• Contracast: lots of free contra dance music
  October 30, 2010
• Crooked Tunes for Ordinary Dances
  October 26, 2010
• Brandeis Dance 2010-10-09
  October 11, 2010
• New Calls in Contra Dance
  October 08, 2010
• Video: Contra in Nelson NH 1964
  July 15, 2010
• Etiquitte of Folk and Square Dance
  July 11, 2010
• Getting left-out people into a contra dance
  May 24, 2010
• Strings for a Viola sized Octave Violin
  May 20, 2010
• How much should a caller call?
  May 19, 2010
• MIT Contra Dance 5/4/2010
  May 05, 2010
• Stunt Double is a Hot Band
  April 30, 2010
• MIT Contra 2010-02-23
  February 24, 2010
• Mandatory Partner Switching
  January 15, 2010
• The Minimum Requirements For Contra Dance Music and Musings on 10/8 Meter
  January 11, 2010
• Intitial thoughts on the vfw replacement
  October 26, 2009
• ESB 2009
  February 22, 2009