Tony Parkes presents: “Diversity in Square Dancing”

Thursday March 25, 2021, at 8:00pm EST

Learn about the African roots of dance calling, the Black presence in square dancing throughout the 20th century, and the variety of squares now danced by people of color from Arctic Canada to the Caribbean. Illustrated with many video and audio clips.

An .mp4 recording of Tony's talk is available for download here (1,677 Mb)

A recording of Tony's talk is also available on Facebook Live.

Tony Parkes is one of the most experienced square and contra dance callers in North America. He started calling in 1964, possibly the first of the "baby boom" generation to do so. Since then he has taught and called contras and New England squares in 35 states, Canada, and Europe; led numerous callers' training workshops; produced many recordings of dance music with and without calls, served on the boards of several dance organizations, and published two collections of original squares and contras. Based in the Boston area, he calls extensively throughout New England for both casual and experienced dancers, and is a frequent headliner at large dance events across the nation and the world. Website: hands4.com