Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

Hambo Workshop with John Scott

The hambo originated in Sweden, and is commonly played as the first dance after the break at contra dances.  We will be offering a hambo workshop at Gatton Hall, led by John Scott, and all attendees will have the opportunity to practice at that evening’s contra dance, right after the mid-dance break!  It takes some instruction and practice to properly dance the hambo and it’s well worth learning.

Admission for the workshop will be just $5,

We are still seeking new volunteers to help with dances! If you are interested in volunteering, please see role descriptions and tell us how you would like to help by taking our volunteer survey at:
https://bit.ly/CorvallisContraVolunteering2022
For questions regarding contra dance volunteering, please contact Shell Stowell at corvalliscontra@gmail.com

Contra dance is returning to a regular schedule in Corvallis this fall! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

Celtic Bay

This 4-member group from the Oregon coast plays a mix of lively traditional Celtic/contra dance music and lovely airs and waltzes. Vocalists are accompanied by accordion, fiddle, whistle, guitar and bodhran.

Isaac Banner

A long-time contra dancer and Seattle transplant, I’ve worked for several years to become known in the Pacific Northwest for my particular blend of humor and dance instruction. With contagious excitement, a warm cadence, and a cheerful personality, I strive to bring moments of magic into the lives of newcomers and veteran dancers alike. Contra has always held a special place in my heart and I try to share that love with every dance I visit.

Contra dance is returning to a regular schedule in Corvallis this fall! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

Bandwidth

A homegrown Oregon band featuring

• Gordy Euler – fiddle, piano
• Kieth Mo – fiddle
• Carl Thor – piano, mandolin

Karen Olsen

Karen has an encyclopedic knowledge of contra dances and is a good teacher and caller. Very patient and clear. She likes to keep the dancers moving, starting out with simpler dances in the beginners lesson, and progressing to more complex dances. She is also a musician and plays her concertina for dances in Coos Bay. She strives to infuse both her calling and the dancers with her own joyful enthusiasm for contra dance and music.

NOTE: New location for December 2024:

Ashbrook Independent School Gym
4045 SW Research Way, Corvallis

Enter the building through the main entrance, then walk straight through the long lobby to the gym doors in the far corner.

Contra dance has returned to a regular schedule in Corvallis this fall! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

The Euphemists

The Euphemists are not your ordinary contra dance band. Yes, they have fiddle, piano, and whistle (Alan Snyder, Dave Goldman, and Greg Martin). But they also have HORNS! (Greg Martin and Stephanie Shea on various saxophones, and Kaye Blesener on trombone.) In addition to familiar Celtic, Québécois, and old-time tunes, the band plays lively jazz standards that feature the horn section. Throw in some ragtime era tunes, a little klezmer, and even a Sousa march, and it all adds up to a highly entertaining dance experience.

Eric Curl

Eric started calling in 1996 and called in California and Colorado before moving Seattle in 2006. A mechanical engineer working for Boeing, he now enjoys calling in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia on a semi-regular basis. In his spare time, he likes to hike, snowshoe, camp, visit friends and family, play music, and of course, dance and call.

Jubilate! The Treble Choir of Corvallis

Jubilate!, a diverse community of treble singers, invites you to their December concerts where we will celebrate the holidays of Chanukah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.. Each singer will bring their own unique voice and share their distinctive human experience. Through song we will celebrate the sums of our ancestry, race, culture, gender, ethnicity, and experiences. In this way, we are one.

Jubilate! has been singing in Corvallis for over 30 years. We welcome new singers twice a year and hold concerts every winter and spring.

Jubilate! The Treble Choir of Corvallis

Jubilate!, a diverse community of treble singers, invites you to their December concerts where we will celebrate the holidays of Chanukah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.. Each singer will bring their own unique voice and share their distinctive human experience. Through song we will celebrate the sums of our ancestry, race, culture, gender, ethnicity, and experiences. In this way, we are one.

Jubilate! has been singing in Corvallis for over 30 years. We welcome new singers twice a year and hold concerts every winter and spring.

NOTE: New location for December 2024:

Ashbrook Independent School Gym
4045 SW Research Way, Corvallis

Enter the building through the main entrance, then walk straight through the long lobby to the gym doors in the far corner.

Contra dance is returning to a regular schedule in Corvallis this fall! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

The Overtones

The Overtones is a Corvallis-based band whose sound was born in the rivers and woods of the lush Willamette Valley. Its musical versatility ranges from Irish to Quebecois, Old Time to funky modern tunes, and features Shari Ame kicking a serious backbeat on fiddle, Evelyn Idzerda wading deeply into rhythm and rhyme on piano, Bo Leydon rocking octave mando and wooden flute, Marjorie Sandor coaxing luscious new chords from DADGAD guitar and harmonium, and Tracy Daugherty keeping it steady on bodhran and cajon. Together, the Overtones whip up a danceable storm!

Laurel Thomas

Laurel Thomas started calling contra dances in 2008. Since then, she has called at dances all over the Pacific Northwest, and has made several appearances on the East Coast. Dancers appreciate her clear teaching, articulate calling and her ability to choose fun, lively dances that have good flow. Her carefully crafted programs build skill level throughout the evening and aim to satisfy a mixed level crowd of beginning and experienced dancers.

Contra dance is back to the regular schedule in Corvallis! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

Loose Flagstone

Loose Flagstone celebrates its fifth year as a Corvallis Celtic quartet drawing from Irish, Scottish, and American musical influences both traditional and contemporary. Their contra repertoire explores a rich mix of Celtic jigs and reels, rousing old-time tunes and New England dance music. Loose Flagstone features Jennifer Parke on fiddle, Leslie Glassmire on silver flute, Tracy Daugherty on bodhran, and Marjorie Sandor on DADGAD guitar.

Shell Stowell

Shell Stowell started contra dancing in 2015, and has been dancing up and down the West coast ever since. Driven by her passion for the dance, music, and community, Shell now plays the fiddle and helps to organize contra dances in Corvallis, and has been calling since 2019. As a dancer, Shell is known for her enthusiasm on and off the dance floor. As a caller, she incorporates her love of teaching, organizing, and music to strive for clear, energetic instruction and variety in her programming. Shell also emphasizes safe, inclusive dance etiquette that promotes positive communication between dancers.

Contra dance is back to the regular schedule in Corvallis! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

The Hat Band

Featuring Jon Neff on guitar, Syd Newell on fiddle, and Meg Tapley on flute, The Hat Band plays for contradances throughout Portland and the Pacific Northwest. Dancers love their diversity (traditional, rags, blues, swing, klezmer), their three-part harmonies, and their unique chemistry. Jon, Syd, and Meg also play in The Portland Megaband and various other local bands.

Rich Goss

Most weekends, and sometimes on weekdays, I can be found in a dance hall somewhere calling, playing, doing sound, or contra dancing. I also play percussion once or twice a year with The Portland Megaband, a 75-80 member contra orchestra!!

The Pacific NW is such a terrific place to live! It’s great for calling and playing opportunities. In addition to established contra dances, I also enjoy calling for parties, weddings and community dances.

I’ve called dances from coast to coast for events ranging from large to small, novice to experienced, in a driveway to very large dance halls. My goal is to call fun accessible dances with clear concise teaching, always with a good-natured, easy-going style.

Contra dance is back to the regular schedule in Corvallis! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

Coriolis

Coriolis joins the musical forces of Victor Fiore (fiddle), Dave Hamlin (mandolin), and Jon Neff (guitar) to spin lively tunes and drive contra dance delight.  Jon and Dave played together in The Steeltones, and both are long time members of the Portland Megaband.  Victor played with Eugene’s Mad Robin before moving to Portland, where he has also played with the Portland Megaband.

Noah Grunzweig

Noah Grunzweig is a master of stories and dance! It’s been a while since he’s called in Corvallis but he’s called here many times. Noah brings enthusiasm and encouragement to new and experienced dancers alike. He promotes safe dancing and a culture of consent that welcomes children and adults to contra dancing. Noah is fluent in traditional and techno contra.

Sunday Corvallis Contra Weekend Closing Dance
2 bands, 2 callers
open to everyone

Contra dance is back to the regular schedule in Corvallis! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

Nova

Root System is a new collaboration featuring Audrey Jaber (fiddle) and Amy Englesberg (keyboard/accordion), members of Free Raisins and Wake Up Robin, alongside Anna Patton (clarinet) from Elixir. Root System melds traditional folk with contemporary flair, delivering a dance and musical experience that is sure to keep you on your feet.

Will Mentor

Will Mentor is a contra and square dance caller from Northern Vermont known for his clear teaching, upbeat wit, and relaxed stage presence. He loves to choreograph evenings with a variety of dances and tempos that at times surprise and always delight, all the while keeping intact his guiding principle as a caller: “It’s about the dancers!”

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.

John McCutcheon

Multiple Grammy-nominee John McCutcheon charms audiences with “story telling that has the richness of fine literature” (Washington Post) and his mastery of a stage full of folk instruments is simply amazing. He plays guitar, fiddle, autoharp, banjo, jaw harp, (hambone if we are lucky) and is best known for his hammered dulcimer playing. A John McCutcheon concert is always energizing, fun, uplifting, community building, and his audiences leave with a renewed sense of hope for humanity. “This notion of telling stories of ordinary people who have done great things, and carrying those stories from one place to another, of telling people ‘this is where I’ve been, these are the stories I can bring you,’ is the heart of what I do,” McCutcheon sums up. “That’s my goal. If you can recognize yourself in my songs, then I’ve done my job.” He lives in Georgia but keeps moving, toward wherever he senses there’s still a story yet to be told.

His 30 recordings have gathered many honors including 7 Grammy nominations, but it is in live performance that John feels most at home. It is what has brought his music into the lives and homes of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed. People of every generation and background seem to feel at home

in a concert hall when John McCutcheon takes the stage, with what critics describe as breathtaking in their ease and grace…, like a conversation with an illuminating old friend.
So if you want to laugh, cry, be inspired, and feel like you are a part of a big community, then don’t miss this concert.

Whether in print, on record, or on stage, few people communicate with the versatility, charm, wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon.

Tommy and Saundra O’Sullivan

Muddy Creek Concerts, in partnership with Culture Ireland, is proud to present an evening of traditional and modern Irish music with Tommy and Saundra O’Sullivan at the Heritage Hall Community Center in Monroe, Oregon, seventeen miles south of Corvallis. Acclaimed as “one of the great contemporary folk voices of Ireland”, Tommy and Saundra O’Sullivan own and operate O’Sullivan’s Courthouse Pub in Dingle, Ireland, which is a music mecca in a music-oriented town on Ireland’s west coast.

A dessert potluck will be featured before the concert and during the concert intermission, so bring some goodies to share! We will also supply bottled water and soda- feel free to bring any other libations.

Concert Details
Date:  Friday, Feb 28, 2025
Location:  Heritage Hall Community Center (old United Methodist Church), 648 Orchard Street, Monroe, OR
Directions:  In Monroe, turn west off of Hwy 99W onto Orchard Street at the south end of town. The Community Center is on the left between 6th and 7th Streets
Times: 5:00 pm- Dessert Potluck Starts (and continues through intermission)
5:30 pm- Door To Concert Hall Opens
6:00 pm- Concert Starts
Approx. 8:00-8:30 pm- Concert Ends

A voluntary donation of $25-30 per person is suggested, with $5 going to Heritage Hall and the rest to the artists. Donations will be collected at the door.

Note: Concert attendance is limited to 90 people, so if you have to cancel your reservation, contact Pete Angwin ASAP at muddycreekconcert@gmail.com or by phone or text at (530) 227-8212. Non-cancelled no-shows make it difficult to host concerts in the future!

Contra dance is back to the regular schedule in Corvallis! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

The Nettles

The Nettles play improvisational music based on traditional tunes. Playing hard, they’re a Celtic jam band that makes audiences move and groove. Playing soft, they’re a lyrical folk-jazz group.

The Nettles blend traditional Irish and American music with modern spices. Laura Brophy’s fiddle forms strong melodies punctuated by soaring improvisation and intertwined with Kevin Nettle’s muscular guitar. The Nettles are propelled by the purring but powerful rhythm engine of Michael Proctor on bass and Tracy Daugherty on drums.

The Nettles play for festivals, dances, bars, and weddings on the West Coast. Their music retains the vital energy of its roots, but The Nettles’ unique interpretations add to The Tradition with every performance. The Nettles joke that “We never play the same tune once.”

Shell Stowell

Shell Stowell started contra dancing in 2015, and has been dancing up and down the West coast ever since. Driven by her passion for the dance, music, and community, Shell now plays the fiddle and helps to organize contra dances in Corvallis, and has been calling since 2019. As a dancer, Shell is known for her enthusiasm on and off the dance floor. As a caller, she incorporates her love of teaching, organizing, and music to strive for clear, energetic instruction and variety in her programming. Shell also emphasizes safe, inclusive dance etiquette that promotes positive communication between dancers.