The Bay Area Country Dance Society Website

Nan Evans is a beloved caller of English country and contra dances from the rainy Pacific northwest. Nan brings a commitment to the joy of dance and the magic of community to dance groups across the country. She is well known throughout the northwest and beyond for clear teaching, a warm and welcoming style, and a love of dances that flow -- whether highly spirited or beautifully graceful.

Nan is at home with small groups in the great room in the co-housing community where she lives or with hundreds of dancers and beginners on the floor at Seattle's famous Northwest Folklife Festival. She has been a featured caller at camps including Spokane's summer and fall Lady of the Lake camps, Cascade Contras, Suttle Lake, and our own camps at Monte Toyon.

Nan will be leading English country and American contra sessions.

Suzanne's enthusiastic and clear dance teaching and calling have made her a favorite on both coasts. Her infectious laugh and easygoing personality put even the very beginning dancer at ease on the dance floor, and her unique, energetic teaching style helps students gain proficiency not only in the dance style they are learning, but also basic movement skills.

Since learning to call from Sandy Bradley in 1981, Suzanne has been a local favorite in the Pacific northwest, makes regular appearances througout the country, and has taught at camps as diverse as Santa Barbara's Harvest Moon, Juneau's Camp Damp, Sacramento's Echo Summit, and Anchorage's Dancing Bears. Highly regarded as a clogging teacher and fan of tap dance, Quebecois, and Cape Breton step dancing, she has danced with a number of Seattle-area performing groups, and served as choreographer and performer in the Denver Center Theatre Company's production of the play Appalachian Strings.

Suzanne will be leading American contra and square dance sessions, as well as a workshop devoted to French-Canadian waltz clog.

Part of the Kaynor family that has long been prominent in western Massachusetts and Connecticut River valley dance communities, Cammy has been leading contra and English country dances in western Massachusetts's Pioneer Valley and Boston areas since the early 1970s. Among the dances that Cammy founded are the Northfield contra in Northfield, MA and the Monday night contra in Amherst, MA. Cammy has also appeared at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and has been featured at traditional dance events in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Washington.

In addition to his contra and English dance history, Cammy has been the founder of a number of dance bands and ritual teams. For more information about Cammy, please visit his website.

Cammy will be leading American contra and English country dance sessions, as well as a Scandinavian couple dance workshop.

FootLoose is a high energy and oft times zany dance band. Performing New England-style contra dances and in concert, FootLoose has become a highly-respected and sought-after band, playing at numerous dance weekends, festivals, and week-long dance camps. FootLoose's trademark sound draws upon Irish, Southern old-time, and French Canadian influences. In addition to contra music, the band also performs for English country dances, as well as waltzes, hambos, schottisches, and zwiefachers.

Each of FootLoose's members (Fiddler and banjo player Rex McGee, accordion and mandolin player David DiGiuseppe, clarinet and soprano sax player Dean Herington, piano player Pete Campbell, and percussionist Jim Roberts) is highly-regarded in his own right, and draws from personal experience including Irish, southern old-time, international folk dance, and west African musical and dance traditions. For more information about FootLoose, including detailed bios and sound samples, please visit their website.

Starting with a one-night stand at the Sonoma contra dance several years ago, Flashpoint has evolved into a tight band known for its driving style of music and the ability to move dancers up and down the floor. Flashpoint presents its own take on popular modern contra tunes and incorporates traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, and Cape Breton in its repertoire. In addition to making regular appearances at contra and English country dances throughout the North Bay and Sacramento areas, Flashpoint was joined by brass player Erin Vang at the 2002 BACDS English Fall Ball.

Fiddlers Jon Berger and Howard Booster and pianist Rebecca King bring a wide range of influences into their Flashpoint collaboration. Jon is a former member of the Celtic rock band Tempest and lead musician for Apple Tree Morris. Howard plays for a number of contra ensembles and has recorded with the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers and the Alternative Country band Cropduster. Rebecca also plays with the contra band Luceo, is featured on Ray Bierl's recording Cowboy Dancing, and was executive producer of BACDS's CD, Swinging on the Gate.

Carlo Calabi has been playing guitar and singing old time country, folk, cajun, bluegrass, cowboy, and English drinking songs and sea chanties since he was a coyote pup in 1963. He works part-time as a vineyard and winery mechanic, is still trying to finish his castle, and is a member of The Cajun Coyotes.

Carlo's song-leading has been delighting Spring Weekend attendees for over ten years.