Dudley Laufman (born 1930) is an American contra and barn dance caller and musician widely credited with helping spur the revival of contra in the 20th century. [1] [2]
Early life
Laufman was born in 1930 and grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts. [1]
Involvement with contra dance
Laufman attended his first dance as a boy while working at the Mistwold Farm in Fremont, New Hampshire in 1948. In 1959, he moved to Canterbury, New Hampshire. He was a founding member of the Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra in 1965. [3]
He began calling and playing for dances, which became known as "Dudley Dances". [4] At times, he was the only remaining callers of contra dances with live music. [1] He worked to spread the tradition, which ultimately caught on and has since spread across the United States and internationally.
Beginning in 1978, Laufman started working with the New Hampshire Artists-in-the-Schools program, teaching contra dances to children. [1]
Recognition
Laufman is a recipient of a 2009 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. [5]
References
- ^ a b c d "Guide to the Dudley Laufman Papers, 1962-1998". Library. University of New Hampshire. December 14, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ Pich, Tom (2009). "Picture Perfect". NEA Arts. Vol. 2009, no. 3. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ "Dudley Laufman: Dance Caller and Musician". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ Vallimont, Julie. "Episode 1: Dudley Laufman". Contra Pulse (Podcast). Country Dance and Song Society. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 2009". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
External links
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