From the Mic

Mary Wesley, CDSS
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Performing Arts
  • Updated Monthly

Host Mary Wesley takes you behind the caller's mic to explore perspectives from the people who choose to stand in that curious place between the band and a roomful of dancers. Featuring conversations with callers of American social dance forms (contras, community dances, trad squares). Why do they do it? How did they learn? What is their role, on stage and off, in shaping our dance communities?

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 36 - Emily Rush

    Click here to download a transcript of the episode. Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Emily leads a Rushfest dance during a late night session at Youth Dance Weekend 2016.Emily Rush calling with Buddy System at the first ever Catalina Dance Weekend!Emily Rush calls the Readbeard Reel by Bob Isaacs at a Rushfest dance at Butterfly Whirl dance weekend on Saturday, 23 May 2026 at Decatur Recreation Center, Decatur, GA.Other things! The Rushfest website! Great videos, workouts, samples of Emily's music mixes, and the amazing Code of Excellence! Make sure to check it out!Want to learn how to mix music like Emily does for Rushfest? Guess what!? She just did an online workshop for CDSS about this and you can watch the workshop recording right here: Mixing It Up: Making Recorded Music Work for Contra Dance with Emily Rush See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

  2. Aug 29

    Episode 35 - Margaret Bary

    Download the full transcript here. Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Margaret calls the English country dance Trip to Tunbridge at Pinewoods Camp in 2026 Margaret calls an English country dance she composed with her husband, Jeff—New Map at Pinewoods Camp in 2026 See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

  3. Jun 26

    Episode 34 - Ghislain Jutras

    Download the full transcript here. Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Ghislain calling a square dance in Sutton, QC with music by Patrice Boucher, Richard Forest, and Tristan Henderson Ghislain calling at the Comboros festival in France (recording courtesy of Ghislain) Ghislain calling at a veillée de danse traditionnelle, an evening of traditional dance in Quebec City with music by Le Vent de Nord. Other things! Gigi's Link Tree full of great videos, resources for callers, and his gig schedule. Make sure to check it out! See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

  4. 12/12/2025

    Episode 33 - Bill Olson

    Click to view a full transcript of the episode Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Bill calling his contra dance Weeks on the Road at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH in 2020Bill calling the singing square dance On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH in 2020 See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

  5. 10/31/2025

    Episode 32 - Lindsey Dono

    Click here for the episode transcript Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Lindsey calling the dance “Susie's Send-Off" by Scott Higgs with music by Audrey Jaber and Alex Cumming at the Lake City Contra Dance in Seattle on April 17, 2025.  Lindsey calling the dance "Labor of Love" by Kathy Anderson with music by Pachelbel's Bazooka (Claude Ginsburg, Dave Bartley, and Anita Anderson] at the Emerald City Contra Dance at Phinney Neighborhood Center, in Seattle, Washington on February 3, 2023Other things! Lindsey's very own website. Make sure to check out:Dance choreography!Hear more wisdom from Lindsey and others in this great online workshop from CDSS: The Caller’s Toolbox: Gender-free Calling for Contra CallersCheck out a recent story from KNKX Public Radio featuring Lindsey and others from the Seattle dance community. See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

  6. 05/07/2025

    Episode 31 - Ang DeCarlis

    Click here for the episode transcript Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Ang calls the dance The Magpie and the Seal by David Zinkin with music from Sycamore (Cedar Stanistreet, Samuel Foucher, Michael Sokolovsky) at the Mt. Airy Contra DanceAng calls their dance Golden Girl with music by Gus La Casse on fiddle, and Pepin Mittelhauser on guitar and mandolin at the BIDA dance in July 2024Other things! Ang's very own website. Make sure to check out:Dance compositions, including the dream dance "Golden Girl"Dance Safety Illustrations See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

  7. 03/08/2025

    Episode 30 - Jeremy Korr

    Click here to download the transcript Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Jeremy calling the dance 16 for Gregg by Luke Donforth with music by The Syncopaths (Ryan McKasson, Ashley Hoyer, Christa Burch, and Jeff Spero) at the 2025 Fiddling Frog Dance Weekend in Pasadena, CA.Jeremy calling a square dance with music from the band Big Fun (Marty Somberg, Rob Nuhn, Myron Grant, and Lance Wagner) at the 2012 Ann Arbor Dawn Dance. See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

  8. 01/02/2025

    Episode 29 - The Amidons

    See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. Click here to download the transcript directly And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Peter leads his class of 8-10 year olds in the traditional playparty game "The Noble Duke of York" to the New England Dancing Masters recording from their Rise Sally Rise CD at the July 2022 Country Dance & Song Society Ogontz Family Camp.Peter teaches "La Bastringue", a traditional French Canadian circle dance to some fourth graders in a clip from the New England Dancing Masters DVD Chimes of Dunkirk - Teaching Dance to Children.Peter and Mary Alice dance and sing the Lorraine Hammond singing game The Tree Song, which can be found in New England Dancing Masters' book and companion CD Down in the Valley - More Great Singing Games for Children.Other links Peter and Mary Alice's website - Amidon Community MusicThe New England Dancing Masters websiteBow Tie Music - many examples of NEDM dances here in this wonderful collection!Pourparler - Gathering of music and dance teachers hosted by the National Folk Organization See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Host Mary Wesley takes you behind the caller's mic to explore perspectives from the people who choose to stand in that curious place between the band and a roomful of dancers. Featuring conversations with callers of American social dance forms (contras, community dances, trad squares). Why do they do it? How did they learn? What is their role, on stage and off, in shaping our dance communities?

Information

  • Creator
    Mary Wesley, CDSS
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    From the Mic

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