Get Involved
Dancers
- Talk to us about creating a workshop, co-hosting an event, or hosting a BIDA party.
- Volunteer at our dances to keep things running smoothly,
and get in free!
Most of our dances need someone to set up, 6:15-7:15, and two people to greet at the door 6:30-8:00 and 8:00-9:00.
- Write to persis@thorndike.name or join the volunteers mailing list.
- Join our board: we have elections every April, and often have vacancies mid-year. Write to current-bida-board@googlegroups.com to find out more.
Safety Representatives
- We're looking for more people who are interested in helping promote dance floor safety at BIDA!
- If you'd be interested in facilitating a safer dance community and are good at conflict resolution, email bida-safety@googlegroups.com for more information.
Sound Engineers
- Established Engineers — Talk to us about running a workshop, mentoring new people, or running sound for our dance.
- Up and Coming Engineers — Gain experience by helping with sound at one of our dances or attending one of our intermediate workshops.
- People New To Sound — Come to one of our introductory workshops.
- Email jeff.t.kaufman@gmail.com for more information.
Callers
- Established Callers — Call for our rocking dances! Teach from the stage, and help the band and dancers build upon the energy in the room, while encouraging dancers to have fun and dance with style and grace. Mentor a newer caller to pass along your skills, and work with less experienced bands to teach them the subtle tricks of the trade.
- Up-and-Coming Callers — We can hook you up with a mentor to shadow at their dance, or to observe your calling. Help us devise a mentoring situation that will help you!
- Brand New Callers — Call a dance at our parties and see how it goes! We’ll provide easy dances to call and a more experienced caller to help you out if you need it. Or come to a calling workshop, and we’ll get you started!
- Email harrislapiroff@gmail.com for more information.
Musicans
- Established Musicians — Get involved as a mentor: share your experience and knowledge of dance music traditions to help the next generation of dance musicians join the movement!
- Emerging Musicians — Bring your enthusiasm as a band or as an individual, and help us create a mentoring experience that will help you. If what you need is individual attention from a mentor, we can help you find that. If you need experience and exposure playing for dances, we can create these opportunities for you!
- Musicians New to Contra Music — Come to our jams and open bands (tune list)! Gain experience with the traditions, and then let us know when you're ready for more!