We've put together a top-notch group of callers, instructors, and musicians that will keep you moving throughout the weekend.
Scott Higgs started dancing in 1975, and started teaching soon thereafter. For almost 20 years he has traveled up and down the East Coast calling for contras and English country dances. Dancers characterize Scott's contras as "high-energy" and "swingy." His English dance programs span the spectrum from exuberant to elegant. His first book of dances, Early One Morning, appeared in 1995, and went into a second printing in 1997. In recent years, he has led weeklong workshops at Pinewoods, Buffalo Gap, Mendocino, Lady of the Lake, and Mainewoods camps.
Scott will be leading English country and American contra dances.
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 workshops devoted to Quebecois clogging.
David Newitt arrived at Swarthmore College in the fall of 1976 and was shocked to discover that this pillar of higher education had a two year physical education requirement. Faced with the alternatives of being smashed to pieces on the football field and going to "folk and square dancing," the choice was clear, and he has been dancing ever since. Starting with international folk dancing, he was soon dragged into the local Scottish Country Dance group, the college morris and rapper sword team, and, when it started in 1978, the Kingsessing Morris team of Philadelphia. He came to Berkeley in 1982 to work on a Ph.D.in physics and to do country and display dancing. Since the dissolution of the One Shot Morris Team due to MIBS (Morris Induced Baby Syndrome) he has concentrated on country dancing in the Bay Area, teaching and playing music for regular Scottish and English dances, and calling contras and the occasional square dance.
David will be teaching English country dance.
Yael has over 30 years of experience as a performer and teacher in theater and dance. She is a dancer and choreographer for Jubilee American Dance Theatre and has been on the teaching staff of several music and dance camps, including Lark in the Morning Music and Dance Camp. In addition, Yael brings a unique perspective by incorporating her theater and dance experience into active communication skills training and teambuilding in the workplace.
Yael will be leading Klezmer dances, a dance and music tradition that originated in southeastern Europe several centuries ago. Klezmer dances include circle dances, couple dances, and squares.
Lift Ticket (formerly known as New Balance) is a modern-day dance band -- as in "contradance" -- that weaves together traditional tunes and new compositions into music that inspires and infuses dancers with a rare energy. Lift Ticket is made up of :
Rex Blazer (violin, mandolin) has long been astounding contra dancers from coast to coast with his unique and powerful dance music. Known for a spontaneous and wildly fun fiddling style, he delights dancers with his jazz-inspired improvisations on dance tunes from the Northern, Southern and Celtic fiddling traditions. Rex ascribes to the theory that life should be a non-stop music and dance party, and is renowned for his knack of matching music to fit each dance. Rex started playing bluegrass fiddle in Montana in the 1970s, after which his love of traditional music led him to study in Cape Breton in 1983. These days, Rex enjoys blending Quebecois, Scottish, old-time and Irish music into his own uniquely improvisational style of "new-wave" contra and square dance music. Rex been touring the U.S. for the past twenty years. Says Fiddler magazine, "Rex is a wonderful fiddler and an inspiring teacher." Rex also plays in Timezones (with David Kaynor, Peter Siegel and Susan Songer). Find out more cool things about Rex at his website.
Seth Houston, on piano, keyboard and guitar, is the perfect illustration of "creative madness meets no-holds-barred driving groove." While adept at traditional style of dance music accompaniment -- Irish, New England, and Quebecois -- Seth infuses his playing with funk, pop, blues and swing. And the dancers go wild! Seth also plays in Honk the Moose (with Nat Hewitt and Adam Broome), Crazy Quilt (with Mary Lea, Anna Patton and Peter Siegel), and Firetruck (with Ethan Hazzard-Watkins and Anna Patton). In between weekends, Seth teaches music at the Monadnock Waldorf School in Keene, New Hampshire; directs Big Sky, an independent teen chorus based in Brattleboro, Vermont; plays jazz; and composes. His choral compositions and arrangements are widely performed by Northern Harmony and other ensembles. Seth enjoys teaching singing workshops, a big hit at dance camps and festivals.
Sam Bartlett, on mandolin, is no stranger to the dance scene. Sam Bartlett has been performing and touring with Rhythm in Shoes, the nationally acclaimed dance troupe. He was a member of Wild Asparagus, has performed with The Sevens, currently performs with Uncle Gizmo, Mr Danger, and The Monks, and is a fixture at most dance camps. His stellar tenor banjo and mandolin playing can be heard on "Swamp Ceilidh" and "Evil Diane". Find ouut more about Sam at his website.
We are fortunate to have The Reckless Ramblers join us once again. Made up of Seattle-area musicians Cathie Whitesides and Laurie Andres, they are joined once again by New Hampshire piano great Bob McQuillen.
Irrepressible drive, tight phrasing, entwined improvisations and gravity-defying rhythm define Laurie and Cathie's music. Based on New England, Irish and Cape Breton traditions, their repertoire also embraces new composers and Eastern European traditions.
They have performed at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Pinewoods camps, Augusta Heritage Festival and countless dance events across the United States, Canada and Europe, where they play for contras and squares, English country and ritual dancing and couples' dancing.
Cathie and Laurie teach music and band workshops and perform concerts. Laurie calls a monthly English dance in Seattle.
Bob McQuillen, pianist and accordion player, has held a central position in the contra dance world for more than 50 years. In New England, Bob is known as the quintessential back-up man for traditional dance music. His solid beat and classic harmonies have made him the most imitated contra dance musician in the world. In 2002, he was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Kathrine has played fiddle and some piano for contra, square, and English dances and dance camps since the mid-80s. Some of her early mentors were Cathie Whitesides, Jeremy Kammerer, and Barry Shultz. Kathrine played for years with the Contrabandits and currently plays with Fear of Commitment and The Guppies.
Charlie has played piano and accordion for Bay Area Contra, English, and Scottish dances and camps for the past 10 years and has toured to such far-flung places such as Pinewoods Camp in Massachusetts and in Juneau, Alaska. Every contra dancer in the Bay Area has been transported by Charlie's driving rhythms and rollicking improvisations. Charlie played with the Contrabandits and currently plays with Swing Farm and Fear of Commitment.
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.
Last Updated: Sun Jan 4 14:07:22 2009