Lori Borre - Full Caller Profile

Lori Borre fell in love with dance in elementary school when teachers herded her class into the gym and taught the Virginia Reel. She was captivated. Raised by a gifted musician father who filled their home with instruction and music, she spent nearly five decades training—handbells, choir, band, dance teams—and even served as drum major (though she still hopes those photos stay buried).

She and her husband Ron met at a ballroom studio (first dance: foxtrot; wedding dance: waltz) and deliberately wove music and dance into family life from the start. In 2009 they helped launch a Scottish Ball at their church; that single evening sparked a wave of church dances, galas, and homeschool events that continue today.

Lori’s calling is distinctive. She works with groups from intimate gatherings of ten to rooms of five hundred, always with the same aim: that every person on the floor finds fun and joy. There is no chaos and no awkward waiting while others “get it.” Her playful humor keeps the room smiling, and she explains each figure in plain, memorable English so first-timers and experienced dancers alike stay with her. The result is the same every time—people of every skill level find themselves laughing, moving, and later declaring they “love dance now.”

She and the Steps in Time team don’t just call dances. They bring the party. What sets them apart is the deliberate choice to expand the pie rather than simply serve the existing contra or heritage-dance community. They create dancers out of people who have never danced, connect generations in ways few other activities can, and bring this style of joyful, structured movement to young people who have never experienced anything quite so magical. Music and styles are carefully curated so the evening feels both rooted and modern—never dusty, never predictable.

The feedback is remarkably consistent: “I had no idea how much fun this was going to be.” Some go further: “That was the best night of my life.” Others say the dances quietly changed them—turning introversion and hesitation into energy and confidence.

When people hear Lori is calling, they light up and start making plans. That is the quiet measure of a caller who has spent a lifetime mastering the craft so everyone else can simply have the time of their lives.