We've never done this before -- will we be able to do the dances? Absolutely! Square dancing is ideal for parties and groups of beginners. It comes from a tradition of community dances for people who didn't have a lot of time to practice dancing. The basics of square dancing are very simple and involve no fancy footwork. How much time do you need? It's your party – you tell me how much time I have. I'm glad to help out with any birthday announcements, speeches, presentations, and such. I'm there to accommodate your needs, and can call as little or as much as you would like. A typical dance is 2-3 hours. If you have dinner beforehand, I can function as a DJ to provide you with music while you eat and socialize. I don't begin charging overtime until the five hour mark. How many people and how much planning do I need? Parties of all different sizes and budgets work. I've called for one hard-core square of 8 on a back deck, water and sodas only; and for many years I've called an annual elegantly-catered party on a parquet floor overlooking a vineyard for dozens of guests – square dancing is a user-friendly activity and almost any kind of event that features it will work! What will the caller need? I need a table (a 6 footer is good) and access to electrical power. How much do you charge? I charge $350 for a dance. $150/ hour over 5 hours, and if it's a long drive I may ask for gas money. Schools get a special rate of $55/ hour with a $110 minimum for daytime dances. What is your typical square dance for beginners like? It varies from dance to dance, of course, depending on the group's age, energy level, experience, ability, how much of the program is given to dancing and many other factors. I've called for pre-schools, for assisted -living senior centers and the whole gamut in between, but a typical dance for adults with no experience would look like this: 1 – Simplified Virginia Reel: a classic dance using a few square dance basics including DoSaDo and arms swings, but leaving out (until later in the dance) the fancy figure down the center. According to his diaries, this was George Washington's favorite dance! 2 – A circle mixer, a change-partners dance. I usually tell folks that if they're only going to do one dance, do this one. We set up circle with the men going one way and the women another, and they dance a short and simple polka figure with each other before moving on to the next partner in the circle. It's a great hands-on ice-breaker, and everybody gets to dance with a dozen or more partners by the time the practice and the dance is done. 3 – I announce that for those who would like a break, this is a good time to take a break. Anybody who wants to keep dancing, remain on the floor and I'll teach and lead a line dance. 4 – After the line dance, I'll announce that we're going to try our first square dance, and we learn and do a classic 19th Century quadrille called "Solomon Levi", a great old dance that builds to a big surprise finish. 5 – A second circle mixer, different set-up (circle of boys on the inside facing a circle of girls on the outside) and different kind of music (a jazzy charleston). 6 – Another break, and another line dance for those who want to keep dancing. 7 – Finish the Virginia Reel, adding the rousing "Strip The Willow" figure that came into the dance from Scottish country dancing. 8 – Then we'll begin modern square dancing, building on what was done in Solomon Levi, adding Right and Left Grand, Two Ladies Chain and Grand Square. And another line dance, and more squares, more circle mixers, and so forth. But again, it is your party. Some groups can't get enough dancing – other groups dance only a little because they have a lot of other stuff to do or because they prefer to sit and socialize. I'm there to help your party work, however it goes, and I will talk to you during the party to be sure we're on the same page.