Music and Dance

Calling dances

I occasionally call traditional square dances and contra dances. I specialize in simple and fun dances that are accessible to everyone, including beginners. (The Washington Post Magazine profiled me in early 2019.)

Among my favorite dances I’ve called are the DC Square Dance (which I co-founded and organized until 2019), the Baltimore Square Dance, Folklore Village in Wisconsin and the Silver Spring Contra Dance. I’ve also called at benefits, house parties and weddings.

Upcoming calling dates:

Past events:

February 27, 2026 — Glen Echo Contra Dance

April 9, 2026 — Silver Spring Contra Dance

August 23, 2025 — DC Square Dance at Peirce Mill

January 9, 2025 — Silver Spring Contra Dance

January 13, 2023 — Rivanna Contra Dance, Charlottesville, VA

January 12, 2023 — Silver Spring Contra Dance

February 12, 2020 — Silver Spring Contra Dance

April 14, 2018 — DC Square Dance with the Sligo Creek Stompers

September 14, 2017 — private event

October 12, 2017 — Silver Spring Contra Dance

March 11, 2017 — DC Square Dance, Saint Stephens Church.

February 20, 2016 — DC Square Dance @ Saint Stephens (for 540 people!)

November 21, 2015 — DC Square Dance @ Bardo (with Bradley Kennedy)

January 8, 2015 — Silver Spring Contra Dance

October 25, 2014 — Baltimore Square Dance

October 16, 2014 — Louisville Square Dance

October 14, 2014 — Northside Square Dance, Cincinnati, OH

September 13, 2014 — DC Square Dance @ Saint Stephens

Please contact me if you’re interested in having me call your event.

Playing

I play traditional Appalachian fiddle and old-time guitar. I’m partial to the beautiful and haunting tunes from my home state of Kentucky, but I also play traditional music from other parts of the Appalachians and the South and Midwest, as well as the occasional Irish, modern tune or waltz. Since 2018, I’ve been focusing on klezmer fiddling with the DC Klezmer Orchestra.

Organizing

I helped found the DC Square Dance Collective, which puts on regular dances at Saint Stephens Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. I believe we created the largest regularly occurring traditional square dance in the nation, if not the world. (I “retired” from dance organizing in 2019.)

Traditional square dancing has exploded in popularity in the past decade, especially among young people and urban people who are discovering or re-discovering this fun, non-commercial, community-based activity. I’ve been organizing dances in and around DC since 2008. I started with house parties and progressed to benefits and larger dances. In that time I think I’ve figured out a few things that might be helpful to others who are thinking of organizing a square dance. If you’re interested, I’ve written some thoughts and suggestions.

My writing about music and dance

Profile of Anna-Roberts Gevalt, Wesleyan Magazine, April 5, 2016

Chasing the rabbit in D.C., Washington Post, January 22, 2016

Snow is on the Ground (pdf), Country Dance and Song Society News, Spring 2011

Fiddle Physics, PhysicsCentral