Tim Hirzel is currently serving as President of the Dance Discovery Board.
Tim started dancing after taking a course in historic dancing given by
Dr John Ramsay that his wife Elsa talked him into attending in St Louis around 2006.
Tim quickly became an accomplished dancer and joined Dance Discovery in 2007.
He also plays the flute with Dance Discovery and other English Dance bands.
Karen Jackson is currently serving as Dance Discovery Vice President.
For many years Karen enjoyed casual ballroom, country western, and freestyle dancing. Then she discovered contra dancing
(a "relative" of English Country Dancing) in 1989, and quickly became addicted.
She ventured into English Country Dancing a couple of decades later, becoming a caller of both contra and English dances,
as well as of private Community dances.
In 2013, she was thrilled to be invited (along with her husband, Dan Klarmann) to join Dance Discovery.
She has enjoyed rehearsing and performing with the troupe ever since.
Jill Horn is currently serving as Treasurer of Dance Discovery.
Jill was introduced to English Country Dancing in high school.
At that time, participating in St Louis ECD events quickly became a highlight of her month.
She first became a member of Dance Discovery to participate in Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Celebrations in 2003.
After high school, she took a 10 year hiatus before returning in 2015
and was soon after voted onto the board as a Member at Large. Since returning to Dance Discovery,
she has enjoyed the excuse to revisit, further research, make, and wear garments representative
of her childhood favorite American Girl books.
Elizabeth Lengyel is currently serving as Secretary of the Dance Discovery Board.
"A little over 20 years ago, my dancing opportunities were limited to an occasional waltz or polka at a wedding reception.
That all changed when I was introduced to country dancing at a contra dance held by Childgrove Country Dancers in Webster Groves.
The merriment of this social dancing was expanded by including English country dancing offered
through St. Louis ECD and the aforementioned Childgrove Country Dance.
"I enjoy dancing and being able to help others who are new to country dancing.
Five years ago, I was fortunate to join Dance Discovery which is a group comprised of talented dancers, callers, musicians, reenactors,
and those interested in preserving historical dance. It's been a good and memorable journey."
Courtney Cartwright is our Artistic Director as of January 2023.
He has been dancing with Dance Discovery for a few years,
after decades of experience in many related dance styles and other dance troupes in other cities.
Connor Quinn is a Member at Large.
Conner began regular English Country Dancing with a homeschool group led by Dr. John Ramsay
and has been dancing with local groups ever since. He enjoys deciphering the choreography
of the style and discovering the varied histories behind the dances. He focuses on sharing
the joy of dancing with others and leads dances in the metro east.
Rebecca Taylor is a Member at Large. She is also the President of the St. Louis English Country Dancers,
and has been dancing in the style of Jane Austen for more than twenty-five years.
Rebecca holds a Ph.D. in English literature from Washington University in St. Louis.
Her dissertation is entitled
Robinson Crusoe and the Reproduction of Singleness in England’s Long Eighteenth Century.
Rebecca recently retired from Clayton High School after nineteen years of joyfully teaching Clayton’s wonderful teenagers.
She delights in dancing with Dance Discovery’s lovely troupe.
Dr. John M. Ramsay is our Artistic Director Emeritus. He began dancing as a member of the Berea College Country Dancers in 1947. He returned to the College in 1973 as Director of Recreation Extension and took his troupe of college students on eight international tours. He directed the internationally respected Berea College Christmas Country Dance School for more than two decades, has led workshops for the Sonnek Society, Orff teachers, 4-H groups, Headstart teachers and many, many more. His PhD is in Animal Breeding and he has called himself a "dancing dairyman." Since retiring, he and his wife moved to St. Louis and have been popular dance leaders among home school groups.