SDFH Contra Dance Callers
Steve Barlow
I started contra dancing upon moving to San Diego in 1991. I loved it! Not long afterward, I learned how to call, and joined the caller rotation in 1994. I like to program a variety of dances and steps, from introductory to advanced, so all levels of dancers can say "I really enjoyed that night of dancing". When not dancing and calling, I'm paying the bills as the director of the Electron Microscope Facility at San Diego State University.
Graham Hempel
Graham made his debut as a contra dance caller with the San Diego Folk Heritage in 1994. When he's not calling at dances, Graham spends most of his time teaching practical and theoretical dance courses in folk, ballroom, ethnology, pedagogy, and history as an associate professor of dance in the School of Music & Dance at San Diego State University. He also loves playing chess, watching old movies, cooking, and hiking.
JoAnn Koppany
After teaching Scandinavian dance for several years, I became
interested in calling contra dances. I've been a contra dance caller
in San Diego since 1994. I also play 5-string banjo for dances with
two bands: Old Twine String Band and Pick of the Lizard. No matter what
part I'm playing (dancer, musician or caller), I love becoming one with
the
dance, the music, and the people in the room. As a caller, I enjoy
guiding all levels of dancers through an interesting selection of
dances in terms of figures, transitions, and flow.
Chris Page
I started contra dancing in Philadelphia in 2001 and quickly got hooked. By early 2003 I started calling, and I moved to San Diego in 2005. I'm especially interested both in the history of contra dance as a whole, and the aesthetics of individual dance sequences.
Martha Wild
I've been calling contradances in San Diego for about 18 years, and play piano for contras in the Old Twine String Band, Ranting Banshee, and with our community band, The More the Merrier. I like a dance with variety in the program, in terms of figures, transitions, and pace, and I plan my own programs accordingly. I also like to leave newcomers feeling competent and wanting more, and yet provide excitement for the old-timers as well.