Tom Phillips has been playing his fiddle for English and American country dancing in New York since the 1970’s. He recorded two albums of contra dance music with The Fish Family, a band named in 1986 by his three-year-old daughter Talitha, with whom he has been dancing and singing since she was in utero at Pinewoods Camp. Nowadays Tom can be found playing Irish tunes in pubs, with his bodhran-beating wife Debra Given.
Tag: 2025
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Tom Phillips
fiddle
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Talitha Amadea Aho
singing, morris
Talitha Amadea Aho is returning for a third year, teaching singing for all ages and morris dancing for kids. She has been morris dancing for a quarter century—first on Ring O’ Bells Morris and now on Berkeley Morris. Her singing class this year will center on call-and-response sea chanteys that everyone can sing. She loves nothing more than helping someone build confidence as they learn a new song or dance.
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Rhonda Cayford
rapper, morris
Rhonda Cayford has been an avid contra dancer for over 40 years, starting in Boston in 1978 and having the good fortune to move to San Francisco in 1980, just as the dance scene was taking off here. She discovered rapper at BACDS English Week in 1986 and it has been her passion ever since. She is the founder of a womens’ rapper team called Twisted Sisters, and was a long-time member of Swords of Gridlock. She has taught rapper, longsword, Cotswold, and Northwest morris at camp.
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Nick Cuccia
sound engineer
Nick Cuccia has provided dancer- and musician-friendly sound at numerous events throughout Northern California during the past twenty-five years, including BACDS Family Week, English Week, Fall Frolick, and Playford balls and camps; NBCDS Mad Robin Balls, SCDS Echo Summit weekend, RSCDS-SF Valentines’ Ball and Asilomar Scottish Country Dance Weekend & Workshop, San Francisco Queer Contra Dance Camp, and two CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award celebrations. An avid contra, traditional and club square, English country, and international folk dancer and former morris dancer, Nick also calls contras, squares, and English country dances throughout Central and Northern California and Nevada. Nick lives in Merced, California, with his wife Andrea and their two cats and two dogs.
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M’Gilvry Allen
fiddle, electronic music
M’Gilvry Allen is a fiddler, producer, and teacher who has been coming to Family Week since before he was born. He’s studied fiddle for 25 years in Scottish, Irish, Old Time, and Scandinavian traditions, and has toured nationally and in Europe with several folk projects including Maya Elise & The Good Dream, and Singing The Bones. When not at camp, M’Gilvry lives in Southern Oregon, where he produces records, teaches fiddle and music production, and writes songs & tunes for the next generation. Find him at mgilvryallen.com.
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Lindsay Verbil
English country dance
Lindsay Verbil is a caller whose warmth, enthusiasm, and clarity empower dancers to feel capable, confident, and connected to the music and to each other. Her teaching style is focused and precise, while her good humor and sense of fun create a welcoming and joyful space. A dancer herself, as well as a musician, organizer, and co-host of the web series “5 Things,” Lindsay brings together a tangible love for all facets of the dance experience.
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Jeff Spero
piano
Jeffrey Spero has been playing piano and singing since he was five years old. At a young age he discovered an affinity for popular music and developed his style emulating musicians like James Taylor, Elton John, and Bruce Hornsby. In his 30s, he brought his rhythmic style to American and Celtic folk and dance music and now travels around the country playing dances, concerts, and festivals with bands such as Syncopaths and Rhythm Raptors. In addition to editing and music, Jeffrey is a contra dance caller and choreographer whose dances have been enjoyed all across this country and overseas.
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Doe Taryn
contra
Doe Taryn is an up and coming caller from Oakland who’s excited to return for her second summer at BACDS family camp. She brings a convivial energy with just the right amount of wit to the mic. Doe’s warm and encouraging style inspires confidence in new dancers, and empowers more experienced folks to be creative. Between their workshops, you’ll likely find them sitting in on sing-a-longs or noodling on a banjo under the redwoods.
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David James
mandolin, fiddle, guitar
David James has spent many decades as a folk dance musician in Southern California, accompanying English country dance, contra dance, rapper sword dance, and Cotswold and Border morris dance. A recent retiree after a 25 year career as an elementary school music teacher, he’s spent time in symphony orchestras, pop/rock bands, and western swing bands. He’s proud and delighted to have been part of the Family Week staff since 2009, and excited to be here again to see old friends and make new ones.
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Craig Johnson
piano, accordion
Craig Johnson has been to almost every Family Week, and has also played piano and accordion for dancers since 1982. He plays for vintage and Celtic dance at SF’s Dickens Fair, performs with the Dogwatch Nautical Band, and is a regular musician for San Francisco’s Cotswold team, Goat Hill Morris. He is also a long-time director of BACDS, the programmer for the Second Saturday SF English series, and was one of the folks who helped revive the SF Contra in August 2024.
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Courtney Tolhurst
preschool
Courtney Tolhurst worked as a kindergarten assistant at Sierra Waldorf School in Jamestown, California, for two years. She will be graduating from Cal Poly Humboldt with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in May and will be obtaining a teaching credential next year. Courtney loves to dance, sing, crochet, create endless art projects, and spend as much time as possible in nature. This will be her 5th BACDS Family Week, and she couldn’t be more excited to spend another fantastic week in the preschool.
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Anne Bingham Goess
fiddle
Anne Bingham Goess enjoys wearing many hats (and wreaths). Trained as a classical violinist, she immersed herself in choral singing and light opera for many years, and then fell in love with Irish fiddle at Lark Camp. These days she plays regularly for Irish, English country, contra, and family dances in the Bay Area, and wields the violin and viola with the band Erica & Friends. She has also performed since 2010 with the Midwinter Revels, including the 2024 Celtic Celebration of the Solstice.
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Andy Wilson
stilting, family dance
Andy Wilson is a long time Family Week camper and has had many roles over the years. His current role is teaching campers to stilt in the afternoons on the meadow. Through his encouraging and practical approach he is able to get people of all ages and sizes successfully walking tall. He also calls some of our family dances, drawing on his long history as a barn dance caller. In his other life he works for the state park system and is a sound technician for dances and events.
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Alex Cumming
English Ceilidh, Singing, Morris
Alex Cumming is a traditional singer, accordionist, pianist, and dance caller originally from Somerset, England, now based in Brattleboro, Vermont. With over a decade and a half of experience, Alex has performed extensively across the UK and the US, bringing traditional songs and tunes to life with his engaging stage presence and deep knowledge of folk traditions. Alex is also known for his work with award winning UK based a Capella band The Teacups, fiddler Audrey Jaber, celtic trio Bellwether and contra dance bands Crossover and Red Case Band. Alex is also Artistic Director for Revels North. www.AlexCummingMusic.com / www.AlexCummingAudreyJaber.com / www.RevelsNorth.org
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Alice Kaufman
Longsword, English clog, Morris
Alice Kaufman is an Eastern Massachusetts native, now transplanted to the green hills of southern Vermont. She has been exposed to folk dance all her life and has over 22 years of experience as a ritual dancer. Alice has most recently danced with Marlboro Morris & Sword, Harbour Steel Rapper and Muddy River Morris, and was part of the creative team behind the stage show ‘Rootbound’ featuring Maple Morris, Morris Offspring, Ian Robb and more. In 2022 Alice was the Choreographer for the Revels North production ‘A New England Midwinter Revels’ at the Lebanon Opera House, NH.
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Emily Janssen
crafts
Emily Janssen hails from the wild hills of Sebastopol, where she crafts with her kids and cats in a dome in the woods. She is happily reprising her role as Crafty Lady at Family Week after taking a few years off to pursue hospice work. Leaning in to natural materials and her years as a Waldorf mom, Emily has a relaxed approach to crafting that is welcoming to all ages, including grown ups!
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Kalia Kliban
MC, mischief
Kalia Kliban (CA) has been part of the Bay Area dance community since the mid-80s, performing and teaching morris, longsword, American clog, English clog, contra, and English country dance. Among her other useful talents are the making of excellent pipe-cleaner sculptures and the juggling of a wide variety of supermarket produce. Her clear and humorous teaching style has gotten feet tapping at camps and gatherings in California and beyond, and she’s been part of the Family Week community since 1996.
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Noe Venable
kids singing, storytelling
“If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing.” Fifteen years ago, Noe Venable made this Zimbabwean proverb her motto. Since then, she has helped more than three thousand Bay Area families to sing more, feel better with her award-winning music offerings centering nature, spirit, and authentic connection. Noe directs two community choruses – Forest Voices Choir for children and Mothersong Chorus for women and nonbinary folks, as well as serving as children’s music director for the Revels.
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Raffi Maslan
circus arts
Raffi Maslan grew up in the Seattle Washington folk music and dance communities, folk dancing since he was nine, contra dancing since age 11, and performing with the Radost Folk Ensemble since he was 13. He gained an early love of juggling, magic, and other circus arts from being enthralled by street performers at festivals and fairs. He has performed as a magician’s apprentice traveling to ren faires, done puppeteering with giant puppets, and taught juggling workshops at the Bash on Vashon new years camp.