Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
Broken Top
Bo Leyden – mandolin
Shari Ame – fiddle
John Light – keyboards
A new Corvallis contra band, with a Portland keyboardist, Broken Top brings lively traditional music to the dance.
Woody Lane
Woody Lane has been calling contra dances throughout the Pacific Northwest for more than 25 years, and when he’s not calling you can find him dancing.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
~POTLUCK at 6:00 pm: April & Craig Hall Cutting, 1975 SE Crystal Lake Dr #192. Phone: 541-754-7040. At CoHo Ecovillage; look for the unit with the twinkle lights, visible from Crystal Lake Drive.
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Song Circle
Share a song, lead a song, request a song, or listen as we go round the circle. Song Circle is free and open to all who wish to participate. Bring your own instrument, borrow one, or just sing.
This is a special MONDAY evening dance. We book Wild Asparagus when they are available.
Unfortunately, they are not available this year
Wild Asparagus
Ann Percival – piano, guitar, and vocals,
David Cantieni – flutes, tin-whistle, oboe, saxophone and bombard
Becky Tracy – fiddle
and various additional players
Wild Asparagus is the premier contra dance band, performing all over the country.
George Marshall
George calls with Wild Asparagus and other bands, and plays bodrahn or concertina when he gets the chance.
Dance starts at 7:30pm with no teaching session (inexperienced dancers are welcome)
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
A schedule conflict has been resolved: The dance is ON
Penk, Pinney & Lindsay
George Penk is a well-known fiddle player across the USA, especially in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in Portland where he currently plays with the bands Joyride and Jigsaw. George collaborates with many musicians in various musical adventures, including being part of the Portland Collection project through his playing on the Portland Selection CD’s. His spirited and rich fiddle style is a delight to listen to. George is widely appreciated as a consummate dance fiddler working with callers to make sure the music is in-tune with the spirit of the dances. The Penk, Pinney, Lindsay trio, which includes Heather Pinney on piano and fiddle (also a member of Jigsaw) and Deborah Lindsay (from Corvallis) on percussion, works most often with the caller Erik Weberg, who also lends his expertise on wind instruments to the tune medleys.
Erik Weberg
I danced my first contra dance in Moscow Idaho in the Fall of 1986. Several excursions to the dance hall were necessary for me to find the courage to actually dance, but once I, tried it caught hold quickly and I became a regular dancer. Christian Petrich encouraged me to try calling for the first time in 1990 and soon after that I started regularly attending the first Wednesday open mic in Spokane Washington. I called dances around Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho for a few years before moving west of the Cascades in 1993. I was soon asked to call dances in Portland and up the Willamette Valley. Since then I’ve been calling dances, festivals and weekends around the country from Seattle to Boston, from Fairbanks to Tuscon and most places between. I am able to enjoy this craft because of the good folks who encouraged and taught me to call dances years ago, the booking agents and local dance committees who have given me wonderful opportunities to practice in their communities, and the thousands of dancers and musicians who forgive me my mistakes and make it all worthwhile. If you’re reading this you’re probably one of them; so, thank you!
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
~Potluck 6:00 p.m. Hosts: Greg McKenzie & Maria Orv, 3316 SE Hathaway Dr. Phone: 831 -325-7627. Directions: From Rivergreen (off of SW 3rd St.) turn on Hathaway and go 1 block to Villa Dr. Look for the salmon-colored house on the left at the corner of Villa and Hathaway.
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Folk Singing Song Circle
with special visitors
Jeff and Ann Corfield of Australia
A chance to sing and hear songs from Australia and elsewhere. Bring your instruments if you like, and a snack to share. There will be a “healthy” dessert provided.
7:30 Shy and Gary Nolde
High school sweethearts Shy and Gary Nolde have been singing their style of American folk and blues for about 50 years.
“Through the years we’ve seen it all, had it all, spent it all, known our share of joy and pain, sunshine and rain. In other words, we’re playing music together and having the time of our lives,”
Adam is an Acoustic/Electric Finger-style & Blues Musician, born and raised in Oregon. Performing regularly throughout the Pacific Northwest, Scramstad’s reputation as a professional Blues Guitarist & Vocalist is rapidly becoming widespread.
A strong and creative Songwriter in his own-right, Scramstad’s repertoire also covers a broad range of Early American Folk/Blues artists’ works – such as: Son House, Bukka White, Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Lightning Hopkins, Blind Blake, John Fahey, Elizabeth Cotton.
The best Cellar is a once-a-month evening of acoustic music. Admission is “pay what you will,” and kids are free. Cookies and coffee are available. Located in the cellar of the Methodist Church on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis. For more information, or to join the volunteer team, contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com
Wild Hair
Though we’ve known each other for eons, Wild Hair began as an ad hoc ensemble for a 2006 Northwest Folklife Festival contra dance. Everyone – including us – had such a good time (whoa!) that we knew we’d better play together more often. Dancing listeners from the Bay Area to Alaska since have agreed.
Lindsey Dono
Massachusetts transplant Lindsey Dono is rapidly establishing herself as a Northwest mainstay. With her serene teaching, meticulous programming, and sunny demeanor, Lindsey transforms absolute beginners into confident regulars. Known for her creativity on the dance floor, Lindsey incorporates knowledge of waltz, swing, and blues to lead a variety of workshops, including the ever-requested “advanced contra flourishes.” By day, Lindsey is a devoted research scientist.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Song Circle
Share a song, lead a song, request a song, or listen as we go round the circle. Song Circle is free and open to all who wish to participate. Bring your own instrument, borrow one, or just sing.
Cancelled because of concern about icy roads
The next contra dance will be on New Year’s Eve at the First Congregational Church. It will feature the band Tree Top with Noah Grunzweig calling a regular contra until 10:30 pm. followed by a techno contra until 12:30 am.
The Nettles
Laura Brophy – fiddle
Kevin Johnsrude – guitars
Michael Proctor – bass
Brian Bucolo – percussion
The Nettles are well-known on the West Coast for their original approach to contra dance music. Playing traditional music from all over the world, The Nettles create a strong rhythmic groove under soaring improvisations. Rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity allow The Nettles to propel contra dances into the stratosphere. .
Michael Karcher
From New York via Seattle.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
~POTLUCK at 6:00 pm: Marfa Levine, 650 SE Bridgeway; Phone: 541-754-1433.
Directions from central Corvallis: Drive south on SW 4th St, which becomes SW 3rd St (Hwy 99 W). Turn left onto SW Bridgeway Ave. Veer left to stay on Bridgeway. Drive approximately 0.2 miles. 650 SE Bridgeway is on your right.
Map: https://tinyurl.com/27ptkhy
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Special New Year’s Dance
Tree Top
- Bo Leyden – mandolin
- Shari Ame – fiddle
- Benjamin Young – whistle, banjo, guitar
- Rachel Young – Piano
Noah Grunzweig
Noah will be calling and DJing for the Techno Contra.
Bring snacks for a potluck at the dance.
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
KGB
- Julie King – piano
- Claude Ginsburg – violin, concertina, viola
- Dave Bartley – mandolin, guitar, cittern, etc.
This KGB is not a spy organization, but a band from Seattle that plays for New England style contradance, English Country Dance (as MI-5), Mostly Waltz and other social dance events, concerts, and private functions such as wedding receptions. We write a lot of our own music, and the rest comes from all over the world: the British Isles, French Canada, the Northeastern USA, Western and Eastern Europe, South America, the rest of the USA, and places we haven’t yet identified.
Andrea Nettleton
Andrea Nettleton is a Contra, English and Celtic Dance Leader from Atlanta.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Song Circle (postponed from last week)
This song circle has been cancelled for this month.
Kurt’s is still on for next week
Share a song, lead a song, request a song, or listen as we go round the circle. Song Circle is free and open to all who wish to participate. Bring your own instrument, borrow one, or just sing.
The Bridgetown Boys
- Victor Fiore – fiddle
- Lanny Martin – piano
- Jon Neff – guitar
From Portland.
Tarka Ayres
Tarka Ayres credits contra dance with helping keep her mental stability through school. She started dancing in 2004 and has called dances in Oregon and Washington since 2012. Dancers appreciate her ability to integrate new dancers into the community, her clear teaching and succinct calling, and her choices of challenging dances.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.