Volunteers- Princeton Country Dancers

2026-27 Board

Our dance is a fully volunteer-run organization, including the Executive Committee. The EC is responsible for organizing the weekly dances, planning special events, making policy decisions, addressing inappropriate behaviors, organizing the music, handling finances, and purchasing equipment and supplies. They also oversee things like setting up tables, chairs, and refreshments, collecting money at the door, and cleaning up after the dance. If you have questions, comments, concerns, are having a problem with someone on the dance floor, or would like to find out how you can volunteer with us, you can email all of us at once at pcd_ex@googlegroups.com

Below are the members of our board, with the blurb they included when they were running for the board.

Katie Jacobs

Katie Jacobs has been contra dancing for a decade. This would be her first experience serving as a member of the executive committee, but she is eager to learn all that goes on behind the scenes to support PCD. If elected, she will be happy to put her organizational skills to use and strive to sustain and grow our vibrant and welcoming dance community.

Larry Koplik

larryk@princetoncountrydancers.or

I have been a Princeton Country Dancers contra and English dancer

since 1984. I served on the PCD Executive Committee at various times during the 1980's and 1990's. I have been the PCD Treasurer since 2003 and a member of the Executive Committee since 2007.

In recent years, I have been one of the main organizers of PCD's special Events, including Rum & Onions, Head for the Hills, and the Cotillion, as well as the chair of the committee that organized PCD's 10 year anniversary dances, starting in 1989. I would be very happy to continue my service to the PCD community, which is very dear to me.

Maxine King

I first encountered contra dancing many years ago as an undergraduate in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since moving to Princeton two years ago for a PhD at Princeton Theological Seminary, dancing at PCD has been one of the things that has kept me happy and (relatively) well adjusted. I have so appreciated dancing with and getting to know so many lovely people through PCD I never would have met otherwise — I hope I can help keep our dances welcoming, accessible, and fun for existing and new dancers!

Zachary Kaplan

Zachary Kaplan is an energetic and spinny dancer who’s attended most of PCD’s Wednesday contra dances since 2024. If he’s reelected he’s excited to continue creating a dance that’s friendly, welcoming, and equitable to all. He will also work to make the board more robust, so that there’s always more than one person who can do each thing (ie sound!)

Janet Mills

As a member of the Princeton Country Dancers Executive Committee I feel I could bring value and perspective, as I have experience among almost all aspects of PCD. I attend the Contra dances, the English Country dances, and the All-Ages Folk Dances. I am an active PCD musician and I am on the sound system committee. Also, about eight years ago I took on the job of scheduling the callers and bands for PCD.

I believe it’s important for Executive Committee members to know about other dance communities besides our own. One way is to attend week-long dance camps, and also dance in other locations and dance communities. My family spent three years as Program Directors of the CDSS camp Cascade of Music and Dance. We’ve danced in many locations and we’ve attended camps at Pinewoods, Terpsichore, Ashokan and St. Croix.

I care a lot about Princeton Country Dancers, and am willing to spend the energy and time it takes to work well together with other members of the Executive Committee.

Ross Parker

Ross Parker attended his first contra dance in college in 1994 and has been dancing ever since. He plays piano for dances with Torrent and the PUB. He has lived in Princeton since 2023.

Elise Quay

Elise Quay started attending contra dances back in 2009, and it wasn't long before she started organizing them too. Prior to joining PCD’s board she helped run the Indianapolis contra group, and for the past few years has organized camper led activities at CCDS’s Dance, Music, and Spice camp. She loves the broad scope of satisfaction that can be found in folk dancing, from the fun of simple approachable dances to the precise minutiae of moves and musicality, and wants everyone to experience that joy for themselves.