Posts :: contra (rss)
I help organize our local dance, started our dance weekend, play for dances with my two bands, lead open bands, maintain listings of local dances and weekends/camps/etc, and used to call.
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Dance DifferentiationNovember 14, 2024
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Contra Musician Gender IINovember 12, 2024
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Festival Stats 2024November 11, 2024
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Making a PedalboardOctober 24, 2024
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Sleeping on StageOctober 21, 2024
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Becket FirstSeptember 22, 2024
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Keyboard GremlinsSeptember 19, 2024
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Restructuring Pop Songs for ContraAugust 18, 2024
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Spark in the Dark Guest SpotsJuly 13, 2024
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Cross RobinJune 26, 2024
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Kingfisher Summer Tour 2024June 25, 2024
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Calling My Second Family DanceJune 17, 2024
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Two Family Dance FlyersJune 09, 2024
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Contra Caller Gender IIIMay 15, 2024
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Somerville Porchfest ThoughtsMay 13, 2024
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Experience Switching to Right Shoulder RoundMay 08, 2024
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Playing Northboro with Lily and RickApril 27, 2024
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Contra Chord SimplificationApril 20, 2024
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Events Booking New Callers?April 19, 2024
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Four Local GigsApril 15, 2024
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BIDA Election ThoughtsApril 02, 2024
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Historical Contra Swing HoldsMarch 28, 2024
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Where are the Contra Dances?March 20, 2024
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Parent-Friendly Dance WeekendsMarch 19, 2024
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How Much Have I Been Playing?March 11, 2024
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Attending Sold-Out Beantown StompMarch 03, 2024
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Tour Retrospective February 2024February 28, 2024
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Band Lessons?February 27, 2024
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Kingfisher Winter Tour 2024February 16, 2024
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On Not Requiring VaccinationFebruary 01, 2024
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Who Organizes Dances?January 22, 2024
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Live Sound: Big-O ImprovementsJanuary 15, 2024
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Vote With Your FaceJanuary 13, 2024
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Bands And Low-stakes DancesDecember 04, 2023
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Festival Stats 2023November 13, 2023
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Changing Contra DialectsOctober 26, 2023
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Contra Dance Dialect SurveyOctober 22, 2023
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Honor System for Vaccination?September 24, 2023
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Ask for Feelings not TunesSeptember 17, 2023
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Relational SpeakingJune 21, 2023
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Approaches to ThumpJune 19, 2023
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Alaska TripJune 18, 2023
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TryContra EventsJune 13, 2023
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Bringing Little Kids to Contra DancesJune 08, 2023
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Contra Mask StatusJune 05, 2023
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Thoughts on Dancing the Whole Dance: Positional Calling for ContraJune 02, 2023
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Dancing to Positional CallingMay 31, 2023
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T-Shirt Size DistributionMay 22, 2023
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Running Sound for YourselfMay 20, 2023
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Two Axes of Contra BandsMay 19, 2023
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Contra Caller SignsMay 11, 2023
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Dance Profit SharingMay 08, 2023
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Vaccine Policies Need UpdatingApril 30, 2023
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Bits of NEFFAApril 22, 2023
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Boston Social Dance Covid RequirementsApril 11, 2023
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Kingfisher Album KickstarterMarch 23, 2023
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Live Kingfisher Album?March 01, 2023
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Lessons From TryContraFebruary 15, 2023
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Help Update TryContraFebruary 14, 2023
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How Cardioid Are Cardioids?February 12, 2023
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Contra: Changing Role TermsFebruary 10, 2023
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Contra Dance LengthsJanuary 31, 2023
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Can GPT-3 Write Contra Dances?December 03, 2022
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NEFFA Should Allow Small ChildrenNovember 25, 2022
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Contra ChordsNovember 18, 2022
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Catharsis in BbNovember 11, 2022
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Chord NotationNovember 09, 2022
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Open Bands: Leading RhythmOctober 26, 2022
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Dance Weekends: Tests not MasksOctober 24, 2022
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Drafting a Covid SurveyOctober 18, 2022
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Calling my First Family DanceOctober 16, 2022
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Glossary Dance GameOctober 12, 2022
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Preparing to Call a Family DanceOctober 07, 2022
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Set List ApproachesSeptember 23, 2022
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Failed Adventures in DelaySeptember 19, 2022
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Guitar Pedals on FiddleSeptember 06, 2022
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Another Unphrased B-partSeptember 05, 2022
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Fully Live Electronic ContraSeptember 03, 2022
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Safety Committee ResourcesAugust 31, 2022
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Contra Dance Contact TracingAugust 26, 2022
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Microphone on Electric Mandolin IIJune 06, 2022
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BIDA Air Quality MeasurementsMay 16, 2022
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Microphone on Electric MandolinMay 09, 2022
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Contra Dance Mask PolicyMay 06, 2022
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What Chords Do You Need?April 11, 2022
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Boston Contra: Fully Gender-FreeApril 09, 2022
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Contra: Avoiding Sore ArmsApril 06, 2022
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How to ventilateMarch 20, 2022
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Experience Restarting ContraMarch 12, 2022
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Rhythm Stage Setup v4March 11, 2022
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It's Ok to Dance AgainNovember 11, 2021
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Vaccine Requirements, Age, and FairnessNovember 02, 2021
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Comparing Options For Safer EventsNovember 01, 2021
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Indoor dancing is safe enoughOctober 31, 2021
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Outdoor dancing is likely very safeOctober 10, 2021
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Porchfest 2021October 03, 2021
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Making a Kingfisher VideoMarch 13, 2021
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Dancing With CovidOctober 10, 2020
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Rhythm Stage Setup v3April 05, 2020
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Approaches to Electronic ContraMarch 28, 2020
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Beantown Stomp 2020 RetrospectiveMarch 23, 2020
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It's Time To Stop DancingMarch 08, 2020
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Stretching the BeatFebruary 27, 2020
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Playing with ArpeggiatorsFebruary 21, 2020
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Assembling Sets for ContraFebruary 18, 2020
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Porting My Rhythm SetupJanuary 25, 2020
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Fiddle Effects TechJanuary 17, 2020
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Beantown Stomp Registration UpdateJanuary 12, 2020
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Farewell to the EntertainerJanuary 09, 2020
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Looking at MixersJanuary 06, 2020
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BIDA Musician BookingDecember 31, 2019
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Dance Weekend Schedule ChecklistDecember 02, 2019
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How To Change a DanceNovember 29, 2019
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Bass in Contra DanceNovember 25, 2019
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Hybrid Lottery UpdateNovember 21, 2019
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Dance Weekends: How Much do you Play?November 11, 2019
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Band CoachingNovember 06, 2019
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Playing Dances With a KidNovember 03, 2019
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New BIDA Safety DocsOctober 22, 2019
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Festival Stats 2019October 17, 2019
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Hybrid Lottery AdmissionOctober 07, 2019
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Advanced DancesOctober 06, 2019
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Battery Powered Contra IIAugust 17, 2019
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Larks/Robins?July 28, 2019
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Battery Powered ContraJuly 26, 2019
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Sliding ScaleJuly 13, 2019
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Standing Offer: Contra Music FeedbackJuly 09, 2019
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Larks/Ravens and NewcomersJuly 08, 2019
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Where are the new instruments?July 05, 2019
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Real Time Bass WhistlingJuly 02, 2019
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Bass WhistlingJune 29, 2019
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Positional CallingJune 27, 2019
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Footboard V3June 25, 2019
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Instrumental VocalsJune 19, 2019
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Rhythm Stage Setup v2June 16, 2019
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Adjustible BoosterJune 15, 2019
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History of Larks/RavensJune 10, 2019
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Beantown Stomp: Sliding ScaleJune 03, 2019
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Lessons From Dropping OutMay 25, 2019
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Less Simple Contra Dance PianoMay 22, 2019
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Scattered Tour ThoughtsMay 20, 2019
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2019 TourMay 07, 2019
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Masonic Hall ACApril 26, 2019
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What is Phrasing in Contra Dance?April 16, 2019
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Right Shoulder RoundApril 11, 2019
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Trycontra ImplementationApril 01, 2019
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Beantown Stomp RetrospectiveMarch 25, 2019
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Beantown Stomp: Low FragranceMarch 04, 2019
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Beantown Stomp: Handling RegistrationsFebruary 28, 2019
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Beantown Stomp: Registration NumbersFebruary 25, 2019
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Outcomes of a Safety ReportDecember 29, 2018
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Taking a Safety ReportDecember 14, 2018
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Acoustic FootboardDecember 12, 2018
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Taking someone asideDecember 07, 2018
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Legal questions around safety committeesNovember 14, 2018
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Right-hand mandolin or guitarNovember 11, 2018
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Blinky LightsOctober 21, 2018
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Figuring out soundsOctober 14, 2018
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Festival Stats 2018October 05, 2018
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What is Live?September 26, 2018
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Dance Weekend UpdateJune 07, 2018
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Thinking about organizing a weekendMay 08, 2018
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Larks and Ravens: how you can helpApril 25, 2018
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Footboard v2April 08, 2018
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BIDA Family Dance TimingApril 02, 2018
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Communicating about contra dance soundMarch 16, 2018
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Touring As a Contra BandMarch 07, 2018
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Contra Dance Weekend Musician GenderFebruary 21, 2018
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More Musician GenderFebruary 13, 2018
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Recording your own CDJanuary 31, 2018
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Contra Dance Admission SurveyDecember 28, 2017
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Contra Caller Gender IIOctober 28, 2017
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Festival Stats 2017October 27, 2017
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Change in Dance WeekendsOctober 20, 2017
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Gender-Free Role Term Usage 2October 19, 2017
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L and R hand positionsSeptember 24, 2017
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Getting Booked For Dances IISeptember 23, 2017
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Role Term Survey ResponsesFebruary 10, 2017
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Visual Role MarkersFebruary 01, 2017
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Gender-Free Role Term UsageJanuary 26, 2017
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How Much do Dance Weekends Pay?December 16, 2016
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Effect of CatapultDecember 15, 2016
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BIDA Compensation at Various Funding LevelsDecember 14, 2016
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Simple Contra Speaker PlacementDecember 07, 2016
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BIDA Attendance UpdateDecember 06, 2016
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Caller LocationsNovember 16, 2016
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Festival Stats 2016November 05, 2016
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Tune FreedomSeptember 18, 2016
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Safety PolicyJuly 19, 2016
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BIDA board over timeJuly 11, 2016
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How Does Streaming Pay?July 07, 2016
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Gendered PartneringJuly 04, 2016
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On not making assumptionsJune 27, 2016
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Handling CD MoneyJune 19, 2016
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When Are Dance Weekends?April 29, 2016
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Fat Bear's ReelMarch 03, 2016
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BIDA Caller Booking HistoryDecember 23, 2015
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Declining dancesDecember 08, 2015
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Contra Caller GenderNovember 18, 2015
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Booking IntervalsOctober 27, 2015
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Historical Weekend StatsOctober 26, 2015
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Festival Stats 2015October 24, 2015
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Learning Contra GuitarSeptember 24, 2015
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Event OwnershipSeptember 21, 2015
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Cliche ContraJune 15, 2015
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Booking Arms RaceApril 27, 2015
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Even More on Lead-FollowFebruary 27, 2015
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History of the term "Gypsy"February 14, 2015
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Calling to Isolated SetsDecember 11, 2014
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Leading An Open BandOctober 06, 2014
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Contra Hand RolesOctober 1, 2014
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Getting Back OnSeptember 26, 2014
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Trombone PartsSeptember 24, 2014
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Contra Dance Mandolin: Chords IIAugust 09, 2014
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Contra Weekend HeatmapAugust 01, 2014
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Contra HeatmapJuly 31, 2014
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Reference Contra Dance Sound SystemJuly 23, 2014
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WhoopsJuly 22, 2014
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Free Raisins CD Release TourJune 27, 2014
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Matching Tunes To DancesMay 01, 2014
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Written Music: CorrienteApril 30, 2014
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Why I Can't Stand Japanese Square DancersApril 15, 2014
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Contra Dance InstrumentationMarch 30, 2014
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Gendered Instruments?March 29, 2014
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Choosing Contra Dance ShoesMarch 18, 2014
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Transcribing a SetMarch 04, 2014
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Contra Pay VariabilityFebruary 26, 2014
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Dance Weekend and Festival SurveyFebruary 18, 2014
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Fix Gents Chain?February 10, 2014
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Contra Dance Band SizeJanuary 26, 2014
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Getting Booked For DancesDecember 28, 2013
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You Should Try Contra DanceNovember 09, 2013
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Dance Website ChecklistOctober 19, 2013
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Where Can I Dance?October 18, 2013
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Stressful CallingOctober 07, 2013
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Can You Copyright A Contra Dance?September 27, 2013
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Asking dancers their preferred roleSeptember 20, 2013
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Repertoire SizeSeptember 18, 2013
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Port and StarboardSeptember 17, 2013
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Contra Figure FrequenciesSeptember 14, 2013
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Contra Dance HandshakesSeptember 05, 2013
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Double Echo CallingAugust 16, 2013
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Slap-StompingJuly 28, 2013
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Equal CornersJuly 22, 2013
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Old-time music for contras?July 16, 2013
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Free Raisins Summer Tour 2013July 09, 2013
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BIDA SignsJuly 08, 2013
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Contra Flourish WorkshopsJune 28, 2013
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How Should BIDA Finance a Sound System?June 07, 2013
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Contra: Looking Back 25 YearsJune 04, 2013
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Calling to the GentsMay 25, 2013
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Same-Gender Dancing and HomophobiaApril 10, 2013
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Learning every partMarch 21, 2013
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What is leading in contra?March 13, 2013
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How should BIDA do gender free contra?March 05, 2013
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Music: Concerts and DancingJanuary 21, 2013
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Simple Satisfying DancesJanuary 19, 2013
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Free Raisins CD: Live Summer 2012January 08, 2013
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Role Names in ContraJanuary 04, 2013
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RCT of ads for BIDADecember 15, 2012
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Calling Mad RobinNovember 26, 2012
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BIDA Dance ReportsNovember 19, 2012
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Free Raisins VideosNovember 18, 2012
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Songs for the Free Raisins?November 07, 2012
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Audio Interface + Laptop = MixerNovember 01, 2012
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Contra Cliquishness: Healthy?October 30, 2012
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Raw Attendance and Financial NumbersOctober 25, 2012
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Masonic Hall CeilingOctober 24, 2012
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'Lady' and 'Gent'October 05, 2012
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Record Your PlayingSeptember 17, 2012
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Draft NEFFA Sound FormSeptember 03, 2012
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Medleys and tune changesSeptember 01, 2012
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BIDA Health: Attendance and FinancialsAugust 23, 2012
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BIDA and Special EventsAugust 21, 2012
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Unphrased sections of contrasAugust 20, 2012
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How much does it cost to tour?August 06, 2012
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Dance WeekendsAugust 05, 2012
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Band Names and ArticlesAugust 04, 2012
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Open Strings in Dance MusicJuly 29, 2012
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Trumpet at Glen EchoJuly 28, 2012
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Do women and men have different motives at contra dances?July 24, 2012
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The Two Kinds of FeedbackJuly 23, 2012
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Women asking men to danceJuly 17, 2012
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Fiddle Clip-on Microphone PlacementJuly 15, 2012
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Free Raisins Summer TourJuly 01, 2012
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When bands play confusing musicJune 13, 2012
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Microphone TestingJune 10, 2012
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Live Music and TechnologyJune 04, 2012
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The Sound of a Keyboard vs PianoMay 23, 2012
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Contra Dance Sound: Mic PlacementMay 21, 2012
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Free Raisins Over TimeMay 19, 2012
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Sound Reflection: CDNYMay 15, 2012
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The changing dynamic of contraMay 11, 2012
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Sound ReflectionMay 10, 2012
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MIT Contra; 48 bar danceMay 09, 2012
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Dance Both RolesMay 08, 2012
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Booking ahead at contrasMay 06, 2012
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Don't teach proper formation unless you need itMay 04, 2012
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Keyboard Sound For GymsApril 22, 2012
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Contra Dance Sound PolicyApril 19, 2012
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Old Loud InstrumentsMarch 21, 2012
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Echo CallingMarch 19, 2012
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Best contra dance video for non-dancers?March 08, 2012
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Piano and Contra DanceMarch 06, 2012
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Calling "Just Because"February 29, 2012
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Traditional and RetroFebruary 27, 2012
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Waltz TemposFebruary 17, 2012
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Wrapping BassFebruary 02, 2012
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Hall Managing at BIDAFebruary 01, 2012
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Group CoordinationJanuary 29, 2012
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Fourth Saturday Contra Dance in CambridgeJanuary 26, 2012
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CloggingJanuary 24, 2012
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Singing Squares: Just BecauseJanuary 22, 2012
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Why does the BIDA open band work well?January 17, 2012
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Singing SquaresJanuary 14, 2012
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Age Segregation at ContrasJanuary 01, 2012
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Contra Dance Sound: SystemDecember 21, 2011
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Who needs phrasing?December 19, 2011
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Contra Dance Mandolin: ChordsDecember 15, 2011
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Playing for the dancersDecember 08, 2011
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Dances, Structure, and BrandingNovember 27, 2011
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Cambridge Stomp BalanceNovember 23, 2011
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Squares, Contras, PhrasingNovember 12, 2011
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Notes From A Contra Calling WorkshopNovember 06, 2011
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Calling ChordsOctober 19, 2011
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Found a startup; limit dance organizingOctober 06, 2011
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Playing the Pie DanceSeptember 26, 2011
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Old Swarthmore Folkdance VideosSeptember 21, 2011
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Sunday Night Dance CommitteeSeptember 15, 2011
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Boston Hall SearchSeptember 13, 2011
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Boston Needs a Centrally Located Weekly Contra DanceSeptember 12, 2011
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Mandolin Microphone PlacementSeptember 11, 2011
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Contra Dance Sound: MicrophonesAugust 27, 2011
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Contra Dance Sound: MixerAugust 26, 2011
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Tune: Corriente Del GolfoAugust 22, 2011
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Teach Yourselves The HeyAugust 19, 2011
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Outdoor Contra Last NightAugust 18, 2011
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Playing the Cotuit Contra Dance with the Free RaisinsAugust 14, 2011
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Multicaller Evening at the New Old VFWAugust 13, 2011
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Calling With LightsAugust 07, 2011
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Contra Dance and Sexist Terminology: Two PerspectivesJuly 31, 2011
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Contra Dance UnpluggedJuly 18, 2011
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New MA Fire Regs For DancesJuly 17, 2011
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Dance Organization Fees SummaryJuly 08, 2011
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Outdoor ContraJuly 06, 2011
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Dancing Around 1900July 04, 2011
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Techno Contra and PhrasingJune 28, 2011
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Simple Contra Dance Piano: More Left HandJune 09, 2011
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Simple Contra Dance Piano: Interesting Left HandJune 08, 2011
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Simple Contra Dance PianoJune 07, 2011
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Informal Contra In Davis Square VMay 26, 2011
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A Plot To Get People Hooked On CallingMay 19, 2011
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MIT Multi-Caller EveningMay 18, 2011
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Sound For Really Long HallsMay 11, 2011
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Models Of Contra DanceMay 07, 2011
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Octave Fiddle: VideoApril 21, 2011
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Playing octave fiddleApril 20, 2011
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Calling at a Birthday PartyApril 10, 2011
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Two Contras: Arisia and FARTJanuary 15, 2011
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Junket SquareJanuary 09, 2011
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Making a Foot Percussion BoardNovember 21, 2010
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Tune AppreciationNovember 20, 2010
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A Complete Tune Index of ContracastNovember 03, 2010
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Contracast: lots of free contra dance musicOctober 30, 2010
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Crooked Tunes for Ordinary DancesOctober 26, 2010
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Brandeis Dance 2010-10-09October 11, 2010
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New Calls in Contra DanceOctober 08, 2010
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Video: Contra in Nelson NH 1964July 15, 2010
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Etiquitte of Folk and Square DanceJuly 11, 2010
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Getting left-out people into a contra danceMay 24, 2010
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Strings for a Viola sized Octave ViolinMay 20, 2010
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How much should a caller call?May 19, 2010
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MIT Contra Dance 5/4/2010May 05, 2010
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Stunt Double is a Hot BandApril 30, 2010
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MIT Contra 2010-02-23February 24, 2010
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Mandatory Partner SwitchingJanuary 15, 2010
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The Minimum Requirements For Contra Dance Music and Musings on 10/8 MeterJanuary 11, 2010
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Intitial thoughts on the vfw replacementOctober 26, 2009
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ESB 2009February 22, 2009