Calendar

Band: The Nettles

Caller: Tarka Ayres

~Pre-Dance Potluck, 6 PM. Hosts: Sue & Jim Noel, 1975 SW Whiteside Drive; 541-224-6546. Directions: From Philomath Blvd, drive south on SW 35^th St; continue past the school, up the “wiggly” hill where 35th becomes Whiteside Dr.Continue a few more blocks to the corner of Whiteside Dr and Chintimini Ave. House is on the left; giant Sequoia in the front yard.  Map: https://mapq.st/1s4jLal

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Band: The Eugene Barnstormers

Based in Eugene, the Eugene City Barnstormers is a string band dedicated to fun times. Shawn Lockery plays fiddle, Wes Messinger plays guitar, Paul Clements plays fiddle, Ambo Daugherty plays the banjo, and Cliff Kentros plays the bass. The Eugene Barnstormers enjoy long sets of traditional dance tunes played in their own storming sort of way, beckoning folks from all walks of life to lay aside their concerns, stretch out, loosen up and move, move, move.

Caller: Ron Bell-Roemer.

~Potluck at 6pm: Christine & Erik, 2307 NW 12^th St, Corvallis; 541-757-1211. Directions: From Circle Blvd, turn north onto 11th St, next left on Maple, next right on 12th. Bright yellow house with red trim, on the right, about 1/2 way down the block.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Band: The Quarks: Betsy Branch — fiddle, guitar; Bill Tomczak — clarinet, saxophone, percussion; Terry Wergeland — piano, accordion

Caller: Gordy Euler

~Potluck at 6:00 pm. Hosts: April & Craig Hall-Cutting, 1975 SE Crystal Lake Dr #192, Corvallis (in CoHo Ecovillage); 541-754-7040.  Directions: Drive south on SW 4^th St, which turns into SW 3^rd ST/Hwy 99 W; turn left onto Crystal Lake Dr. Drive less than ½ a mile then turn left into the CoHo Ecovillage parking lot, just past the Crystal Lake Cemetery. Park in the lot, walk back to Crystal Lake Dr. and then to the second building, Unit 192. Look for the twinkle lights!

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Band: Wild Asparagus!
Caller: George Marshall
This special dance is a rare opportunity to dance with one of the premier contra dance bands in existence. Don’t miss it!

Potluck: There is no pre-dance potluck for this dance, which starts and ends a half hour early to accommodate folks who need to be at work Tuesday morning.

We hold contra dances the first and third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Band: Red Crow: Susan Burke — fiddle; Chuck Pliske — piano, concertina; Joe Michaels — bass, guitar; Wayne Clark — fiddle, banjo, guitar, percussion

Caller: Christa Torrens

Potluck: There is usually a pre-dance potluck

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Band: Laura Light, Dave Bartley and Jeff Spero (all from Seattle).

Caller: Eric Black.

~Potluck at 6 pm. Hosts: Josiah & Xan, 1615 SE Bethel St, Corvallis. Phone: 541-231-1895. Directions from downtown Corvallis: Drive south on SW 4th St, which continues as SW 3rd ST (Hwy 99). Turn left onto Crystal Lake Drive. Drive less than 1/2 a mile then turn right onto SE Bethel St; (fifth house on left).

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Band: Full Moon: Gordy Euler — fiddle; Dave Hamlin — fiddle, mandolin; Janet Ghoulston — concertina, banjo; Fran Slefer — fiddle, button accordion, piano

Caller: Kat diFoxfire Wilson

~ No Potluck tonight.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Treehouse playing

Becky Dorsey (fiddle), Benjamin Young (banjo, whistle), and Rachael Young (piano) bring a mix of Irish, Quebecois, and New England style, and put it together with Pacific Northwest flair. Becky has played for dances throughout Vermont, New Jersey, Arizona, and California, and previously played with Amazon Creek in Eugene. Ben and Rachael come from the Irish traditional session background, having played with many groups across Canada and throughout Washington, Oregon, and California.

William Watson calling

William Watson, a resident of Eugene, OR, danced his first contra in 1989 and began calling in Texas in 1992. Having called numerous contra events in cities coast-to-coast, William’s extensive experience and soothing voice project a calm confidence. His vigilant and thoughtful dance programming ensures a variety of figures, transitions, and sequences to entertain and support new dancers while offering the occasional challenge for the more advanced. His calling proficiency and sensitivities ensure everyone has a good time.

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 p.m. Host: Diane Arney, 770 SW Lookout Drive; 541-753-0762.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Zephyr playing

Zephyr is a quartet of seasoned contradance musicians, with Ellen Hansen on fiddle, Todd Silverstein on whistle/sax/bouzouki, Bo Leyden on banjo/mandolin, and Dave Goldman on keyboard. Their music has strong roots in the Celtic, Appalachian, Scandinavian, and Klezmer traditions. But what draws them together is the infectious energy they put out on the dance floor, just like the West Wind they’re named after. In various configurations, these musicians have played from Oregon to Massachusetts, from Alaska to Virginia, and from China to Ireland and Sweden.

Woody Lane calling

A caller for more than 25 years, Woody Lane from Roseburg is known for his smooth contras, fast squares, and superb programming. His teaching style is clear and concise. Also an accomplished clogger, he often accompanies the band as a foot percussionist, raising the energy level on the dance floor to wonderful heights. Woody has brought his exciting brand of calling to dances from Alaska to Boston to Florida, and he has a growing reputation throughout the country.

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 p.m.  Host: Dan McKenzie, 2920 NW Mulkey Ave; 541-501-6184. Directions: From Harrison Blvd, west bound: Turn right (north) onto NW 29^th St. After crossing Grant (passing First Alternative Co-op North store), take the second left at NW Mulkey. Second house on the left.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

A Special Free Contra Dance

cosponsored by the OSU Swing & Blues Club and CFS

with

The Nettles playing

Noah Grunzweig calling

Please bring your friends and lets show the OSU campus a great dance. Feel free to bring light refreshments or food to share if desired.

Wild Hair

Popular foursome Wild Hair stirs up contra dance floors with addictively propulsive fiddle tunes from several traditions, including home-grown. Swingy fiddler Betsy Branch, multi-instrumentalist Todd Silverstein (pennywhistle, bouzouki, sax), percussive guitarist Jeff Kerssen-Griep and syncopacious pianist Mark Douglass sync up a harmonious, giddy-hot ensemble sound that’s feisty and grooved, creatively graceful, ferocious, and funfunfun, with contagious good humor tailored to your feet. You can sample tracks from their CD “Buzz Cuts” at CDBaby.com.

Susan Downs calling

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)

No potluck tonight

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

 CFS annual Corvallis Contra Weekend

is sold-out

 The closing dance Sunday evening is open to the public

Latter Day Lizards

Joyride

Susan Michaels
Steve Zakon-Anderson

A special public dance capping the CFS Contra Weekend. Teaching starts at 7:00, with the dance proper at 7:30 (that’s a bit early)

Latter Day Lizards

Joyride

Susan Michaels
Steve Zakon-Anderson

Beginners lesson starts at 7:00pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 7:30pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

Hands4

Since 2004, Hands4 has delivered its high-energy music to dance halls throughout the Pacific Northwest, and in Texas during a February, 2006, tour. Combining seldom-heard traditional tunes with originals by band members and other musicians, Hands4 has created a unique blend of music that is definitely not your usual contra tunes.

With their carefully-constructed tune sets featuring mostly original music, their diverse instrumentation, and their well-crafted harmonies and arrangements, Hands4 brings a fresh flavor and excitement to the dance hall wherever they play.

Laurel Thomas calling

Laurel Thomas started calling contra dances at Portland’s open mike night in 2008. Since then, she has called for the regular dances in Portland, Eugene, Corvallis, Bend, Vancouver, Olympia and Tacoma. She has also called at Salem’s Camp Westwind. Dancers appreciate her clear teaching, articulate calling and her ability to choose fun, lively dances that have good flow. “In a mixed crowd my goal for the evening is not only to call dances that are accessible to beginners yet still fun for more experienced dancers, but also to make sure that there is an element of challenge built into the program that allows newcomers to increase their skills.”

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: There is usually a pre-dance potluck

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

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.wherever they play.

Lynn Ackerson calling

Lynn’s huge collection of dances (including over 800 contras) keeps growing as she tries to keep the dancing fresh and interesting even for long-time dancers. This Spring, she’ll be calling at two weekend camps in the Bay Area (Monte Toyon and Balance the Bay), a festival (NEFFA) and various dances in New England, along with various west coast dances. In the summer, she’s on staff at two weeklong camps for the very first time: Folklore week at Mendocino, and American Dance and Music Week at Pinewoods. Even while all of these events are going on, she finds time to attend other dance weekends as “just a dancer” to keep remembering the joy that is found in the dancing and the music.

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)

Pre-Dance Potluck at 6:00 p.m.

Hosts: April & Craig Hall Cutting, 1975 SE Crystal Lake Dr #192, Corvallis (in CoHo Ecovillage); 541-754-7040.

Directions: Drive south on SW 4th St, which turns into SW 3rd ST/Hwy 99 W; turn left onto Crystal Lake Dr. Drive less than ½ a mile then turn left into the CoHo Ecovillage parking lot, just past the Crystal Lake Cemetery. Park in the lot, walk back to Crystal Lake Dr. and then to the second building, Unit 192. Look for the twinkle lights!

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.