Adina Gordon:

too much information

I'm a caller and contra dancer -- or a contra dancer and caller -- ostensibly based in Asheville, NC. I'm on the road most of the time, so it's just as accurate to say I live in my car. Wave if you pass me on the highway!

I started dancing at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival when I fell under the spell of Wild Asparagus and playful dancers from Greenfield, MA. I went from zero to contra dance addict in less than a minute.

Dancers frequently remark on my energy and joy as I call, which is both highly evident and contagious. An often-repeated comment is, "You look like you're having too much fun."

Too much fun? Is there such a thing? If you're not having fun, what's the point?

I teach dances clearly and quickly, maximizing dance time. As the conduit between the music and the dancers' feet, my goal is to get you dancing and get out of the way.

Knowing dancers with profound hearing and visual impairments, dancers from age 3 to 80, and dancers in wheelchairs, I believe anyone can dance if they want to. As long as you're smiling and having fun, you're doing it right.

I've called dances in 29 states spanning all six American time zones, as well as in Québec. With the encouragement of friends, I called my first dance at Sugar Hill dance weekend outside of Bloomington, IN, and never looked back.

My three favorite things are (in no particular order) travel, dance, and my friends. I'm an inveterate "dance gypsy," dancing in 25 different states so far (26, including the state of bliss.) When not calling or dancing, I'm probably studying dances, my favorite pastime.

I do a bit of web work, play French horn, and love spending time outdoors. I have a dog and cat (both of whom live in California), a bunch of stuff in storage near Seattle, friends all over the planet, and a car that gets really, really good gas mileage.