As a choreographer, I strive to write dances that are both compelling and idiomatic–the coolest dance in the world isn’t worth anything if it doesn’t flow well enough for people to get the hang of it.

My dances have been called as far afield as Alaska and England, so that’s pretty cool! Feedback is always welcome (as are requests!)–feel free to drop me a line.

Dances marked with an asterisk (*) are particular favorites/have achieved escape velocity and are frequently called by others.

The Baby Jo [advanced] — smooth lost-and-found dance with a J-hook promenade + circle right

Barack Me, Obamadeus* [accessible] — smooth, hey-like figure up/down the set, satisfying promenade > circle right transition

Brooklyn Transfer [accessible] — mashup of a mashup; Rory O'Moore with a spin to catch partner and swing

Celestial Beans [advanced] — flowy facing star dance with surprising progression

Don't Worry, Shoshana [advanced] — multiple neighbor swings with a cool pass-thru-to-hey progression

Emma's Emergency* [accessible] — accessible dance with an outside-the-box box the gnat and a little stomp

Gates of Irving [accessible] — robins left-hand chain in an otherwise simple dance, with elegant flow

Gluten-Free Petronella [accessible] — lots of ring balances, partner twirl into new neighbor swing

Happy Jew Queer* [expert] — a lost-and-found dance with double-shadow interaction and rollaway into a swing

Hellooo Nurse!* [accessible] — larks' right-hand chain to neighbor in an otherwise dead-easy dance

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! [accessible] — Gene Hubert's "Butter" but make it a larks' right-hand chain

I'll Hold You In My Arms [accessible] — easy Petronellas-in-the-B dance

It Came to Me in a Dream [accessible] — smooth dance with unexpected but intuitive transitions; hey -> circle R -> zig zag

Message from the Future [advanced] — lots of eye contact and flowing motion

Muppets and Mazels [advanced] — petronellas and lots of spinning

My Partner's Partner* [expert] — 4x4 where you swap partners with your trail buddy each time through the dance

Neighbor, Neighbor On the Wall* [accessible] — two swings with same neighbor

Not a Fever Dream [accessible] — simple larks left-hand chain dance with good flow

Pink Martini* [advanced] — stompy fun; Petronella turns (incl. Petronella turn to swing a new N) and a little shadow time

Poly Wanna Corner? [expert] — AABBCC dance with same-role contra corners

Star Trek: the Next Generation [advanced] — Mike Richardson's Star Trek, re-imagined

Train Delay* [accessible] — an accessible and energetic shadow dance (also a good closer), pull-by into a do-si-do for extra momentum

Train to Trenton [accessible] — slick, smooth, extremely flowy; promenade and circle R transitions that I actually feel good about

Treasure of the Soda Bar* [accessible] — square through dance with A1 taken from James Hutson's Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Violet Ice* [advanced] — mad robin / poussette. Smooth and English-y, lots of eye contact with partner

The Baby Jo (becket R)

A1: larks allemande L 1.5x

neighbor swing

A2: robins chain to partner (and turn away to face shadow on the side)1

shadow allemande R 1.5x (and face across in skater promenade position)2

B1: J-hook promenade3: promenade across and loop wide to face new neighbors

with these new neighbors, circle R 1x

B2: (turn away to find your partner on the side4) partner right shoulder 'round and swing

  • 1: For best flow into the shadow allemande, dancers should twirl on the courtesy turn OR do an open chain. (If you're going to mention this as a teaching point, please offer the open chain as an alternative for those who don't like twirling!)

  • 2: To get into skater promenade, keep R hands with your shadow (transition to handshake grip), take L hands with them as well, and robin turn their torso to face across (this may warrant a quick demo).

  • 3: Before the J-hook promenade, note the couple on the left diagonal; you will end up in that spot, across from that couple.

  • 4: I find this transition works best if the lark under-rotates, i.e. never completely turns their back on their partner; rather, at the very end of the circle, walk mostly forward across the set to swing.

END EFFECTS: anyone out after A2 must immediately come back in for the promenade (i.e. either get on the left diag. and promenade across+left, or slide in on the right diagonal). Otherwise, wait out improper.

Composition notes: Written for Baby Jo Byers (a J-hook promenade + a circle spells "Jo"!). The title is, of course, a riff on "The Baby Rose" by David Kaynor.

Barack Me, Obamadeus* (improper) [VIDEO]

A1: (new) neighbor right shoulder 'round and swing

A2: larks allemande L 1 1/2

half hey (pass P by R sh.)

B1: partner right shoulder 'round and swing

B2: promenade across

circle R 3/4 and pass through by L sh.

Composition notes: Written for Brooklyn Contra on 8/4/17, which is Obama's birthday, hence the title. Smooth dance with a hey-like figure up/down the set and a satisfying promenade > circle right transition.

Brooklyn Transfer with Michael Karcher (becket L)

A1: (slide left to) circle L 3/4

neighbor swing

A2: long lines forward and back

robins chain to partner

B1: left-hand star 1x and make long waves (LH with partner, RH with shadow)

waves balance (R, L), slide R (past shadow)

B2: waves balance (L, R), slide L (past shadow)

(catch partner) partner swing

Composition notes: Michael mashed up my dance Train Delay with Bill Olson's Dancing With Amy and premiered it at Brooklyn Contra when I happened to be in the crowd; I riffed on his riff to add the spin-and-catch-partner, and the result was this.

Celestial Beans (reverse indecent1)

A1: balance the ring, give and take partner to the lark's side

partner swing

A2: circle left 3/4

with partner, zig zag to the FAR SIDE of new neighbors2 and turn single3 to face them

B1: neighbor inside hand balance and twirl to swap4

facing star CW 1x (keep outside hands with N, larks take RH/robins take LH; larks go forward/robins back up)

B2: neighbor right shoulder 'round and swing

  • 1: As a normal improper dance but with the 1s below the 2s. I recommend starting the walkthrough improper beginning at the B2. When out at the ends, wait out improper.

  • 2: Zig left and zag right to your new neighbors (the dance will restart with them), and continue zigging right/zag left to the far side of that couple. (It's a SINGLE PROGRESSION DANCE, so don't start dancing with new new neighbors in improper.)

  • 3: I recommend turning towards your partner (for a brief moment of eye contact), as it gives good momentum for everyone's correct hand in A1. Consider teaching this, as dancers have wildly different ideas of how to turn single. (Most importantly though, don't let dancers go on autopilot and turn as a couple here.)

  • 4: Lark's left hand/robin's right hand; balance and twirl to swap (by default, with the robin going under the joined hands). (I was informed by some Modern Western people that it is technically a mirror star through, but the name of the twirl is IMO unimportant.)

Composition notes: Written for/premiered at Beantown Stomp 2024 (yet another dance developed while napping). The original version of this dance had the A and B parts reversed.

Don't Worry, Shoshana (improper)

Starts in hands-4 with N1 (current neighbor). Previous neighbor (N0) is behind you.

A1: full hey (robins pass L) and look for previous neighbor (N0)1

A2: N0 swing

N1 swing

B1: robins allemande R 1 1/2

partner swing

B2: circle left 3/4

balance the ring and pass through, robins walking forward extra to pass L sh. with this new robin

  • 1: After last pass of P, robins loop R on the side (WHILE larks pass L and then look L for previous N)

Composition notes: Written for Shoshana Silverman, who is always stressed out when there aren't enough neighbor swings.

Emma's Emergency* (improper)

A1: (new) neighbor balance and swing

A2: circle left 3/4

(on the side) partner RH balance and box the gnat

B1: half hey (larks pass left)

partner swing

B2: circle left 3/4

balance the ring and California twirl to face the next

Composition notes: Written for Emma Azelborn, who was having (as the title may suggest) a workshop-programming emergency; premiered at her role-swapping workshop at Queer Contra Dance Camp 2024.

Gates of Irving (improper)

A1: hands-across left-hand star 1x

robins left-hand chain (to P; larks cast over R shoulder to receive this robin with a courtesy turn)

A2: full hey (robins passing L)

B1: partner right shoulder 'round and swing

B2: circle L 3/4

neighbor allemande R 1 1/2

Composition notes: Written at Lindsey Dono's request for a robins left-hand chain dance that wasn't absurdly complex; tested outside a contradance at the corner of Gates Avenue and Irving Avenue in Brooklyn; left in a drawer gathering dust until its premiere at American Week 2023.

Gluten-Free Petronella (becket L)

A1: balance the ring and spin right

balance the ring and lark roll neighbor robin away (with a half-sashay)

A2: balance the ring and Nevada twirl partner (to face new Ns)

swing this new N

B1: robins chain (to P)

half hey (robins passing R)

B2: partner balance and swing

A Nevada Twirl is just a California twirl that starts with the lark on the right/robin on the left.

Composition notes: Written winter '16 as an alternative to Chris Ricciotti’s "Greenfield Petronella"; I wanted to preserve the balance-y feel of the dance and the CA twirl –> new neighbor swing, but wanted a single progression. First called at Mt. Airy in May '16.

Happy Jew Queer* (becket L, 2x prog.)

A1: long lines forward and back

robins allemande R 1x (4)

courtesy turn partner (4) (all are home)

A2: robins chain on L diagonal (to next N)

left-hand star 1x (straight across, with shadow #1 and neighbor; partner is in a different star)

B1: robins chain on R diagonal (to shadow #2) AND TURN AWAY FROM THE ONE YOU CHAINED TO to...

circle L 1x with shadow #11

B2: larks roll shadow away (4)

partner swing (12) (and get square; no one should be out at the top)

  • 1: In teaching, emphasize that this circle is NOT with the one you chained to (this is the most counter-intuitive part of the dance).

All rollaways include a half-sashay. At the beginning of the dance, shadow #1 is beyond your partner, shadow #2 is beyond them. The dance starts again with new neighbors directly across.

Composition notes: Written for A.Z. Madonna around New Years 2016 because they wanted a dance with a rollaway into a swing; revised summer 2023.

Hellooo Nurse!* (improper) [VIDEO]

A1: (new) neighbor balance and swing

A2: larks allemande L 1 1/2

partner swing

B1: long lines forward, on the way back larks roll partner away with a half-sashay

larks right-hand chain to N

B2: left-hand star 1x

current neighbor allemande L 1 1/21

  • 1: In teaching, emphasize that this allemande is with your CURRENT neighbor, i.e. the one you starred with (this is the biggest point of confusion for experienced dancers used to looking for new neighbors out of a left-hand star).

Composition notes: Written January 2017, premiered shortly thereafter at Brooklyn Contra. I wanted a dance with a larks' right-hand chain to a neighbor that was otherwise dead easy, and this is what I came up with. (There are lots of great dances with a larks' right-hand chain to their partner, but chaining to a neighbor lets dancers practice the move with lots of different folks.)

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! (improper) [VIDEO]

A1: long lines forward and back

larks right-hand chain (to P)

A2: full hey (larks passing R)

B1: partner balance and swing

B2: larks allemande L 1 1/2

neighbor swing

Composition notes: It's basically "Butter" by Gene Hubert, only... not! (This dance is quite similar to an earlier dance independently derived by Julian Blechner, "Page's Chain".)

I'll Hold You In My Arms (improper)

A1: (new) larks allemande L 1 1/4

partner swing

A2: long lines forward and back

robins chain (to N)

B1: balance the ring and spin right (2x)

B2: neighbor balance and swing (and look on slight left diagonal for new larks)

Composition notes: Written March 2019 to pair with DJ Flourish's mix In My Arms–I wanted Petronellas in the B but needed a dance besides Tica Tica Timing.

It Came to Me in a Dream (improper)

A1: (new) neighbor right shoulder 'round and swing

A2: larks cross (passing L) (4)

partner swing (12)

B1: long lines forward and back

half hey (robins pass right)1

B2: circle R 1 1/4 (10)2

zig right and zag left to meet new neighbors (6)

  • 1: this half hey ends with robins on the right of their partner (i.e. everyone has switched places with their same-role neighbor)

  • 2: robins drive this circle R (as they end the hey/start the circle to the right of their partner)

Composition notes: It quite literally came to me in a dream; I woke up way too early one morning with this dance bouncing around in my head.

Message from the Future (becket L) [VIDEO]

A1: robins chain to neighbor1

mad robin, robins in front first (i.e. CCW)

A2: robins pass R to start a 3/4 hey

when larks meet in the middle for the second time, right shoulder 'round 1x

B1: partner right shoulder 'round and swing (opposite home side)

B2: circle L 1/2 and slide L to new neighbors (6)

with these new neighbors, circle L all the way (10)

  • 1: When teaching, emphasize that this chain your neighbor (there’s a lot of circling and not-quite-square phrases and it’s useful to have that point of reference).

Composition notes: Written summer 2014 (while I was on vacation in Europe and my sweetie at the time was in Australia–I believe the title was in reference to time differences?), first called January 2016 at the Downtown Amherst contradance.

Muppets and Mazels (becket R)

A1: give and take (larks take your N home)

neighbor swing

A2: balance the ring and spin right

balance the ring and spin right, spinning extra to face new neighbors1

B1: new neighbor seesaw 1 1/4

larks allemande R 1 1/2

B2: partner balance and swing

  • 1: For best results, don't clap after this Petronella spin–just keep spinning into the new neighbor seesaw. (To line up with next neighbor, robins spin wide/larks stop a little short).

Composition notes: Written March 2019 as a wedding gift for the utterly delightful Michal Richardson and Josh Marantz (so that Michal could spin as much as possible).

My Partner's Partner* (4x41)

A1: give and take opposite neighbor to robin's home side

this neighbor swing (all moves in A2 are with this N)

A2: lines of four go forward, on the way back larks roll neighbor away2

(up and down) larks allemande R 1x (6)

pass neighbor by L shoulder (2)

B1: robins chain to partner up and down, and courtesy turn to face ACROSS3

half hey ACROSS (robins pass R) and larks ricochet3

B2: opposite role trail buddy balance and swing—this is your new partner!4

  • 1: Your partner alternates every time through the dance between your original partner and your opposite-role trail buddy. Robins progress diagonally across, larks progress straight across.

  • 2: For a slightly easier dance, you may omit this rollaway and have the larks walk straight forwad to an allemande R; the flow is a little less nice, but it still works.

  • 3: For this courtesy turn, one side turns 1/4 and one side turns 3/4, so it'll feel either longer or shorter than they expect. Encourage dancers to fill the music in a way that makes sense rather than starting the hey early.

  • 4: We love a surprise, but when the dancers are lining up, please give some warning about the AMOUNT of trail buddy interaction so no one gets locked into a ~partner they don't feel comfortable with. (E.g. "line up for a 4-face-4, and note you'll be swinging your trail buddy a LOT.")

All moves through the robins' chain happen UP AND DOWN, and the remainder of the dance happens ACROSS (prep the dancers on the different between up/down and across orientation).

Composition notes: Written for Harris Lapiroff for the American Week 2023 auction. The A2 figure leading into a chain is taken from Tavi Merrill's Soul Reversal.

Neighbor, Neighbor On the Wall* (improper) [VIDEO]

A1: long lines forward and back

(new) neighbor swing

A2: robins chain (to P)

half hey (robins pass R)

B1: partner balance and swing

B2: larks allemande L 1 1/2

(same) neighbor swing

Composition notes: Written for a workshop at YDW '17 to practice communication with neighbors.

Not a Fever Dream (improper) [VIDEO]

A1: (new) neighbor allemande L 1 3/4

half hey (robins by R sh.)

A2: neighbor balance and swing

B1: robins allemande R 1 1/2

partner swing

B2: larks left-hand chain (to neighbor)

right-hand star 1x

Composition notes: Written while half-napping in the car en route to Queer Contra Dance Camp 2023 and tested under the redwoods, and miraculously, it worked out of the box!

Pink Martini* (becket R1)

A1: balance the ring and spin right, spinning extra to face new neighbors

swing new neighbor

A2: balance the ring and spin right (2x)

B1: balance ring and larks roll neighbor robin away with a half-sashay2

larks pull by R (2), allemande shadow L 1x-ish (6)

B2: look for partner, [balance/right shoulder 'round] and swing3

  • 1: Coming back into the dance at the middle of A1 or the middle of B1, dancers should reenter WRONG (i.e., robin on the left, lark on the right).

  • 2: To introduce shadow: "larks, look at the lark you're dancing with. On one side of them is you partner; on the other side of them is your shadow."

  • 3: Depending on tune bounciness, can call B2 as either balance and swing or right shoulder 'round and swing (or leave it as dancers' choice).

Composition notes: Written in summer 2015 for Kate Fais on the occasion of her dying her hair pink, and first called January 2016 at the Youth Trad Song Weekend contradance.

Poly Wanna Corner? (improper)

A1: (new) neighbor balance and swing, end facing down the hall

A2: down the hall four in line, [ right / left ] side turn as couple/other side turn alone (puts the [ robins / larks ] (actives) in the middle)

come back, [ larks / robins ] (on the outside) gate their neighbor up and around to face across

B1: [ robins / larks ] turn same role contra-corners

B2: same role balance and swing

C1: (roll out of swing for) partner balance and swing

C2: [ robins / larks ] [ RH / LH ] chain across

[ left / right ] hand star 1x to new neighbors

Active roles alternate; directions in brackets are for [ robins / larks ] active, respectively. In the transition into CC, one of the actives will have an awkward hand transition; it's up to the neighbor gating them to pass their right hand into the allemande. In CC, one of your corners is your partner, don’t be alarmed. C2 chain is always done by the actives (by the hand they're used to chaining by: RH for robins, LH for larks).

Star Trek: the Next Generation (becket R) [VIDEO]

A1: hands-across left-hand star 1x

larks LH chain (to N)1

A2: full hey (larks pass L) and robins ricochet

B1: P right shoulder 'round and swing

B2: promenade across2

left-hand star 1x and walk along the set (robins in the lead) to progress

  • 1: Useful to note in teaching/prompting that this chain is to NEIGHBOR; if the star doesn't get all the way around, folks may end up chaining to partner (or be otherwise disoriented).

  • 2: After the promenade, note direction of progression (i.e. to the RIGHT); dancers walk along the set single file in this direction.

Composition notes: A loving re-imagination of Mike Richardson's Star Trek, premiered at Brooklyn Contra in March 2019.

Train Delay* (becket L) [VIDEO]

A1: (slide left to) circle L 3/4

neighbor swing

A2: robins chain to partner

left-hand star 1x

B1: w/ shadow, RH balance and box the gnat

do-si-do shadow 1 1/21

B2: partner balance and swing

  • 1: Pull by R at the start of the do-si-do for some extra momentum. (I normally don't like do-si-do 1.5x, but with the momentum from the pull-by, it fits nicely in the allotted time!)

Composition notes: Written on a stuck train to Princeton, NJ, late 2014, and first called March 2015 in Silver Spring, MD.

Train to Trenton (improper)

A1: (new) neighbor right shoulder 'round & swing

A2: circle L 3/4

P swing

B1: robins cross (passing R), neighbor left shoulder 'round 1x

robins chain (to P)

B2: promenade across (w/ P)

circle R 3/4 & pass thru. up/down by the L shoulder

Promenade may take much less time than dancers are used to b/c of the momentum coming out of a courtesy turn, but this leaves time for a leisurely circle R and pass-through. Emphasize to dancers that the first move of B1 is a cross (no hands!) and NOT a chain.

Composition notes: Written on (surprise) a train to Trenton (en route to Contracopia) fall ‘16, first called soon after at Princeton.

Treasure of the Soda Bar* (improper) [VIDEO]

A1: (new) neighbor RH balance and box the gnat

larks allemande L 1 1/2

A2: half hey (pass P by R on the side)

partner swing

B1: circle L 3/4

neighbor swing

B2: square through (RH to P across, balance and pull by across, pull by L with N on side, repeat, look along side for a new N)

Composition notes: A1 is from James Hutson’s "Treasure of the Sierra Madre". This dance was tested at Soda Bar in Brooklyn, hence the title, and first called at Glen Echo FND in August 2016.

Violet Ice* (becket L)

A1: circle L 3/4

half poussette w/ partner (larks backing up first)

A2: mad robin (larks in front first)

5/8 hey (larks L, PR, robins L, NR, larks L)

B1: partner right shoulder 'round and swing

B2: circle L all the way

P two-hand turn 1x (4)

(open up to face in) partners slide L to meet new neighbors (4)

Timing in the A is mushy; both the mad robin and the poussette take about 6 counts, so the mad robin starts a little before A2, and the 5/8 hey finishes just about at the end of the A2. Encourage dancers to follow the movement rather than trying to fit it into the music (i.e. DON'T do the English dance thing of trying to make the moves fill the phrase), and use B1 to get everyone back together. This dance allows for almost constant eye contact with partner.

Composition notes: Inspired by Will Mentor's "Lavender Snow", premiered at LCFD Spring Dance Camp 2018. The two-hand turn in B2 was a later addition, suggested by Shoshana Silverman (fall 2022).