Biography of Chris Kermiet

Traditional Dance Caller/Teacher

Chris Kermiet has been calling and teaching traditional American squares and contras since the 1970s. He comes from an extensive music and dance background. His mother was Pauline Ritchie of the singing Ritchie family from Viper, Kentucky, while his father was Paul Kermiet, one of Colorado's premier old time square dance callers.

Chris grew up with square, contra and folk dance. His father ran a summer dance camp, the Lighted Lantern, for 30 years (1946 - 1976) during the time that Chris was growing up. The Lighted Lantern camp was a mecca for square and folk dancers who came from all over the United States and Canada to spend a week dancing with some of the finest callers and teachers in the country. Chris learned from all of them, and became intrigued with learning more about the other Celtic dance traditions that influenced American squares and contras. He learned Scottish dance from Bruce McClure and C. Stewart Smith, Welsh from Vyts Beliajus, and English from May Gadd and Genevieve Shimer.

During the last five years, as well as being in demand as a caller and teacher of traditional dance, he has created choreographies for a number of performing groups and theatre companies.

He is currently available to lead contra and squares, as well as English and Scottish country and ceili dances.

Some thoughts from Chris:

Building a Dance Community

Experienced Dances