Bev Bernbaum (Peterborough, ON, Canada) has been addicted to all things contra since she was first introduced to it as a dancer at the wonderful Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Albany, NY) in the summer of 1996.
Not long afterwards, she made her debut as a caller for a group of drunken students in a college pub in Toronto! Seeing that things went much better than anticipated that night, she decided to keep at it. Since then, Bev has been in demand as a caller in her home town, at other dances, dance weekends and camps across Canada, the US, New Zealand, Denmark and the Czech Republic. She will be the tour leader and featured caller from North America on the Country Dance Tour and Festival in Prague in October 2024!
Communities seek Bev out to provide a great experience for their dancers. Her easy going style has also made her a popular choice with bands. Bev’s philosophy is to call dances that she loves to dance herself. She’s always on the lookout for interesting figures or formations to mix things up. Her clear voice, calm manner and straightforward teaching style make dancing a pleasure for both beginning and experienced dancers. Bev embraced calling and dancing at Zoom-based events to stay connected with her beloved community during the time of social distancing. Although she had been dancing ECD for years, she finally started calling on Zoom during the pandemic and transitioned to calling live ECD dances in 2022.