Country Dancing in Kalamazoo

Country Dancing in Kalamazoo sponsors great American and English traditional dancing to live music. Local callers are at some dances, out-of-town callers at others. All dances are taught. New dancers (singles and couples) are always welcome and should come early; dances get more challenging during the evening. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for energetic dancing. No smoking, no alcohol. A snack or beverage to share during the break is always welcome. Upcoming events. Membership letter: Microsoft Word document. Membership and volunteer forms: Microsoft Word document. Schedule of Saturday dances: Microsoft Word document. Schedule of Wednesday and Sunday dances: Microsoft Word document. Flyer for Sunday dances: Microsoft Word document. The Board of Country Dancing in Kalamazoo. Links to Other Country Dancing and Folk Life in Southern Michigan. Gallery of photographs of dancing at the Oshtemo Grange.

Calendar of Dances for 2007–2008

September 2007

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8 Contra and Square Dance caller Mike Clark Brook Farm String Band
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19 English Country Dance caller Jan Coray Thorn Among the Roses	20	21	22 Contra and Square Dance open microphone Brook Farm String Band
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30

October 2007

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7 Dance Just for Fun callers Danika Murray, Eric McDaniel recorded music	8	9	10	11	12	13 Contra and Square Dance caller Dot Kent New Bad Habits
14	15	16	17 English Country Dance caller Roger Williams Thorn Among the Roses	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27 Advanced Contra and Square Dance caller Steve Pike Pigheaded Outcasts
28	29	30	31

November 2007

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
				1	2	3
4 Dance Just for Fun callers Roger Williams, Mike Clark, Danika Murray recorded music	5	6	7	8	9	10 Contra and Square Dance caller Mike Clark Rhythm Billies
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21 English Country Dance caller Jan Coray Thorn Among the Roses	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

December 2007

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
						1
2 Dance Just for Fun callers Danika Murray, Eric McDaniel recorded music	3	4	5	6	7	8 potluck dinner at 5:30pm Contras and Square Dance caller Glen Morningstar Brook Farm String Band
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19 English Country Dance callers Roger Williams, Jan Coray Thorn Among the Roses	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

January 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
		1	2	3	4	5
6 Dance Just for Fun callers Roger Williams, Mike Clark recorded music	7	8	9	10	11	12 Contra and Square Dance caller Mike Clark Fiddle Fire
13	14	15	16	17 English Country Dance caller Roger Williams Thorn Among the Roses	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26 Contra and Square Dance open microphone Brook Farm String Band
27	28	29	30	31

February 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					1	2
3 Dance Just for Fun callers Danika Murray, Eric McDaniel recorded music	4	5	6	7	8	9 Contra and Square Dance callers Laurie Pietravalle, Julie Warners Scalar Scalawags
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20 English Country Dance Jan Coray Thorn Among the Roses	21	22	23 Advanced Contra and Square Dance caller Danika Murray Fiddle Fire
24	25	26	27	28	29

March 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
						1
2 no dance	3	4	5	6	7	8 Contra and Square Dance caller Barry Dupen Brook Farm String Band
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19 English Country Dance caller Jan Coray Thorn Among the Roses	20	21	22 Contra and Square Dance callers Jan Coray, Karin Neils Cosmic Gravity
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

April 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
		1	2	3	4	5
6 Dance Just for Fun callers Danika Murray, Eric McDaniel recorded music	7	8	9	10	11	12 Contra and Square Dance caller Danika Murray Fiddle Fire
13	14	15	16 English Country Dance caller Roger Williams Thorn Among the Roses	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26 Contra and Square Dance open microphone Brook Farm String Band
27	28	29	30

May 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
				1	2	3
4 Dance Just for Fun callers Roger Williams, Mike Clark, Danika Murray recorded music	5	6	7	8	9	10 potluck dinner at 5:30pm CDK annual meeting at 6:30pm Contra and Square Dance caller Mike Clark Brook Farm String Band
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21 English Country Dance caller Roger Williams Thorn Among the Roses	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

June 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14 Contra and Square Dance caller Kathy Anderson Fiddle Fire
15 Advanced Contra and Square Dance caller Kathy Anderson Fiddle Fire	16	17	18 English Country Dance caller Glen Morningstar band Thorn Among the Roses with Earl Gaddis	19	20	21
22	23	24	26	26	27	28
29	30

Check back in August 2008 for the schedule of dances for the 2008–2009 season.

• September 8, October 13, November 10, December 8 (pot-luck dinner at 5:30), January 12, February 9, March 8, March 22, April 12, May 10 (pot-luck dinner at 5:30), June 14 ($6 students, $8 members, $10 others)
• 7:30pm to 10:30pm
• Dance skills workshop at 7:00pm
• Oshtemo Grange, corner of 3rd Street and H Avenue, west of Kalamazoo (exit 38B off US-131, west 3.5 miles on M-43, Big Rock Drive to 3rd Street, north 1.5 miles to H Avenue).
  
• Admission is $4 for students, $6 for members, $8 for others.
• For more information, call Mike at 269-372-7613.

• September 22, January 26, April 26
• 7:30pm to 10:30pm
• Dance skills workshop at 7:00pm.
• Oshtemo Grange, corner of 3rd Street and H Avenue, west of Kalamazoo (exit 38B off US-131, west 3.5 miles on M-43, Big Rock Drive to 3rd Street, north 1.5 miles to H Avenue).
  
• Admission is $4 for students, $6 for members, $8 for others.
• A great opportunity for novice callers and a great opportunity for dance fun for all.
• Call Danika at 269-674-3078 by the preceding Wednesday to get on the caller roster.

• October 27, February 23, June 15 (2pm to 5pm, $6 students, $8 members, $10 others)
• 7:30pm to 10:30pm
• Oshtemo Grange, corner of 3rd Street and H Avenue, west of Kalamazoo (exit 38B off US-131, west 3.5 miles on M-43, Big Rock Drive to 3rd Street, north 1.5 miles to H Avenue).
  
• For dancers who dance with ease in time to the music, know all the basic figures (including heys, contra corners, grand square, etc.) and formations, and easily position and orient themselves moving from one figure to the next. If you often don't know which direction to face or have to hurry to catch up, you will find these dances too difficult to be enjoyable. Children over the age of eight who are skilled and experienced dancers are welcome. Children who usually require adult guidance will find these dances too difficult. One walkthrough for each dance. Figures will NOT be taught. No skills workshop before the dance.
• Admission is $4 for students, $6 for members, $8 for others.
• For more information, call Mike at 269-372-7613.

• September 19, October 17, November 21, December 19, January 16, February 20, March 19, April 16, May 21, June 18 (end of season dance: 7:30pm to 10:30pm; $4 for students, $6 for members, $8 for others)
• 7:30pm to 9:30pm
• Oshtemo Grange, corner of 3rd Street and H Avenue, west of Kalamazoo (exit 38B off US-131, west 3.5 miles on M-43, Big Rock Drive to 3rd Street, north 1.5 miles to H Avenue).
  
• Admission is $3 for students, $4 for others.
• For more information, call Roger at 269-375-4867.

• October 7, November 4, December 2, January 6, Februray 3, April 6, May 4
• 2:00pm to 5:00pm.
• Oshtemo Grange, corner of 3rd Street and H Avenue, west of Kalamazoo (exit 38B off US-131, west 3.5 miles on M-43, Big Rock Drive to 3rd Street, north 1.5 miles to H Avenue).
  
• Admission is $4 for students, $5 for others.
• An afternoon of variety in couples dances and set dances. Learn style and skill in a fun, relaxed, supportive atmosphere. It's a workshop and a party!
• For more information, call Roger at 269-375-4867.

The Board of Country Dancing in Kalamazoo

Drew Bolton, Assistant Treasurer
Sherry Brodock, Secretary
George Broomell, Vice President
Luis Gamez
Mike Clark, Treasurer
Jan Coray
Cal Lamoreaux
Becky Lawson
Danika Murray, President
Sherry Opalka
Barry Taylor
Alashar Waltz
Roger Williams

Links to Other Country Dancing and Folk Life around Southern Michigan

K'zoo Folklife Organization of Kalamazoo.
Allegan Woods Folk Arts Cooperative near Holland.
Dance schedule of the Grand River Folk Arts Society of Grand Rapids.
Looking Glass Music and Arts Association of Lansing.
Ten Pound Fiddle of Lansing.
Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance (AACTMAD).
Michigan Dance Heritage.
Goshen Community Contra Dancing of Goshen, Indiana.
Oakland County Traditional Dance Society.
Ted Crane's Dance Database.
Cal Lamoreaux's page of events in the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids area.
Charlie Seelig's page of dances in the Great Lakes region.
Kiran Wagle's page of contra dance information.