The Bay Area Country Dance Society Website

BACDS Spring Fever Dance Weekend
March 13 - 15, 2015

The Syncopaths, with their unique Celtic, Contradance, and English mix had such sizzle at Spring Weekend 2010 that we had no choice.  We just had to bring ‘em back.  They pack house when they do contradances in the Bay Area, and their performance at the 2012 Los Angeles Playford Ball made for what some called "the most incredible English dance experience ever!"

From dance floors to concert halls, the Syncopaths bring a fresh, contemporary spin to music and songs rooted in the Scottish, Irish, English, and American folk traditions. Evolving beyond their contra dance origins, they are creating a "chamber folk" sound characterized by compelling, rhythmic interplay. They ably stretch melodic boundaries while keeping a steady, compelling, danceable beat.

Ryan McKasson stands at the heart of the band's sound with his dynamic, Scottish-based fiddling.

Ashley Broder stands with him with her understated-but-monster mandolin picking.

Jeff Spero provides wonderfully inventive and surprising piano accompaniment

Christa Burch anchors them all with her driving power of her non-traditional bodhrán. Christa also lends her singular voice -- warm, supple, expressive, and intimate -- to the band's songs.

All in all, the Syncopaths are equally at home with pulsing, high-energy dance tunes and beautiful, contemplative songs. This is why they are one of the most sought after bands on the West Coast.

Goldcrest (Washington-Baltimore), includes musicians from Avant Gardeners and Foxfire.  Their combination of Appalachian, Celtic, blues, swing, and English influences has been blowing away dancers from coast to coast, and after all the buzz from 2010's Northwest Passage, we knew we had to bring them to the Bay Area. Goldcrest is another grand switch hitter that can knock Contra or English tunes out of the park!

Daron Douglas (fiddle) combines growing up in the Appalachian hills, learning traditional ballads from her grandmother, with studying classical music through college. Daron has been on the staff of numerous CDSS dance camps and also plays with dance bands Foxfire and Misbehavin'.

Paul Oorts (mandolin, tenor and five-string banjos, cittern, musette accordion, dulcimers, and guitar) is much in demand on the dance circuit for his driving world rhythms, improvisations and stylistic versatility. Paul plays an astonishing array of instruments in many different tunings and styles. A native of Belgium, he is well versed in Flemish and continental European music and performs regularly with his wife, flutist and dulcimist Karen Ashbrook.

Dave Wiesler (piano) has built a national reputation for his rhythmic and innovative piano playing. At home in a huge range of styles, Dave plays for concerts and dances of many sorts: contra, swing, vintage, couple dance, English and Scottish country dance, Viennese waltz. He has played at festivals and dance camps across the country as well as in Canada, Scotland, and England.

She specializes in bringing dancers the best of new and classic material.  Some of her own dance compositions are being called all over the country and overseas.  Over time she has built a collection of great dances, featuring the best of contemporary choreography, and has written contras that have become part of the standard repertoire of dance callers across the contradance world.  Her speedy and encouraging walk-throughs will have you cruising through dance after wonderful dance. With her clear, upbeat, and fun style of calling you‟re sure to have a whopping good time!

Gary Roodman is a treasure – a contemporary composer of new country dances, combining historical flourishes, modern intricacy, and a unique ability to entice newcomers and challenge advanced dancers alike.

Gary has been teaching and writing English and American country dances for more than 30 years. There are now ten books in his Calculated Figures series and four CDs of music for his dances (the most recent one with Bare Necessities). Over the years, he has taught at Pinewoods, Mendocino, and many dance weekends, including BACDS Fall Frolick.  In addition to sharing with us some of his latest and more advanced dances, including contras, Gary will be leading a workshop on choreography.

In his non-dance life, Gary is a retired college professor who taught an assortment of math-related topics over the years. Now he devotes his time to enjoying his wife, children and grandchildren and to learning all kinds of things he never had time to learn before.

Sound tech MARTY BRENNEIS, by day is a mild mannered stagehand and audio engineer. He brings his ears to our dance floors to let us hear the great musicians at our dances. He says, "It has to sound good, I have to dance to it."

Marty 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.