updated 6/22/25
The COVID19 pandemic starting March 2020 was an opportunity for dance callers, musicians, and organizers to take a step back and reflect and dicuss the history and other aspects of contra, square, and English country dance.
This page lists some of the online chats & presentations that occurred (and are still occurring), plus a few that happened prior to the pandemic. Most of the links are to YouTube videos.
David Millstone is a dance caller, historian, and film maker from New Hampshire. His latest project is A Hand for the Band, a map and timeline of dance bands in the US, with info about each band and sounds samples. (as of 2/25, the website for A Hand for the Band is not functional).
Here are a few of the history talks that he presented:
Contra Dance in Modern Times: 75 years of change in post-WWII America
Flurry Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY February 14, 2021
David Millstone: Country Dance in Modern Times: Squares, ECD and Contras in Post-WWII America
presented by the Mt Airy PA Thursday Night contra 1/14/21
Description
video is also also on Facebook
350 Years of Country Dance with David Millstone
presented by New Mexico FolkMADS 3/10/21
David Millstone: Contra Chestnuts: A New Look at Old Dances
Handout (PDF)
presented by New Mexico FolkMADS 2 May 2021
CRACKING CHESTNUTS: David Smukler and David Millstone
Presented at virtual Ralph Page Weekend 1/7/21
Square Dance History With David Millstone (3 sessions)
Description
Presented by CDSS Feb 2022
Newbie Callers 2022-03-19: David Millstone on the Square Dance History Project
A Hand for the Band: How David Millstone Put Country Dance on the Map
Interview on NH Public Radio (audio) Dec 18 2023
Tony Parkes (1949-2024) was a musician, contra & square dance caller, and author based in the Boston area. He recently published Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century.
Tony Parkes: Diversity in Square Dancing
Presented by the Mt Airy PA Thursday Night contra Jan 2021
Tony Parkes: Squaring the Line
Presented at virtual Ralph Page Weekend Jan 16 2022
Newbie Callers 2021-01-30: Tony Parkes on diversity in square dancing
Newbie Callers 2020-12-19: Tony Parkes on Contra
Tony Parkes - Complete History of Square Dancing, Abridged
Presented as part of Folk Arts Center of New England's "Some other Folks Arts" series 9/9/21. $5 to watch (anytime) on Vimeo.
Phil Jamison is a musician, square dance caller, and author based in North Carolina. He recently published Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics.
Phil Jamison: Recognizing African American Contributions to Southern Appalachian Music and Dance
Description
Presented by CDSS (Common Time) Jan 2022
Phil Jamison: Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics
Presented by the Mt Airy PA Thursday Night contra 8/27/20
Alex Cumming is a traditional singer, accordionist, pianist and dance caller hailing from Somerset, England, now living in Brattleboro VT, USA. He performs songs and tunes from around the United Kingdom and America with a great depth of knowledge of the tradition.
Alex Cumming: Inspirational Women: the Researchers Who Worked with Cecil Sharp (Mary Neal, Maud Karpeles, and Olive Dame Campbell).
Presented as part of Folk Arts Center of New England's "Some other Folks Arts" series 5/23/24. $5 to watch (anytime) on Vimeo.
Alex Cumming: The Songcatcher: Olive Dame Campbell
Presented as part of Folk Arts Center of New England's "Some other Folks Arts" series 9/30/21. $5 to watch (anytime) on Vimeo.
Alex Cumming: The Songs and Stories of Olive Dame Campbell
Presented to John C. Campbell Folk School November 2022 as part of 2022 Music & Folklore Mentorship Program, with mentees Cate Clifford, Ash Devine, and Ray Fifer.
Alex Cumming - Appalachian Traditions (primarily about Olive Dame Campbell)
presented to John C. Campbell Folk School 4/22/21
Steve Zakon-Anderson - History of Contra Dancing
Presented to Amos Fortune Forum 8/19/22
Richard Powers - The Early History of Set Dance Prompting
Presented as part of Folk Arts Center of New England's "Some other Folks Arts" series 5/14/22. $5 to watch (anytime) on Vimeo.
See Richard's website for additional essays, including The Early History of Quadrille Prompting.
Kwackfest Stories - A collection of stories about Bob McQuillen shared at Kwakfest, a festival in honor of what would have been his 100th birthday. July 1, 2023 in Peterborough, NH. Recorded by Ray Sebold.
hosted by Julie Vallimont, explores contra dance music—its history, present, and potential future, through in-depth conversations with contra musicians.
ran from Mar 2020 until Apr 2022
Plus a couple of video sessions:
Conversations with callers across the continent, hosted by Mary Wesley (VT)
from Feb 2022; continuing monthly (more or less)
Music & interviews with contra dance musicians, hosted by Chrissy Fowler (Belfast ME; broadcast on WBFY)
from Feb 2025
1 hour chat with leading artists, teachers, and experts from the English Country Dance community (and a few contra & square callers & musicians..)
presented on Zoom & Facebook by the Historical Tea & Dance Society (Pasadena CA)
starting off weekly in March 2020, then monthly until Dec 2022
All of the chats can be viewed here (well-organized) or on YouTube.
The Zoom chats and other information are available in the Dropbox folder for 5 Things downloads
Recordings of the after-talk discussions are available by special request.
1750-2015 Traditional Dance Music of the Monadnock Region of NH
#1 Intro & Bob McQuillen
#2 Ralph Sweet
#3 Dudley Laufman
#4 Bill Spence
#5 Andy Spence
#6 general comments
Posted at the Square Dance History Project
Panel Discussion with all six callers looking at different aspects of square dance history
The Sannella Stores - Reminiscences about Ted Sannella (1928-1995) from dancers, musicians, and callers.
The Square Dance History Project contains a wealth of information.
The Bob Brundage Interviews at the Square Dance Foundation of New England website contain over a hundred audio interviews (and transcriptions), mostly modern square dance callers, but there is a section listing the traditional/contra callers.
1997 Interview with David Kaynor. Recorded by Ray Sebold.