In 2019, Dudley will be on staff for the full June week (June 16-21) offering a dance calling workshop. His focus will be on calling dances for one-night stands, weddings, barn dances, birthday parties and community dances with participants of all ages and abilities, that don’t need much teaching. You’ll learn how to call without cards and to play an instrument at the same time (if you wish). He’ll discuss how to choose music for whole set/circle dances, when or when not to use certain dances, the history of these dances/music and his personal connection to both.

His focus will be on circle/square and whole-set dances including: Brandy Simple, Brandy Sherbrooke, Sir Roger de Coverly, Over the Top, Low-Backed Car, Annie Laurie, Old Cotillion, Big Circle, La Bastringue, Celebrated Opera Reel and possibly contras, if there’s an interest.

There will be just one class session per day (during the specialty workshop time slot), allowing for participants to also attend instrument classes. Dudley will also make himself available to any camp instructors who wish to take advantage of his substantial knowledge of the history of the tunes and dancing in New England and can drop in to classes, as requested.

June Week

• Dudley Laufman

  Dance Caller, Musician, Poet, Storyteller Recipient of 2009 National Heritage Fellowship Award (from the National Endowment for the Arts) Dudley has spent a lifetime calling dances & playing music throughout New England. He learned to call his first dance while in high school at the Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole, MA from a professor’s wife named Maude Ashman. The year was 1948! (more)