Concerning The Dancing
Jerry Reynolds
Dance Master
Who I am:
I started calling English Country Dances (ECD) in 1999.
I was raised in upstate New York, moved to central Virginia in my twenties, and now live in central Florida.
I am a retired high school math teacher, a current online computer science teacher, and current English Country Dance master.
What I do:
I teach ECD to new and experienced dancers, young and old alike.
I bring my own sound equipment, music, and dance directions.
I teach everything you need to know for a fun evening! We will walk through the steps of a new dance, and then, when everyone is feeling ready, we will dance it to the music. Then we'll do it all again with the next dance.
A usual evening will consist of:
Learning basic definitions and movements
Learning basic manners and etiquette of the 18th century (how to ask someone to dance, how to bow/curtsy, etc.)
Starting with easier dances, then moving on to more advanced ones if everyone is comfortable doing so
Your group can decide what the evening's dress code will be, from casual (jeans, etc), to formal, to colonial attire.
Some groups also like to provide food as part of their event.
And during the Christmas season, I like to adapt dances to fit popular Christmas songs!
When:
Being retired, my schedule is pretty flexible. We will work together to find the best date and time for your event.
Click below to see my schedule, the dance list for your event (subject to change), and a place to make your requests for dances at your event!
Where I currently call dances:
Florida
Chesterton Academy, Winter Park (started in 2023) - Semi-annually
ECD of Seminole County (started in 2022) - Every other month or so
Geneva (started in 2020) - Monthly
Legacy for Christ, Winter Park (started in 2022) - Annually
Minneola Classical Conversations homeschool group (started in 2023) - Semi-annually
Smith Prep Academy, Longwood (started in 2022) - Annually
Willow Creek Home Educators group (started in 2023) - Monthly
North Carolina
Knightdale (started in 2022) - Semi-annually
Mocksville (started in 2022) - Semi-annually
Pennsylvania
Galilee (started in 2022) - Annual "Literary" Ball (everyone dressed as their favorite literary character)
Virginia
Williamsburg (15+ years) - MOMYS group educational retreat every March
Louisa County (20+ years) - Every few months
Where I have called in the past:
Clermont, FL
Prom for the Real Life homeschool group
Albany, GA
16th birthday party
Kanawha, IA
Ball for a homeschool group
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Wedding reception for friends
Medford, OR (4 years)
Various 4th of July balls
Whitewright, TX (5 years)
Various summer balls
Ashland, VA (5 years)
Christmas balls at Scotchtown (Patrick Henry's home)
Charlottesville, VA (5 years)
Thomas Jefferson's Thanksgiving balls
Richmond, VA
In celebration of Patrick Henry's famous speech at St John's Church
Stanardsville, VA (3 years)
Annual Strawberry Festival
Marlinton, WV (Watoga State Park)
Family reunion for friends
Our dance group in front of Scotchtown, Patrick Henry's home, for a Christmas Ball!
Why I do this:
For the money, of course. Just kidding! In fact, I don't officially charge for what I do - I never want a group to not be able to learn ECD because they can't afford the caller. We can talk further about this aspect when we work on other details.
I teach ECD because it is something that whole families can do and enjoy together, no matter what age. I love seeing people learning something new and fun, and giving them an evening of great memories! It is so rewarding to watch dads dance with their daughters, moms dance with their sons, and so many other combinations of generations dancing with each other.
Interested?
Let me know if you would like your group to learn ECD as a fun and memorable event! Complete the form below with your contact information, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
The Waltz (box step):
The waltz is an older dance than ECD. Some say that it originated in the 13th century. During the breaks of an event, 'colonial waltz' music is sometimes played, in order to give people the opportunity to waltz together.
If you want to learn how, here are some excellent teaching videos: