Contras and Squares

Carol Ormand is beloved throughout the dance community for her smooth and unflappable style, wickedly fun dances, and penchant for keeping all the dancers on the floor smiling. Her delightful dance selections and concise, relaxed teaching style will keep you coming back for more. When she's not calling, you're likely to find her fiddling, singing, or dancing contras and squares, Morris, rapper sword, longsword, English Country, or Scandinavian dances.

Nils Fredland is the dance caller and trombone player for the dance band, Elixir, and works regularly as a caller with several other popular contra dance bands including Crowfoot, Great Bear Trio, and Perpetual e-Motion. He is also an experienced Waldorf music teacher, a skilled ensemble conductor and coach, and a private teacher of brass instruments to students of any age and level of experience. In 2010, he co-authored a book on traditional square dancing with master caller Ralph Sweet, and he currently works as road representative, editor, and American Dance Publications Coordinator for the Country Dance and Song Society in Haydenville, MA.

Bands

"Contra Fresco" Rodney Miller Fiddle Elvie Miller Accordian, Piano Clyde Curley Mandolin, Guitar

Rodney Miller was designated a "Master Fiddler" in 1983 by the National Endowment for the Arts. He is widely considered to be the foremost exponent of New England style fiddling, a uniquely American blend of French Canadian and Celtic influences. Over the past 35 years, he has toured the U.S., British Isles, Australia and Denmark, performed and taught at hundreds of music and dance festivals, and recorded ten or more fiddle albums. He currently tours as the fiddle pillar of several bands, including the Stringrays, the Rodney Miller Band, and Airdance.

Elvie Miller grew up going to contra dances in New England and, with a strong background in classical piano, she now she performs at contra, Irish set and English country dances in the U.S., Ireland and the U.K. She contributes driving and spunky rhythm for both musicians and dancers on piano and piano accordion. She recently travelled through Ireland, England, Scotland, Finland, Sweden, France and Cape Breton as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, tracing the origins of contra dance music. She has recorded albums with Rodney Miller, Irish fiddler Denis Liddy and contra dance band Night Watch. Elvie lives in Ireland and is the current All-Ireland champion in traditional accompaniment. She is also a professional weaver and music therapist.

Clyde Curley's solid, inventive work on the guitar and mandolin were forged playing for dances in Oregon's rural granges in the '70s, tempered at Portland's renowned contra venue Fulton Park in the '80s and '90s, and continues to be tested in dance halls throughout the Puget Sound region. Also an accomplished fiddler, Clyde has shared the stage with just about every Northwest contra dance musician out there--and quite a few beyond. Having retired from high school teaching to Bellingham, Washington, Clyde has just finished his first novel, Raggedy Man, and is hard at work with Sue Songer on Volume 3 of The Portland Collection, a collection that has evolved into the contra world's tune bible.

Members of KGB, Tricky Brits: Anita Anderson (of Tricky Brits, Bag O' Tricks, Zollo, Roguery) Piano, Accordian Dave Bartley (of KGB, Contra Sutra, Roguery) Mandolin, Guitar, Cittern Claude Ginsburg (of KGB, Djangomatics) Fiddle

Anita Anderson started her improvisation career as a high-school church organist, determined never to play the same prelude twice in a year. After some intense years spent with Balkan dance/music, she settled on contra, English, Scandinavian, and swing, and found that a pianist with steady rhythm was useful to dance bands. She also realized that a musician who danced had a leg up (so to speak) on making music that dancers could parse and enjoy. Her principles still require her never to play a tune the same way twice, whether she's with Bag o' Tricks (or its ECD equivalent, the Tricky Brits), Zollo, or Roguery.

Dave Bartley plays guitar, mandolin, cittern, and several other stringed instruments. He has played many styles of music over the years and continues to range over several genres. He has performed throughout the US and Canada, and in England, Australia, France and Greece. Dave composes dance tunes, many of which may be found in the KGB Tune Dossier and KGB Tune Dossier, Volume 2. A waltz he wrote and KGB recorded, The Clock Stopped, is used to teach cross-step waltz in much of the US and other parts of the world. He also teaches guitar, mandolin, and cittern/bouzouki, and performs as a classical guitar soloist.

Claude Ginsburg's violin melts, swings, growls, soars. He infuses the music with passion, rhythm, hitting notes high on the fingerboard with power and sweetness. Claude deftly inserts elements of Klezmer, Latin American, jazz fusion and French Romantic music into New England fiddle tunes, while years of contradance playing keeps his music connected to the dancers.

The Avant Gardeners Laura Light Fiddle and Vocals George Paul Piano, Accordian, Composition

The Avant Gardeners are the creative collaboration of Virginia fiddler, singer, and composer Laura Light and Alaskan wild man George Paul. Laura brings traditional American fiddle styles and swing influenced improvisation to the eclectic compositions of both Laura and George, all driven by George’s electric and groove oriented keyboard wizardry. A nationally touring band with the full complement of Gardeners, as a duo George and Laura are always in demand for dances and workshops, coast to coast. George has been dubbed the king of contra funk as well as the energizer bunny of dance camps. Both love performing but are equally excited about including and encouraging musicians in their growth and explorations.

George and Laura are the composers of the waltz tunes featured on our new CD Waltzes Before Breakfast. Check it out! Proceeds benefit the AmWeek Camper Scholarship Fund which allows us to have the sliding scale fees for youth and underemployed campers.

Jim Oakden Mandolin, Clarinet, Recorders, Banjo, Guitar, Bombard, Bagpipes, Accordion, Tambura, and more instruments than will fit in one vehicle! Jim Oakden has gone through a succession of musical stages, from early music to traditional. He's been a staff musician at many West Coast camps including Fall Weekend, both by himself and as part of the GUPpies, and is currently active as a musician for English country dances, contras, Irish and Cape Breton sessions and dances from Brittany. He is a member of Roguery Jim not only is a world-class dance and folk musician, he is also Program Director of this year's camp.

Couple Dancing

Erik Erhardt Erik presented the couple dance track in 2011 with rave reviews. We are pleased that he has agreed to return this year to build on the foundation laid last summer. Plans are for waltz styles, Scandinavian dances, and who knows what else? Join us and continue the class from last summer. Lori Pimentel Whether you are dancing the "lead" or the "follow" part (often called the "gent" and "lady", but who cares about labels?), Lori is without doubt your favorite partner. She'll help you improve your dancing in either role, or both! Do not miss this chance to dance with and learn from this most excellent partner!

Jam-o-Rama Given Harrison (CA) is a versatile musician (bass, guitar, mandolin) from Carlsbad, CA, who has been playing music on various stages since 1974. Currently a member of three bluegrass bands: Highway 76, The Tail Draggers, and Superstrings, he also plays in the old-time contra dance band, The Remnants, for the San Diego contra dance community. A devoted old-car nut and sailing enthusiast, he is a staunch and reliably mischievous camp instigator.

Sound Marty Brenneis (CA) a valued “gizmo guy,” was a rock-n-roll sound engineer in a former life. It wasn’t long after he started contra dancing that he began twiddling the knobs on the soundboards for dances … and he hasn’t stopped yet.