Local Teacher's "Calling" Will Make You Dance

Contra dancers will crowd the floor at Wells Hall at Christ Church in Tacoma this Saturday night, and when the music starts, University Place resident Rich Kuras will lead them through their moves.

Kuras will “call” the dance. He discovered this special talent back in 1978, because the caller at a dance in upstate New York lost her voice halfway through and turned to him for help.

“Since I was sitting-in with the band, she asked me to call the dances to the crowd while she prompted my by whispering in my ear,” Kuras said. “I picked it up right away and the rest, as they say, is history.”

That history now amounts to 30 years of calling dances on the West Coast, beginning when he moved to this region to attend Oregon State University.

“In Portland, I found the Stumptown Cloggers,” Kuras explained. “They organized a monthly dance, as did the PCDC (Portland Country Dance Community). I started calling dances there and later in Corvallis while I was a student. Since then, I have called dances up and down the West Coast from Northern California to Bellingham.”

Kuras teaches Geometry and Physics at Lakes High School in Lakewood, but he and his family have been in University Place for 12 years, living a musical life.

His wife, Robin, sings with two bands and together they have done children’s concerts as “Rich and Robin.” The couple takes pride in their two talented sons, both accomplished student musicians in the University Place School District, although the eldest just graduated.

“My older son is Josh,” Kuras said. “He played guitar in the jazz band at Curtis and also cello in the orchestra. He is off to Oregon State next year. Jesse plays bass. He will be the bassist for the jazz band and also in orchestra. He is also in the Tacoma Youth Symphony.”

But Saturday night, the music will be typical of contra dances, provided by a band called “Swing Shift.” An emailed announcement described it this way:

"The musicians are Sarah Comer on fiddle, Tyler Hagood on cello and low-octave fiddle, Emmett Comer on guitar, and special guest Laurie Andres on piano playing Irish, old time, and original tunes for your dancing pleasure. The band offers an exciting combination of fiddle and cello that is not often heard at contra dances in this area."

Another caller, Matt Temmel, organizes the dances at Wells Hall as a leading member of the Tacoma Country Dance Society. He is the one who sends the announcements and invited Kuras to call this dance. Even after many years of doing this, Temmel remains enthusiastic.

“The contra dance has been going on in Wells Hall since 1996,” he said, “and we still get good crowds that have averaged about 120 overthe last two years. It is a good-looking hall, vintage 1920, and a wonderful environment for dancing. The people are friendly, the live music is excellent, and we have great fun.”

Kuras heartily agrees. What he likes best about the contradance scene is the atmosphere of no smoking, no drinking, good lighting, and people with smiles on their faces.

“People laughing and dancing to live music is a wonderful thing,” he said. “A typical evening starts off with a beginners’ workshop/warm up. It is a really good idea to be there for that. After the work shop, every dance is taught from the beginning, so you can walk in with no clue and be dancing right away.”

Everyone is welcome to come, alone, as couples, or in groups, and typical clothing includes comfortable jeans, tee shirts, shorts, skirts with blouses, and dresses, no costumes. Kuras pointed out that it’s a great place to meet people and experience being part of a group.

“For me, as the caller,” he added, “there is a lot of joy in facilitating the dancing. To stand up there and teach a group of people a dance, then watch them smile and laugh while the band plays great, lively music, is a thrill every time."

Wells Hall, part of Christ Church, is located at 310 North K Street, Tacoma. The dance lesson begins at 7:30 p.m. and the dance at 8 p.m., with a break at 9:30 p.m., which includes refreshments. It ends at 11 p.m. Admission is $8 or $5 for those under age 18.

Temmel’s advice on parking: “Plenty of parking is available in the lot next to the hall, in the alley behind the church, on the numbered cross streets, and on the church side of North K. Please avoid the other side of North K, which is by permit only, and enforced.”