Calendar

InTentCity

Betsy Richards – fiddle
Graham Richards – guitar, fiddle
Seth Richards – piano, bass
David Richards – percussion

From North Idaho, InTentCity is more than just a contradance band. We bring all the fun family dynamics that come with years together of living, working, playing, dancing, traveling, eating, sleeping, joking, talking, walking, singing – you get the idea. And after all this time we still cannot think of a better way to spend our time together than playing and dancing in the contradance community. During the summer we set up our big canvas wall tents and live outside. Now you know why the name.

Jacqui Grennen

Jacqui Grennan is a contra dancer, caller, and choreographer from Los Angeles. She is known for her clarity in teaching and her ability to adjust to the dancers on the floor. She breaks down the dance figures and gets dancers moving so that they can immediately feel the connection with other dancers. As a caller, Jacqui likes to put together a session of dance that is varied and enjoyable for newer dancers as well as for those who have been dancing for years.

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.

A Celtic Evening
James Wilson
with
Dave and Sharon
Thormahlen

James Wilson was a English as a Second Language teacher at the Benton Center for awhile, now lives in Portland. He is getting together with Corvallis musicians Sharon and Dave Thormahlen to present an evening of Celtic tunes (“which we will deviate from a bit with some Latin and originals”).

Sharon and Dave have been performing all sort of music, from swing (in the Swing Beans) through children’s music to British (Celtic, Beatles, etc.) and more for many years.  They always put on a good show.

Treehouse

• Rachael Young, piano
• Benjamin Young, whistle and guitar
• Kevin Craven, fiddle
• Shari Ame, fiddle
• Bo Leyden, mandolin, flute

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. Bo and Shari play with several Corvallis area bands.

Noah Grunzweig

Noah Grunzweig is a master of stories and dance!  He called in Corvallis most recently last November. 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.

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.

RUNA

“Best of all, RUNA sounds like no one else!” – Travis Rogers, Jr., Music Life & Times

Quickly gaining recognition as one of Irish music’s new “super-groups,” RUNA has been en- chanting audiences by pushing the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats since their formation in 2008. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco and blues, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.

The group has been honored internationally, winning Top Group and Top Traditional Group in the Irish Music Awards and four Independent Music Awards including Best Live Album, Best World/Traditional Song and Best Bluegrass Song.

“Timeless and flawless…” – Jim Allford, PA Music Scene

RUNA consists of vocalist and step-dancer, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia, Dublin-born guitarist, Fionán de Barra, Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion, Zach White of St. Louis on guitar, vocals and mandolin, and Maggie White of Kentucky on the fiddle and Mandolin.

RUNA recently released their fifth album, “RUNA: LIVE”, which was recorded at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD on Thursday, March 17th, 2016. Receiving lavish praise on both sides of the Atlantic, the album has been hailed as “an incredible masterpiece” – Marcene Bronson, The Celtic Crier

Seeking to preserve and continue a traditional culture in a modern age, RUNA creates the backbone of its signature roots sound from the musical and geographical diversity of its individually established band members. Their strive for excellence and creativity blazes a trail for the future of folk music, earning them the reputation as one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of this generation.

“Genuine and with endless innovation…” – John O’Brien, Jr., Ohio Irish American News

The Fire

• Rebecca Lomnicky on Scottish fiddle,
• David Brewer on Highland pipes and whistles,
• Adam Hendey on guitar & bazouki

The Fire is a high energy pure-drop Scottish music band, with world class fiddling in combination with bagpipes, guitar, bodhran, whistle, and bouzouki. The group includes, International Scottish Fiddle Champion Rebecca Lomnicky, multi-instrumentalist David Brewer of the popular Celtic band Molly’s Revenge, and Adam Hendey on guitar and bouzouki.  Members of the trio have each spent copious amounts of time delving into the traditions of their respective instruments, with Rebecca and David having additionally lived and studied in both Edinburgh and the highlands of Scotland. Together, The Fire performs captivating Scottish music which bridges the gap between the fiddle and bagpipe music of Scotland—two worlds united, into a heartfelt and rousing musical experience. Between their entertaining and informative stage banter, vast array of instrument combinations and extensive repertoire, including everything from soaring slow airs to intricately arranged dance tunes, these charismatic performers will leave you on your feet with your hands together. The Fire has headlined at Celtic festivals such as The Pleasanton Scottish Highland Games, The Utah Scottish Association Highland Games, The Portland Highland Games, The Sedona Celtic Harvest Festival, The Northwest Folklife Festival, The Oregon Scottish Festival, The Yachats Celtic Music Festival, The Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival, and has performed at a variety of venues throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland.

The Fire is currently based out of Santa Cruz, California, and has recorded two albums together. (Rebecca is from Corvallis)

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

Michael has been having the time of his life calling around the U.S. and Canada since 2011.

He has honed a warm and concise style of teaching and calling, to the delight of dancers across North America.

NOTE NEW TIMES: 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)

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

Heron Valley

Heron Valley are an energetic, young traditional band from Scotland who have serious enthusiasm for the music they play. Their roots lie in Scottish and Irish traditional music, while taking influence from various Folk, Country and Bluegrass styles. The five-piece, energy fuelled group comprises piper/guitarist/whistle player Euan McNab, banjo player/drummer Nick Hamilton, pianist Arlene Mackechnie, guitarist/vocalist Abigail Pryde and bassist Callum Cronin.

Since their inception in 2014, Heron Valley have always ensured that they are conveying the highest amount of energy they have to every crowd they play to, ensuring that people who come to see them live have a fantastic experience. In 2015, they set themselves the challenge of releasing a music video and a debut single, to allow people to clearly see their intentions. This began with their set of tunes, Pressed for Time, and their original idea of filming out on open water on a yacht. The storyline took the band from performing out on this moving boat, to their journey to and performance at a gig. The idea of this was to convey to their audience the enjoyment people have when they come to see them live. This was extremely well received and racked up 85K views, with people all over the world purchasing the single. A year later, they released their second single ‘Home’ along with an extremely diverse music video. This time, they set off at 4AM to climb up Beinn an Lochainn, a hill in the west coast of Scotland. The video sees this journey from bottom to top and shows them playing on cliff edges in the area they all grew up. This gathered an incredible 173K views, and was shared over 2,000 times.

Due to this success, Heron Valley then quickly made a massive impact on the folk scene in Scotland, and 2016 seen them on their tour of 11 Festival stages over the UK, while 2017 seen them on a tour of over 20 festivals around the UK and Europe. Johnny Walley at Folk Music Radio was ‘particularly impressed by the structure of their set, building up the energy incrementally in a series of waves, taking the audience along with them every step of the way.’ With the unbelievable reaction they received at these gigs, and the demand for more recordings of their music, Heron Valley released their debut album, Roam, in May 2017. This has been extremely well received by the public, and has been the focus of their gigs during their 2017 Summer tour. This features 8 brand new tracks of self-penned songs and lively sets of tunes.

The BFD

• Betsey Branch – fiddle
• Fran Slefer – button accordian
• Dan Compton – guitar

The BFD plays for a contra dance about every other month at Fulton Community Center in Portland. Betsy is a versatile musician who loves to explore multiple genres of music. She has wandered her musical way through music from Ireland, Scotland, Appalachia, Quebec, Sweden, England, Bulgaria and New England, to mention a few. She plays regularly for contra and English Country Dances. Fran plays button accordion and fiddle. She grew up in Limerick, Ireland, and lived in Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, and Dublin before moving to the United States. Fran began playing the fiddle in Dublin, learning from Tralee fiddle player Maire O’Keeffe. Her repertoire delves into the dance music of Ireland, Québec, France and Brittany. Dan Compton is a long-time folkie in the Pacific Northwest music scene, and has performed at numerous concerts, festivals, and music- and dance camps. He’s a captivating fingerstyle player as well as a dynamic flatpicker and accompanist.

Gordy Euler

Gordy has been dancing and calling in this area for over 15 years, and he’s good!

NOTE NEW TIMES: 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)

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

Stories and Songs of the Kalapuya

An evening with Esther & Shannin Stutzman

The 1^st of the 3-part Champinefu (neé Chepenefu) Series – Year 2

Esther and Shannin are Komemma Kalapuya and enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. Esther is a life-long storyteller for the Kalapuya and is the chair of a non-profit Kalapuya organization, Komemma Cultural Protection Association, dedicated to researching the Kalapuya, particularly their stories, songs and dances. Esther is also one of the primary storytellers for the Wisdom of the Elders.

Get there early for a seat

Sponsored by the Marys Peak Group of the Sierra Club
Co-sponsored by the Spring Creek Project

Treehouse

• Rachael Young, piano
• Benjamin Young, whistle and guitar
• Kevin Craven, fiddle
• Shari Ame, fiddle
• Bo Leyden, mandolin, flute

*Treehouse* brings a mix of Irish, Quebecois, and New England style, and
put it together with Pacific Northwest flair. Ben and Rachael come from the
Irish traditional session background, having played with many groups across
Canada and throughout Washington, Oregon, and California. Kevin Craven is
recently arrived from Hawaii. He is a Corvallis violin teacher and also
plays with the OSU Symphony. Shari teaches fiddle and has played with
several Corvallis area bands including Three Finger Jack.

Laurel Thomas

Laurel Thomas has called contra dances all over Oregon and Washington since 2008. Dancers appreciate her clear teaching, her articulate calling and her carefully crafted programs designed to build skill for beginning dancers while keeping experienced dancers happy with an appropriate level of challenge.

NOTE NEW TIMES: 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)

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

The Weisenheimers

• Alan Snyder – fiddle,
• Dave Goldman – keyboard

from Portland play zesty dance tunes with a sly sense of humor.

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.

NOTE NEW TIMES: 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)

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

Alasdair Fraser
&
Natalie Haas

cutting-edge fiddle and cello explorations of Scottish and global music

” … you would think they’d been playing together for centuries. While his fiddle dances, her cello throbs darkly or plucks puckishly. Then [Haas] opens her cello’s throat, joining Fraser in soaring sustains, windswept refrains, and sudden, jazzy explosions. Their sound is as urbane as a Manhattan midnight, and as wild as a Clackmannan winter.”        — Boston Globe

“As many gigs as they must have played together over the past decade or so, there remains a striking spontaneity about Fraser and Haas’s music-making. He has tonal variation and attack to spare, but what makes them so consistently absorbing is the responsiveness each shows to the other. Haas is more than a cellist: she’s the rhythm section who uses the percussive chip’n’chop of her bowing and the double bass-like pulse of her pizzicato playing to great effect. The accompanist’s role moves so fluently between them, building tension all the while, and then they’ll slip into unison and it’s like floodgates opening. ”
— The Herald

“Fraser, one of the most respected of all exponents of the Scots fiddle, would look long and hard to find a more appropriate cellist as a partner…A positive joy.”
— The Scotsman

The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, “the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling”, and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 18 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning over 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic, etc.). In 2011, he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought after cellists in traditional music today. She has performed and recorded with a who’s who of the fiddle world including Mark O’Connor, Natalie MacMaster, Irish supergroups Solas and Altan, Liz Carroll, Dirk Powell, Brittany Haas, Darol Anger, Jeremy Kittel, Hanneke Cassel, Laura Cortese, and many more.

This seemingly unlikely pairing of fiddle and cello is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra. The duo’s debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted the Scots Trad Music “Album of the Year” award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. Since its release, the two have gone on to record four more critically acclaimed albums that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In additional to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.

SAC Presents welcomes fiddling supergroup Childsplay with Irish singer Karan Casey in their first-ever appearance in Oregon. This special evening will feature the beautiful singing of Casey, a native of Ireland, with the voices of violins all made by the renowned Massachusetts violin maker, Robert M. Childs. Childsplay brings virtuosic fiddling and features a wide range of outstanding all-star instrumentalists, ranging from all-Ireland and Scottish fiddle champions to members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and includes National Heritage award winning Irish step-dancer Kevin Doyle and Pilobolus dance theater member Molly Gawler. This is a multi-faceted evening of live performance you won’t want to miss

Note special location: 

OSU Women’s Building

Special Student rate! $5

A beginner’s lesson starts at 7:00pm (experienced dancers welcome and encouraged); dance starts at 7:30pm.

Special Location:

This dance is hosted by the new Contra Dance Club at Oregon State University and in partnership with CFS. The location is at the OSU Women’s Building, located on the West side of the Memorial Union Quad in central OSU campus. Many parking areas are available around campus and ideal spots are highlighted below.

Map to Women’s Building: Green areas are suggested parking, arrows suggest walking paths to WB (click for link to full document and printable map)

An additional map for OSU parking zones details other lots near WB on campus. All parking on the weekend should be free (and we haven’t seen any info about prohibitive sports events).

The Band: Joyride

Joyride is a Portland Oregon contra dance band known for fun, skilled play, tune sets carefully tailored to dances, and well-phrased melodies and harmonies set in a danceable groove. George Penk’s rich, compelling fiddle, Erik Weberg’s deft flute, harmonica and bombarde, Sue Songer’s heartbeat piano and Jeff Kerssen-Griep’s vital guitar and percussion provide modern and traditional tunes for dances, weekends and festivals throughout the year. This band loves creating a great experience for everyone, every time.  Come catch a lift with Joyride at home or on the road!

The Caller: William Watson

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.

Other Info:

A beginner’s lesson starts at 7:00pm (experienced dancers welcome and encouraged); dance starts at 7:30pm.

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

We dance First and Third Saturdays of the month except for July & August. Occasional special dances. See the rest of the calendar for more info.

Countercurrent

From Seattle:

• Brian Lindsay – fiddle
• Alex Sturbaum – guitar

Countercurrent is a contra dance and folk music band in western Washington, featuring driving guitar, foot percussion, lyrical fiddle, and harmony vocals.

 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 7:00pm (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)

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