Still have questions? Go to General, Bands,
Callers, or Talent Scouts.
What were the prior Catapults like?
"Best dance weekend ever!" as one smiling, exhausted dancer proclaimed.
There’s no better endorsement. Come to Atlanta in May to experience Catapult for yourself.
When will registration open?
Registration is open now!
Register Online to pay via PayPal or Credit Card
How much will it cost?
No matter how you slice it, Catapult is the best bargain on the contra dance festival circuit. Here’s the breakdown…
- Early Adopter Rate: Closed. Was only $100 if you had signed up before the talent line-up was announced.
- Standard Rate: Closed. Was only $110 if you had signed up before April Fools Day.
- Procrastinator Rate: $120 for late sign-ups before advanced online registration is closed (May 25, 2017)
- Walk-In Rate: $125 for full weekend walk-in registrations
Signing up in advance for the full weekend maximizes your fun and your value, and minimizes your risk. Are you a gambler?
Walk-in prices are higher and only available if advanced full-weekend tickets are not sold out. Click for walk-in prices.
Tickets are limited. Don’t be on the outside looking in. Register Now!
What are my housing options if I am coming from out of town?
To help with lodging, we luckily have a fantastic, generous community of dancers willing
to host folks from out of town.
If you sign up before April 1, we’ll try to match you with a local dancer. As we get closer
to Memorial Day, we’ll keep trying, but there are no guarantees.
After April 1, check your favorite online travel site, reach out to your friends in Atlanta, or post your housing needs on the Catapult Facebook page.
What are my transportation options if I am coming from out of town?
Planes. Trains. Automobiles. Bikes. Feet. All roads lead to Atlanta.
Will meals be provided?
Snacks will be provided at all dance events throughout the weekend.
You’re on your own for meals, but there are lots of great, inexpensive restaurants in the Clarkston\Decatur\Atlanta area.
Is this the contra version of “American Idol?” Will there be a winner?
Catapult is a showcase, not a competition. We won’t be voting folks off the stage.
Everyone is a winner - musicians, callers, and dancers!
Where is the dance hall?
All Catapult events will be held at the
Clarkston Community Center
at 3701 College Ave Clarkston, GA 30021.
How can I help spread the word?
Thanks for asking! Here are a few easy things you can do...
- Join the Catapult! group on Facebook and share with everyone
- Follow @catapultshow on Twitter
and tweet, tweet, tweet
Will there be future Catapults?
Yes! Catapult is planned as an biennial event every other Memorial Day weekend. Sign up soon for 2017,
and plan your calendars for 2019, 2021, and beyond.
For the even years, keep Atlanta on your contra dance calendar for
Butterfly Whirl on Memorial Day 2018, 2020, and beyond.
What are you looking for in the bands to be chosen to play at Catapult?
In short, Talent, Desire and Impact…
Talent. Bands must be great musicians who play great together.
Varying their sound, mood, energy and tunes within or across musical styles.
Having talents in other areas for potential workshops is a plus.
Desire. Bands must be driven to play on the national contra dance circuit.
The life of a band traveling great distances for little financial reward is not for everyone.
Catapult is looking for bands that WANT to be on this path and are willing to WORK for it.
Impact. Bands must have the "oomph" that contra dancers want.
The bottom-line is that all great contra bands drive those in the hall into an altered state dance after dance after dance.
That’s what we’re looking for.
What kinds of bands are you NOT looking for?
There are many fantastic bands and musicians on the contra dance touring and
festival circuit today. We love to dance to them, but they are not the ones we’re looking for.
We want to showcase undiscovered talent from around the country. Not the folks with widespread national name-recognition.
How will the bands be selected?
The bands will be selected by a small team of respected musicians, callers and dancers
from around the country. They will review the applications, watch\listen to the submitted materials, follow up
with references, and confer with their regional contacts. That’s the easy part.
The team will then refine the list of band applications and make the final selection to be announced in January 2017.
Will the bands be paid for playing?
All performers - bands and callers - will be paid for their stage time based on a
profit-sharing model. If the weekend does not breakeven financially, the amount will be zero.
We all hope that’s not the case.
The primary benefit for bands providing their time, talents and energy comes in the form of exposure to
festival organizers and dancers from far and wide. Each musician in the selected bands will also receive
free entry to the Catapult weekend.
Will the bands be reimbursed for expenses?
To bring in bands from across the country to Atlanta, a significant amount
of the Catapult budget goes towards travel. The travel subsidy per band will be determined based on
distance from Atlanta, mode of travel, number of musicians in the band, and other factors.
Our goal is to cover airfare, train fare, bus fare or gas expenses.
Housing and ground transportation will be provided by local Atlanta dancers.
How are you assigning time slots to bands?
Once the Catapult lineup is selected and confirmed,
each band will be randomly assigned one night-time (2 hours), one day-time (1.5 hours),
and one workshop (1.5 hours) time slot in the schedule.
How are you matching the bands and callers?
The bands and callers will be independently assigned to their schedule slots.
Band-caller pairings will be determined by this assignment. Each band will work with two callers
- one for their night-time dance and one for their day-time dance.
The bands and callers will be notified of the pairings, and provided with contact information in advance
to allow for (and to encourage) working together to plan their Catapult dances.
How do I get the contact information for the talent scouts and organizers
who come to Catapult?
In addition to all the dancing and fun, Catapult also provides musicians with a
chance to network with influencers and decision makers. We will provide a list of Talent Scouts to
the Catapult Bands just in case you don’t have a chance to connect during the weekend.
What are you looking for in the callers to be chosen to play at Catapult?
In short, Talent, Desire and Impact…
Talent. Callers must excel across all aspects of calling - programming, teaching, working with the band, fixing things
on the fly, and, oh yeah, calling. Plan\call\adjust to exceed the wants and needs of the contra dancers through
figures, variety, energy, style and humor. Having talents in other areas for potential workshops is a plus.
Desire. Callers must be driven to call on the national contra dance circuit.
The life of a caller traveling great distances, often alone, for little financial reward is not for everyone.
Catapult is looking for callers who WANT to be on this path and are willing to WORK for it.
Impact. Callers must have the "savoir-faire" that contra dancers want.
The bottom-line is that all great contra callers navigate that fine line required to move a hall full of dancers
with different skills\personalities\preferences\desires towards an altered dance state and then slide into the
background while remaining on alert.
That’s what we’re looking for.
What are you NOT looking for?
There are many fantastic callers on the contra dance touring and festival circuit today.
We love to dance to them, but they are not the ones we’re looking for. We want to showcase undiscovered talent
from around the country. Not the folks with widespread national name-recognition.
How will the callers be selected?
The callers will be selected by a small team of respected musicians, callers and
dancers from around the country. They will review the applications, watch\listen to the submitted materials,
follow up with references, and confer with their regional contacts. That’s the easy part. The team will
then refine the list of caller applications and make the final selection to be announced in January 2017.
Will the callers be paid for calling?
All performers - bands and callers - will be paid for their stage time based on a
profit-sharing model. If the weekend does not breakeven financially, the amount will be zero.
We all hope that’s not the case.
The primary benefit for callers providing their time, talents and energy comes in the form of exposure to festival
organizers and dancers from far and wide. Each selected caller will also receive free entry to the Catapult weekend.
Will the callers be reimbursed for expenses?
To bring in callers from across the country to Atlanta, a significant amount of the
Catapult budget goes towards travel. The travel subsidy per caller will be determined based on distance from
Atlanta, mode of travel, and other factors. Our goal is to cover airfare, train fare, bus fare or gas expenses.
Housing and ground transportation will be provided by local Atlanta dancers.
How are you assigning time slots to callers?
Once the Catapult lineup is selected and confirmed, each caller will be randomly
assigned one night-time (2 hours), one day-time (1.5 hours), and one workshop (1.5 hours) time slot in the schedule.
How are you matching the callers and bands?
The callers and bands will be independently assigned to their schedule slots.
Band-caller pairings will be determined by this assignment. Each caller will work with two bands -
one for their night- time dance and one for their day-time dance.
The callers and bands will be notified of the pairings, and provided with contact information in advance
to allow for (and to encourage) working together to plan their dances.
How do I get the contact information for the talent scouts and organizers
who come to Catapult?
In addition to all the dancing and fun, Catapult also provides callers with a
chance to network with influencers and decision makers. We will provide a list of Talent Scouts to
the Catapult Callers just in case you don't have a chance to connect during the weekend.
How do you know the bands and callers will be ready to play at dance weekends?
The band and caller applicants will be vetted by a national team of respected organizers,
musicians, callers and dancers - much like you. The team will assemble a lineup with the talent, desire and impact it
takes to energize the dancers on the festival dance floor. Your specific selection criteria may vary slightly, but with all
of the outstanding talent showcased on the Catapult stage, you’re certain to have a tough time picking which ones to
schedule at your next dance weekend.
How will you attract and bring in talent from outside of the southeast?
There are many, many aspiring bands and callers around the country. Take a look at the
2012-14 line-ups, representing 25 different
states from Alaska to Florida to Maine to California.
For bands and callers selected to perform at Catapult, we’ll provide as much travel money as possible so they
can afford to make the trip to Atlanta.
How do I get the contact information for bands and callers who appear at Catapult?
When the Catapult bands and callers are announced, the information for the bands
will be posted on the website.
Better yet, come and meet them yourself in Atlanta next May. Over four days there will be plenty of opportunities
to dance and socialize with the outstanding Catapult talent.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
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