Susan Kevra is a dance caller, musician and singer who makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee. She travels across the country and occasionally, around the globe to teach contra, square dances, English Country dancing and French dancing. She is an accomplished clarinetist and singer who specializes in French café music and English Country dance tunes. The composer of contra and square dances, Susan represents a new voice in English country dance choreography. Tunes by her bandmate, Rachel Bell, have inspired her to choreograph a dozen English dances and counting, including “Trip to Provence” and “Moonflower” which are making their way onto dance floors and ball programs in the US and England. She is also a professor of French and American Studies at Vanderbilt University, where she teaches a class, “American Social History through Dance.”
DANCE CALLER
Susan is noted for her warmth, clear teaching, and lovely voice. Dancers on both sides of the Atlantic appreciate her diverse repertoire of singing squares, Western patter calls, contras and English Country dances, all delivered in dulcet tones and without pretension. She has choreographed a number of well-loved contra, square and Engish Country dances.
Susan has taught English Country dancing since the mid 1990s when she was living in New England. Her experience as an English country dance clarinetist gives her a keen appreciation of the link between the music and the dance figures, something she brings to her teaching. It is also key to her ability to create pleasing dance programs, arranged not just for the dance figures but the musical moods evoked by the tunes. Inspired by tunes by her bandmate, Rachel Bell, she has choreographed a dozen English dances and counting, including “Trip to Provence” and “Moonflower” which are making their way onto dance floors and ball programs in the US and England.
Her calling and singing can be heard on the critically acclaimed CD, “Full Swing” featuring some of New England’s finest contra dance musicians. The CD contains a lengthy and entertaining booklet Susan wrote tracing the roots of New England contra dancing and a guide for new callers.
Photo – Yann Falquet
MUSICIAN AND SINGER
A clarinetist with a rich, velvety sound, Susan plays in a variety of groups for English Country dancing, Contra Dancing and French Dancing, most notably “Constellation” with Rachel Bell and a “star” pianist, typically Dave Wiesler and Jacqueline Schwab.
Her singing can be heard in her work with the bandmate, Rachel Bell, with an emphasis on French and Quebecois songs.
Nashville Country Dancers – my home dance, where I call about once/month. One of the friendliest dances around that is growing by leaps and bounds, with a wonderful mixture of old, young, experienced and new dancers.
Russ Barenberg – The website of the Grammy nominated guitarist, Russ Barenberg, who also happens to be my husband.
Country Dance and Song Society – You can attend their camps, subscribe to their newsletter and purchase all kinds of dance related things.
Pinewoods Camp – Located in beautiful Plymouth, MA, between two lakes, this is the site for dance camps put on by CDSS and other groups. It is about as magical a place you can find on the planet.
Great Meadow Music – A website for all things contra, and the wonderful folks who produced my CD, “Full Swing.”
Ashokan Fiddle and Dance – Jay Ungar and Molly Mason run a number of dance and music camps near Woodstock, NY. . . another place where magic happens!