Tony Parkes (November 10, 1949 – May 6, 2024) was an American professional square dance, contra dance and folk dance caller and choreographer who was active in the region surrounding Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States.[2] He wrote the book Contra Dance Calling – A Basic Text in 1992 and updated it in 2010.[3]
Tony Parkes | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 10, 1949[1] New York City, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 2024 (aged 74) |
| Genres | Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Folk dance caller/writer, musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1964–2024 |
Calling career
editParkes was born in 1949 in New York City, where he also grew up. He studied contra and square calling with several well-known callers including Ralph Page.[2] He began calling folk dances in 1964 and called dances in 35 states, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, England, and Canada.[2] He wrote more than 90 dances, with many published in the compilations Shadrack's Delight and Son of Shadrack.[2][4][5] He also taught at dance events at well-known locations such as Pinewoods Camp and the John C. Campbell Folk School[5] and called at the New England Folk Festival every year from 1969 until 2023.[6]
Parkes served on the boards of the Country Dance Society (Boston Centre), New England Folk Festival Association, and the Folk Arts Center of New England. He co-founded the band Yankee Ingenuity.[2]
Personal life and death
editIn 1973, Parkes moved to the Boston area[7] where he lived with his wife Beth Parkes in Billerica, Massachusetts.[8] Beth Parkes is also a square and contra dance caller.[2] Tony Parkes survived colon cancer in 2018, but was diagnosed with a brain tumor in November 2023. He died on May 6, 2024.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ Anthony "Tony" P. Parkes
- ^ a b c d e f "The Society of Folk Dance Historians (SFDH) – Tony Parkes". sfdh.us. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "Contra Dance Calling – A Basic Text, 2nd Edition • Little Shop of Horas". Little Shop of Horas. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "The Caller's Box". www.ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ a b "Tony Parkes". Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ Parkes, Beth (2024-04-20). "NEFFA". www.caringbridge.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "Tony Parkes". www.socalfolkdance.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "Tony Parkes – biography · Dare To Be Square Weekend 2011, Brasstown, NC – caller interviews · Square Dance History Project". squaredancehistory.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ Parkes, Tony (2023-11-16). "Tony shared on Facebook". www.caringbridge.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "National Folk Organization". 2024-05-10. Retrieved 2024-05-09.