(photo by Stephen Spinder)

Philippe Callens is known internationally as a leader of English country dance, square dance and contra dance. Philippe started folk dancing in his home town of Antwerp, Belgium, in 1975, at the age of thirteen. He began teaching four years later and has been actively involved in the dance community ever since. 

In 1988 Philippe started the monthly Sunday country dance series in Mortsel, near Antwerp. That series is now in its fourteenth season. To provide a more solid base for country dancing in Belgium, he was one of the founding members of  the Anglo-American Dance Service (AADS). Over the past fifteen years he has also frequently called in the Netherlands and at festivals and dance weekends in England,  Denmark, Germany and the Czech Repu­blic. 

For the last ten years Philippe has taught English country dance all over the United States, where he is renowned for his ability to enhance the dancers’ personal enjoyment while working on style and technique.  He has been on staff at Pinewoods, Mendocino and Brasstown, and has led workshops and dances for many dance communities. 

Philippe has been an active choreographer  since the mid-1980’s, concentrating over the last several years on English country dancing.  Red Star Line contains eleven of Philippe’s own modern English country dances, the earliest dating from 1986. The remaining four are his interpretations of dances published in 17th  and 18th centuries dance collections.

 Publications by Philippe Callens: 

Everybody Swing (1989) 

Keep on Swinging (1992)

From A Belgian Yankee Caller (1996)

Continental Capers (1999) 

Belgian Boutades (2002)

Antwerp Antics (2004) 

You can contact Philippe at: upcal01@yahoo.com