Key:
Karen is main or sole caller
Karen calls one or more dances
Upcoming Calling Gigs
Thu May 14th, 2026: Free Childgrove Thursday special dance
Wed May 20th, 2026: 250th Birthday Ball, Ste Genevieve
Sat Jun 13th, 2026: French Heritage Festival Ball, Ste. Genevieve
Sun Jun 21st, 2026: Childgrove with Jim Nelson and friends
Fri Jul 24th, 2026: Childgrove English Country Dance
Fri Oct 23rd, 2026: Childgrove English Country Dance, FREE (for Zoë's marriage)
Key:
Karen is main or sole caller Karen calls one or more dances
Past Gigs
Fri May 1st, 2026: Urbana Country Dancers
Fri Apr 24th, 2026: Childgrove English Country Dance with Lizzy Wernert
Sun Apr 5th, 2026: Childgrove contra (open calling)
Sun Mar 29th, 2026: Childgrove contra with Roger Wilco
Fri Mar 13th, 2026: StL ECD with Peter
Sun Mar 1st, 2026: Childgrove contra (open calling)
Sun Feb 1st, 2026: Childgrove contra (open calling)
Sat Jan 10th, 2026: Prairie du Rocher 12th Night
Sun Jan 4th, 2026: Childgrove contra (open calling)
Wed Dec 31st, 2025: Childgrove NYE party
Sat Dec 27th, 2025: Wedding Shower teaching Mr. Beveridges Maggot
Fri Dec 19th, 2025: Childgrove English Country Dance, with Jill Horn
Fri Dec 12th, 2025: Childgrove English Country Dance, with Jill Horn
Sun Nov 23rd, 2025: Childgrove Contradance with Roger Wilco
Sun Nov 23rd, 2025: Childgrove Contradance with Possum Consommé (Michael Banvard, Lukas Simson, Blake Korte, Andrew Bond)
Fri Aug 22nd, 2025: Childgrove English Country Dance, shared with Jill Horn
Fri Aug 8th, 2025: Saint Louis English Country Dancers splitting with Peter
Sun Jul 13th, 2025: Childgrove Contra with Roger Wilco
Fri Apr 25th, 2025: Childgrove English Country split with Jill Horn
Sat Jun 21st, 2025: Wedding in Defiance, MO
Sun Jun 8th, 2025: 40th Anniversary Party in St. Clair MO
Fri May 2nd, 2025: Free Urbana Country Dancers Contra Dance with The Young and the Fretless for Jonathan's Birthday
Fri Apr 25th, 2025: Childgrove English Country
Sun Mar 9th, 2025: Childgrove Contra with Blind Pig
Sun Feb 16th, 2025: Childgrove Contra with Roger Wilco
Fri Feb 14th, 2025: Saint Louis English Country Dancers with the Original Speckled Band
Fri Jan 31st, 2025: Childgrove English Country Dance, shared with Courtney and John Notgrass
Sun Dec 29th, 2024: Childgrove Contra with Roger Wilco
Sat Nov 30th, 2024: Private birthday party
Fri Nov 15th, 2024: Urbana Country Dancers contradance with Acoustic Mayhem
Sat Oct 12th, 2024: Wedding Reception in Ballwin, MO
Fri Sep 27th, 2024: Childgrove English Country dance, with Martha and Friends
Sun Sep 22nd, 2024: Childgrove contradance with Colleen Heine & Friends
Sat May 25th, 2024: Calling half of the English Country workshop at Meet Me In St. Louis dance weekend.
Fri May 24th, 2024: Calling the beginning of the start of the Meet Me In St. Louis dance weekend (7:30-8:00)
Fri May 10th, 2024: St. Louis English Country Dancers
Fri Mar 22nd, 2024: Childgrove English Country Dance with Ragged Robin
Fri Jan 19th, 2024: Urbana Country Dancers with Matt and Miriam
Sun Nov 26th, 2023: Childgrove contradance with Roger Wilco, rounding out Thanksgiving weekend.
Sun Oct 29th, 2023: Childgrove contradance with Cambia, Halloween celebration & open calling!
Fri Sep 22nd, 2023: Childgrove English Country Dance shared with Peter Wolllenberg
Sun Jul 23rd, 2023: Childgrove Contradance with Patt and Possum
Sun May 28th, 2023: English Country Dance at Meet Me in St. Louis; shared calling with Bob Green
Fri May 26th, 2023: Opening caller for the Childgrove Meet Me In Saint Louis dance weekend with Toss the Possum
Fri May 19th, 2023: Childgrove English Country Dance, shared calling with Jill Horn
Fri Apr 28th, 2023: Childgrove English Country Dance with several callers
Sun Apr 23rd, 2023: Childgrove Contradance with Three Crooked Men
Sat Apr 15th, 2023: Louisville Country Dancers
Sun Apr 9th, 2023: Private Easter Church Dance
Sun Jan 15th, 2023: Childgrove Contra with Blind Pig: Ellen Gomez, Keith Dudding, Lukas Simpson
Fri Oct 28th, 2022: Childgrove English Country Dance with Bill Boyer and Tim Hirzel
Sun Oct 23rd, 2022: Childgrove Contradance with the Mound City Slickers
Sat Oct 15th, 2022: Louisville Country Dancers with the T-n-T Family Band
Fri Aug 12th, 2022: Childgrove English Country Dance
Sun Jul 3rd, 2022: Childgrove Contra with The Clever Foxes: Kathy Summers fiddle, Chris case guitar, Lukas Simpson banjo/mandolin
Sat Apr 30th, 2022: Childgrove Contra at St. Louis County Tilles Park Windegger Pavillion
Sun Apr 3rd, 2022: Private event: Burning Kumquats Hoedown, outdoors
Sat Jan 1st, 2022: Covid Hiatus I hope to be accepting gigs again by the start of the year.
Sat Jul 18th, 2020: Childgrove Contra with The Cosmic Otters
Fri Jul 17th, 2020: Childgrove English Country Dancers
Sun Apr 12th, 2020: Childgrove Contra with Trad to the Bone
Thu Mar 26th, 2020: Private gig, Wash U. CANCELLED
Sun Mar 1st, 2020: Childgrove Contra with Hot Coffee Breakdown
Mon Feb 24th, 2020: St. Louis English Country Dance
Fri Feb 7th, 2020: Urbana Country Dancers with open band and Big Bluestem
Sat Feb 1st, 2020: Private gig, church dance
Fri Dec 20th, 2019: Childgrove Winter Solstice English Country Dance
Fri Nov 15th, 2019: Childgrove English Country Dance
Sat Oct 19th, 2019: Louisville Contra with Illegal Contraband
Sun Sep 29th, 2019: Childgrove Contra with Roger Netherton
Fri Aug 2nd, 2019: Urbana Country Dancers Contra with The Mean Lids
Sat Jul 20th, 2019: Childgrove Contra with Hot Coffee Breakdown
Fri Jul 19th, 2019: Childgrove English
Sun May 5th, 2019: Childgrove Contra with Patt and Possum
Wed Mar 27th, 2019: Bloomington, IN Contra Dancers
Tue Mar 26th, 2019: Indianapolis Contra Dancers
Fri Mar 15th, 2019: Childgrove English with Conner and Zoe Quinn, music by Cloud Nine.
Fri Mar 1st, 2019: Urbana Country Dancers
Fri Feb 15th, 2019: Childgrove English Country Dance
Fri Dec 21st, 2018: Childgrove English Yuletide Ball
Sun Nov 18th, 2018: Childgrove Family Dance
Fri Nov 16th, 2018: Childgrove English Country Dancers
Sun Nov 11th, 2018: Childgrove Country Dancers
Mon Oct 29th, 2018: Louisville Halloween Contradance
Sun Oct 21st, 2018: Childgrove Family Dance
Fri Oct 5th, 2018: Urbana Country Dancers with Patt and Possum
Sun Sep 9th, 2018: Childgrove Contra dance with Ellen Gomez
Fri Jul 20th, 2018: Childgrove English
Sun Jul 23rd, 2017: Childgrove Contradance
Fri May 19th, 2017: Childgrove English Country, Karen and Missy calling
Mon May 1st, 2017: Childgrove Plain and Fancy English Country dance.
Sun Feb 26th, 2017: Childgrove with the Music Folk Band
Sat Feb 4th, 2017: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Sat Jan 7th, 2017: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Sat Nov 5th, 2016: Childgrove Callers Choice
Sun Oct 9th, 2016: Childgrove with band Dugout Canoe
Sat Oct 1st, 2016: Childgrove Callers Choice
Sun May 1st, 2016: Childgrove First Sunday contradance
Sat Apr 16th, 2016: Saturday Night Louisville contradance
Sat Apr 2nd, 2016: Childgrove Caller's Choice contradance
Sat Dec 5th, 2015: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Sat Dec 5th, 2015: Childgrove Family Dance
Fri Nov 6th, 2015: Wash U Hoedown!
Mon Oct 5th, 2015: Childgrove English, Plain & Fancy
Sat Oct 3rd, 2015: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Sat Oct 3rd, 2015: Childgrove Family Dance
Fri Oct 2nd, 2015: Wash U/SLU Joint Retreat
Sat Aug 1st, 2015: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Sun Jul 26th, 2015: Childgrove 4th Sunday with the Mound City Slickers
Sat Jul 11th, 2015: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Sat Jun 6th, 2015: Childgrove Caller's Choice contra dance
Sat May 2nd, 2015: Childgrove Caller's Choice with Ladies at Play from Oklahoma
Sun Apr 26th, 2015: Childgrove with the Folk School Wall of Sound
Sat Apr 4th, 2015: Childgrove Caller's Choice with Ragged Robin
Sat Mar 7th, 2015: Childgrove Callers Choice with the Mound City Slickers
Sat Nov 8th, 2014: Burning Kumquats Hoedown at Washington University with The Traveling Waves
Sun Sep 14th, 2014: Childgrove 2nd Sunday Contra
Sat Aug 2nd, 2014: Childgrove Family Dance and Caller's Choice Contra
Fri Jul 18th, 2014: Childgrove English Country Dance
Sat Jul 5th, 2014: Childgrove Family Dance and Caller's Choice Contra
Sat Jun 7th, 2014: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Mon May 26th, 2014: St. Louis English Country Dance 4th Monday dance
Sat May 24th, 2014: Workshop and spot calling at Kimmswick dance weekend
Sat May 17th, 2014: Louisville KY 3rd Saturday
Sun May 11th, 2014: Childgrove 2nd Sunday w/Folk School Wall of Sound
Mon May 5th, 2014: Childgrove "Plain and Fancy" English
Sat May 3rd, 2014: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Sat Apr 5th, 2014: Childgrove Family Dance 6:30-7:30
Mon Mar 3rd, 2014: Childgrove English, Plain and Fancy
Sat Mar 1st, 2014: Childgrove Caller's Choice
Sat Jan 11th, 2014: Elsah w/Old Missouri (Roger Netherton and Rich Egan)
Sat Dec 21st, 2013: Childgrove 3rd Sat. Contra Dance
Mon Nov 18th, 2013: Special Monday Childgrove English dance
Thu Nov 14th, 2013: Covenant House Social Dance Lesson
Sat Nov 9th, 2013: Elsah
Sat Nov 2nd, 2013: Private party in Labadie, MO
Sat Oct 5th, 2013: Wedding Reception, No. Carolina
Sun Sep 15th, 2013: Childgrove 3rd Sunday contra
Mon Sep 2nd, 2013: Childgrove Plain and Fancy
Welcome
Karen Jackson loves to dance, and loves to share the experience. She has been teaching and calling contra dances, English Country dances, square dances, and barn dances for special events across the Midwest since 2008.
Besides regular local and regional contra dances, her calling includes school groups, weddings, private parties, home schoolers, corporate events, and even dances in real barns!
This site contains examples and descriptions to make it easier to understand what she does, and how to obtain her services.
Karen (top center) calling at the 2011 Sugar Hill dance weekend near Bloomington, IN
This website is hand-coded from scratch in NotePad++, by Karen's husband,
Dan Klarmann