Tony Parkes - biography

Tony Parkes (Billerica, MA) has been calling American folk dances since 1964. He specializes in old and new contra dances, traditional and contemporary New England squares, and squares from the 1950s (arguably the Golden Age of recreational square dancing). He has led workshops in these dance forms at dance camps and folk festivals in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

In addition, Tony has led workshops on the many and varied aspects of teaching and calling squares and contras. He is the author of Contra Dance Calling: A Basic Text and has made many dance recordings as caller and pianist.

Square dance history has long been one of Tony’s passionate interests. His large personal library has enabled him to rediscover long-forgotten dances and to develop an appreciation for the breadth and depth of American dance traditions.