Tony Parkes (caller)
Tony Parkes | |
|---|---|
| Born | New York City, US |
| Genres | Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Folk dance caller/writer, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Years active | 1964–2024 |
Tony Parkes (1949 – May 6, 2024)[1] was a 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]
Calling career[edit]
Parkes was born in New York City in 1949 and grew up there. 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[edit]
In 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 and died on May 6, 2024.[9][1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "National Folk Organization". 2024-05-10. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ 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.