1. Name: Emilie Costikyan
2. Work/profession: Cannabis Educator, Entrepreneur, CBD Hemp Oil Products Distributor
3. How long have you been contra dancing? About 25 years
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)? I found Contra Dancing in my early 30’s. My mother was a dancer and had me taking ballet and modern dance lessons from the age of 3. I continued with modern through my 20’s. In my early 30’s I moved to a rural area about an hour west of Philadelphia. I didn’t know anyone and heard about a square dance very close to my house so I went. At that dance I heard about a local contra dance so I went and was hooked immediately. It was my first experience with dancing with a partner! Since then I have done some swing, Argentine tango, cajun, ballroom and others but contra remains my go to.
5. What do you enjoy about it? I love contra because it is fun. Swinging is a blast and there’s so much opportunity for fun embellishments. The live Celtic rooted music is phenomenal and I am forever inspired with the many amazing ways our wonderful bands embellish our traditional contra music and make it their own! The contra dance community is also incredible. When I invite people to our dances I tell them that contra dancers are absolutely some of the nicest, warmest, most inclusive, interesting people you will ever meet!
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I’ve been a single mom for many years so I stay pretty local now. I dance at the Charleston SC dances and our annual Bug Stomp dance weekend but I haven’t ventured to other localish dances…..yet. When I danced in the Philadelphia I was young and childless and there were many dances and dance weekends in the area and I would regularly travel to many of them.
7. Other hobbies/interests? I like to stay active and be in nature. Yoga, beach walks, bike riding are some of my regulars. I also enjoy pursuing spiritual and wellness activities. I am a meditator. I love to be creative and have enjoyed playing with many artistic media over the years.
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? I suppose I feel the same as everyone and wish we had a stronger community here with more experienced dancers and dances. That being said, I am profoundly grateful for the dances that we have and the community that we have! Dancing is one of my top 5 thing to do on this planet and I love our dances. They continuously fill me with such joy! Thank-you everyone!
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you I dabble in all things mind, body & spirit. I am all about helping myself and others grow and live better lives through healing, growth and community. I am passionate about living more and more in the joy and wonder of life and celebrating each of us…..with all our complexities and contradictions….miraculousness and wonder. I love to hear folks’ stories and learn about who they truly are. I love it all! The joyful dance of this crazy-ass life! The wonder, the “shadows” the laughter….oh, the laughter! I love the laughter…perhaps most of all!
1. Name: Frank Tobin
2. Work/profession: I’m a software engineer, fortunately something I discovered a knack and desire for when I was very young. While I’m certainly an extremely technical-minded person, dancing allows me to have an artistic side to explore.
3. How long have you been contra dancing?
15 years!
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)?
About 15 years ago, I had been ballroom dancing for about a year or so here in Charleston, and I was expanding out from that into other dance forms. I realized that I really, really liked dancing in many forms. I think some people I knew at salsa or tango recommended contra dancing. It’s all quite a blur now, but I obviously liked it and here I am still!
5. What do you enjoy about it?
I enjoy dancing in general for the teamwork with your partner involved, and the ability to feel a beat and have it course through your blood, leading you into the next move. Coming from ballroom dancing, I tend to play more of a leader role in contra, and I love being able to shape the moments of the dance that I can. I enjoy the mental exercise of figuring out what move could come out of any particular situation. I like contra dancing in particular because you end up working one-on-one with so many people throughout a dance, both experienced dancers and beginners, each presenting a different feel and movement style. I also like how contra dancing attracts the whole family; I think it’s a wonderful family-friendly activity.
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances?
I go to almost every Charleston dance, and head out to LEAF solely for the contra dancing experience there. Techno contra dancing at LEAF is the absolute pinnacle of contra dancing for me: people coming out dance from midnight until 2am to a beat that has full control over your body.
7. Other hobbies/interests?
I still ballroom dance often, and anyone who has gone to one of Troy/Alyssa/Jessica/Joel’s game nights knows I’m a huge fan of board games. Board games are an excellent tool for people to spend quality time together. Very similar to dancing, in my opinion! Both are social goods that pull people together in a healthy bond. Part of my dance exploration brought me into ballet, and that remains a core component of who I am, giving me the training and technique to know how to utilize my body in all forms of dance.
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community?
I’m a huge fan of ContraForce, and happy to see them grow from their beginnings into the excellent band they are today. Having them more often in Charleston would be wonderful. For me, the enjoyment of dancing is directly correlated with the quality of the music. I’ve also always wished Charleston could have occasional techno dances, particularly ones heavy on the EDM-side (electronic dance music).
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you.
I play the Wolf in the Robert Ivey Ballet’s “Peter and the Wolf” performances, and love trying to be so ferocious I’m truly scaring the Bird, yet also at times being silly in the style of Wile E. Coyote.
2. Work/profession: I’m a software engineer, fortunately something I discovered a knack and desire for when I was very young. While I’m certainly an extremely technical-minded person, dancing allows me to have an artistic side to explore.
3. How long have you been contra dancing?
15 years!
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)?
About 15 years ago, I had been ballroom dancing for about a year or so here in Charleston, and I was expanding out from that into other dance forms. I realized that I really, really liked dancing in many forms. I think some people I knew at salsa or tango recommended contra dancing. It’s all quite a blur now, but I obviously liked it and here I am still!
5. What do you enjoy about it?
I enjoy dancing in general for the teamwork with your partner involved, and the ability to feel a beat and have it course through your blood, leading you into the next move. Coming from ballroom dancing, I tend to play more of a leader role in contra, and I love being able to shape the moments of the dance that I can. I enjoy the mental exercise of figuring out what move could come out of any particular situation. I like contra dancing in particular because you end up working one-on-one with so many people throughout a dance, both experienced dancers and beginners, each presenting a different feel and movement style. I also like how contra dancing attracts the whole family; I think it’s a wonderful family-friendly activity.
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances?
I go to almost every Charleston dance, and head out to LEAF solely for the contra dancing experience there. Techno contra dancing at LEAF is the absolute pinnacle of contra dancing for me: people coming out dance from midnight until 2am to a beat that has full control over your body.
7. Other hobbies/interests?
I still ballroom dance often, and anyone who has gone to one of Troy/Alyssa/Jessica/Joel’s game nights knows I’m a huge fan of board games. Board games are an excellent tool for people to spend quality time together. Very similar to dancing, in my opinion! Both are social goods that pull people together in a healthy bond. Part of my dance exploration brought me into ballet, and that remains a core component of who I am, giving me the training and technique to know how to utilize my body in all forms of dance.
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community?
I’m a huge fan of ContraForce, and happy to see them grow from their beginnings into the excellent band they are today. Having them more often in Charleston would be wonderful. For me, the enjoyment of dancing is directly correlated with the quality of the music. I’ve also always wished Charleston could have occasional techno dances, particularly ones heavy on the EDM-side (electronic dance music).
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you.
I play the Wolf in the Robert Ivey Ballet’s “Peter and the Wolf” performances, and love trying to be so ferocious I’m truly scaring the Bird, yet also at times being silly in the style of Wile E. Coyote.
1. Name: Carissa Turner Smith
2. Work/profession: English professor at Charleston Southern University. I also direct the Writing Center there.
3. How long have you been contra dancing?
Since 2001
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)?
I was a grad student at Penn State (in State College, Pennsylvania), and at that time there was no Irish dance school in town, so I needed to find some other dance-related activity to keep me sane.
5. What do you enjoy about it?
ENDORPHINS. I mean, there are worse addictions. But I also love the social aspect of contra, and the challenge of adapting your speed and weight-giving to each person you encounter in line. This article sums it up pretty well for me: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/health/a-dancers-brain-develops-in-a-unique-way
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances?
When I don’t have a broken foot and sprained ankle (both are almost healed now, thankfully!), I try to be at every Charleston dance. When I was in grad school, I did a couple of dance weeks at Berea College in Kentucky, but since we have a kid now, dance weeks or weekends are difficult. We do try to plan our hurricane evacuation destinations for locations with contra dances during our stay.
7. Other hobbies/interests?
Irish step dance, singing in the choir at the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul, reading to my six-year-old, and trying to train our cat Staccato
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community?
I’d love to see more daytime dances so that kids—or people with kids—can participate more.
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you.
When I was little, Bill and Hillary Clinton’s dog ate my Miss Piggy doll. When my husband was little, he was bitten by a dog that also bit Gerald Ford. Collectively, we have a lot of childhood trauma involving presidents and pets. At least it’s bipartisan?
1. Name: Heidi Rune Vaughan, Ill answer to either, but I'm transitioning to using Rune more.
2. Work/profession: CCPRC Wannamaker, Keeper of the Gate
3. How long have you been contra dancing? A number of years...maybe 5.
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)? My first dance was at LEAF, I enjoyed it so much I
started dancing locally.
5. Why/what do you enjoy about it? I love the positive community, the folksyness of the dance and
music (I may have made that word up), and the flow of the dance.
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I try to come to as many local dances as
possible, and I'm looking forward to exploring dances in other cities (Savannah and Columbia I'm looking
at you!).
7. Other hobbies/interests? Fire dancing, acting / improv, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (yep, it gets it's
own category), crochet, crafting, baking, travel, languages (but I'm rubbish so we have to stick with
English), and I like picking at my ukulele
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? Stay awesome
.
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you. Once upon a time I swam in the Artic ocean
during the brightest midnight I've ever witnessed. It's cold.
2. Work/profession: CCPRC Wannamaker, Keeper of the Gate
3. How long have you been contra dancing? A number of years...maybe 5.
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)? My first dance was at LEAF, I enjoyed it so much I
started dancing locally.
5. Why/what do you enjoy about it? I love the positive community, the folksyness of the dance and
music (I may have made that word up), and the flow of the dance.
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I try to come to as many local dances as
possible, and I'm looking forward to exploring dances in other cities (Savannah and Columbia I'm looking
at you!).
7. Other hobbies/interests? Fire dancing, acting / improv, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (yep, it gets it's
own category), crochet, crafting, baking, travel, languages (but I'm rubbish so we have to stick with
English), and I like picking at my ukulele
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? Stay awesome
.
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you. Once upon a time I swam in the Artic ocean
during the brightest midnight I've ever witnessed. It's cold.
1. Name: Lucy Gordon
2. Work/profession: Worked in the field of mental health as a clinician, teacher, and then as administrator for private behavioral health companies.
3. How long have you been contra dancing? Time flies…but somewhere around 15 years.
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)? I think I am the only person I know who came to Contra Dance through an ad in the paper! This was originally in Columbia. Called them up, got the scoop, took myself to a dance, and loved it from the get-go.
5. Why/what do you enjoy about it? Well, first and foremost, the live music and the dance itself—it is so rhythmic and generally joyous. But I also really appreciate the culture—inclusive of all; welcoming to beginners; the fact that you dance with everyone in your line, and then change partners!—to me it is a “group dance” and a community experience. Also great exercise, with very fine people, in a laid back atmosphere. I also think that Contra Dance is uniquely healthy-- physically, mentally, and socially--so a valuable community service,
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I attend local dances and then a number of regional dance weekends throughout the year.
7. Other hobbies/interests? Dance in general, tennis, art, reading, local community service, and, more recently have added Pickleball.
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? We have a great dance and a great dance community! My “vision” is for us all to share that, so that it continues to grow in size, diversity and energy. Many people I talk to still have no idea what contra dancing is. This is tragic! So I would love for us to find new ways to help it be “discovered” and to share the joy!
2. Work/profession: Worked in the field of mental health as a clinician, teacher, and then as administrator for private behavioral health companies.
3. How long have you been contra dancing? Time flies…but somewhere around 15 years.
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)? I think I am the only person I know who came to Contra Dance through an ad in the paper! This was originally in Columbia. Called them up, got the scoop, took myself to a dance, and loved it from the get-go.
5. Why/what do you enjoy about it? Well, first and foremost, the live music and the dance itself—it is so rhythmic and generally joyous. But I also really appreciate the culture—inclusive of all; welcoming to beginners; the fact that you dance with everyone in your line, and then change partners!—to me it is a “group dance” and a community experience. Also great exercise, with very fine people, in a laid back atmosphere. I also think that Contra Dance is uniquely healthy-- physically, mentally, and socially--so a valuable community service,
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I attend local dances and then a number of regional dance weekends throughout the year.
7. Other hobbies/interests? Dance in general, tennis, art, reading, local community service, and, more recently have added Pickleball.
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? We have a great dance and a great dance community! My “vision” is for us all to share that, so that it continues to grow in size, diversity and energy. Many people I talk to still have no idea what contra dancing is. This is tragic! So I would love for us to find new ways to help it be “discovered” and to share the joy!
MEET YOUR FELLOW DANCERS!
1.Name: Ann Birdseye
2.Work/profession: Retired Educator – working part time for Engaging CreativeMinds
3. How long have you been contra dancing? FOREVER – well, probably 1982 or so.
4.How did you get started (where, why, when)? I was a clogger on a team here in Charleston. My brother and sister-in-law, who live in Oregon, were also cloggers but then got into contra dancing. On a visit here they clued me in and then I found the local dance.
5.Why/what do you enjoy about it? I love to move to music – I love traditional music and live music – but mostly, I enjoy the friendly, easy-going, dance-your-own-style freedom of it. And dancing with my husband, Robert.
6.How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? As often as we can. Here, of course, and then we go to weekend dances, especially if ContraForce or Tea and Whiskey are playing. Given that we are Andrae’s folks.
7.Other hobbies/interests? Camping, hiking, knitting. Involved with the scholarship programs of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League and the Charleston Area Justice Ministry.
8.Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? That we continue to grow our group and be welcoming and inclusive. I really love that we have such a wide age range of dancers! Seeing kids learn and love it is such a joy!
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you. My first career was as a Spanish teacher and I love travelling. I have lived in Mexico, Peru and Spain
MEET YOUR FELLOW DANCERS!
1. Name: Lisa McQuade
2. Work/profession: Exercise Psychologist- Wellness Coach, currently working on my EdD in Kinesiology through UNCG
3. How long have you been contra dancing? 7 years
4. How did you get started (where, why, when)? Charleston, SC when Karin started playing music with Bart Saylor. Karin and I were a mess on the floor and the experienced dancers had to break up our little dance team and help us out!
5. Why/what do you enjoy about it? When the dance flows so well that you can feel the joy in every soul in the room.
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? We try to attend every dance in Charleston and we love River Falls and Atlanta. We’ll travel to see Karin & Andrae!
7. Other hobbies/interests? Yoga, Martial Arts & Strength Training
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? Cultivating peace and tolerance one soul at a time requires you to look into each other’s eyes and realize that we all have our stuff. This community has such powerful healing potential! Just look each other in the eyes.
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you. I’m Puerto Rican and love Arroz con Pollo!
Jai!
Lisa McQuade
MEET YOUR FELLOW DANCER! (Third in our series…)
1. Name: Russ Leckie
2. Work/profession: Berkeley County Govt./IT
3. How long have you been contra dancing? 4 years
4. How did you get started? A fellow contra dancer and friend (Michele Turner) suggested it to me as something to do. Pretty sure it all started with a balance and swing.
5. What do you enjoy about it? The sense of community, fellowship, and the exercise. It helps blow off steam at the end of the week.
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I try to dance every dance that our group has. I injured my shoulder a few years ago and missed a couple months. Other than that I haven’t missed too many. Outside of our dances I’ve attended a dance in Columbia, and last year was my first Bug Stomp (I learned that Bug Stomp doesn’t refer to the way we look when we are dancing). Getting to other dance weekends is a goal.
7. Other hobbies/interests? I’m an avid kayaker. I go every nearly every weekend when the weather permits. I also enjoy hiking, biking, swimming, the beach, cooking, gardening, computers, museums, attending plays, shadow puppets, and I play drums, very badly, but I don’t let that stop me.
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? More older single women (hey, you asked). More advanced dancing/dances. Better PA system. For an entire line to execute a hey for 4 flawlessly.
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you. I can emulate all the noises Michael Jackson makes in Billy Jean. Also, I grew up in Oklahoma.
MEET YOUR FELLOW DANCER!
1. Name: Paul Mount
2. Work/profession: I am a professional computer programmer at AccuWeather, Inc. which is not nearly as glamorous as it sounds.
3. How long have you been contra dancing? I started contra dancing in November of 2011, a scant 4 years ago.
4. How did you get started (i.e,, where, why, when?) My girlfriend (the lovely and talented Lucy Gordon) convinced me to go with her to dance right here in Charleston. I've been hooked ever since.
5. Why/what do you enjoy about it? Boy, let me count the ways! I love the music, the energy, how easy it is to learn. I love how you don't really need to think about it, once you know the dance you just move. There's structure but still room to be creative and playful. But most of all I love the community and how loving, welcoming, and accepting it is. Believe me, there are many dance communities for which that kind of inclusion is decidedly not the norm.
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I'm at most of the dances here in Charleston, but I've also been known to dance in Charlotte and Columbia. And I go to dance weekends in Greenville, Asheville, Charlotte, and Knoxville.
7. Other hobbies/interests?: When I'm not working or being a contravangelist, I write poetry. I'm on the board of the Poetry Society of South Carolina and I read most Mondays at Monday Night Poetry and Music at East Bay Meeting House. I've published three books, with a fourth on the way, and one of my pieces was published in the 2014 edition of Kakalak. I also dance Argentine Tango, play tennis (poorly), and have run a couple of marathons.
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? I would like to see us develop and grow a larger core group of experienced dancers, by which I mean both making sure that our long-term members are engaged and also improving the skills of newer dances. This in turn will make it possible to do some really fun special events, like techno contras and waltz night.
9.Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you. My heart is on the right instead of the left, an abnormality called dextrocardia. It's not detrimental in any way, except any medical folk I encounter always want to listen to my freaky displaced heartbeat.
Paul is also Charleston Folk's Facebook Coordinator, an active member of the Marketing Committee, and new member of the Board of Charleston Folk. Thanks, Paul, for all your contributions!
Meet Your Fellow Dancer
Rebekah Whirley
We all wonder how each of us found our way into this fantastic community. For Rebekah, it all began about 10 years ago. Rebekah was in college at the time. She went on a church youth-group foray to our old venue on Ashley Hall Rd and the rest is history. Now, you can find her twirling around at as many contra dances as she can get to here in the Charleston area and she recently attended her first out of town contra.
It comes as no surprise to find out that the lovely, funny, upbeat and warm Rebekah is an animal lover, too! It turns out that Rebekah's day job is as a Vet Technician Assistant at the Southside Animal Hospital in scenic Johns island. When she is not caring for our furry friends at the Vet Hospital she works as Barn Staff at the Charleston Therapeutic Riding Center. Aside from working and dancing you can also find Rebekah outside kayaking and horseback riding. Some of her inside favorite activities are cooking, baking, reading and cuddling with her "pup." (I've met the pup and it's a BIG dog, not exactly a "pup"...just sayin") while listening to music.
Rebekah has some great ideas for our dance. Some of them are to have a "Techno Contra" (I second that) as well as to continue the dance mini-workshops we have been enjoying during the break.
Here are some things about Rebekah that I imagine few (or even none) of us knew. She has visited 3 countries in Europe, Romania, Ireland and England. In fact, she is a bit of a Europhile. She tells me that she's itching to go back and explore the United Kingdom more and visit the rest of Europe. She says that if she didn't live in the US she would want to live in England and Ireland. Another cool fact about Rebekah is that her favorite author is Jane Austen and her favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. And, if you are planning to share a bottle of wine with her remember that she prefers red to white.
Rebekah loves rhythm and dance. She is inspired by the fact that every dancer has her own style of dancing and, of course, our wonderful community keeps bringing her back. She can usually be found hanging with close contra friends after each dance at various local establishments so if you want to get to know her better find out where those cool young folks are headed after the dance!
MEET YOUR FELLOW DANCER!
(Fourth in our series…)
1. Name: Snoopy Waite
2. Profession: International Locksmith of Mystery to the Stars
3. How long have you been contra dancing? 5 years
4. How did you get started? My roommate asked me to go with her for both of us to try something new. She came twice and I never stopped.
5. What do you enjoy about it? The smiles and high energy
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I usually hit most of the local dances but have ventured out of town on occasion.
7. Other hobbies/interests? VW buses / Camping / Cos Play & Photography
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? More themed dances
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you. I have over 100 bowling balls in my front yard that I use as a border for my plant beds and am always looking for more.
(Fourth in our series…)
1. Name: Snoopy Waite
2. Profession: International Locksmith of Mystery to the Stars
3. How long have you been contra dancing? 5 years
4. How did you get started? My roommate asked me to go with her for both of us to try something new. She came twice and I never stopped.
5. What do you enjoy about it? The smiles and high energy
6. How often do you dance, and where do you attend dances? I usually hit most of the local dances but have ventured out of town on occasion.
7. Other hobbies/interests? VW buses / Camping / Cos Play & Photography
8. Suggestions/wishes for our dances/dance community? More themed dances
9. Tell us something folks probably don’t know about you. I have over 100 bowling balls in my front yard that I use as a border for my plant beds and am always looking for more.
