It’s our 35th Annual Thanksgiving Dance Weekend, November 23 and 24 2018.

So you’ve gorged on all the great family food and loosened that constricting clothing … NOW it’s time to DANCE!

Here’s the lineup:

The Groovemongers are Jane Knoeck, keyboards, Rebecca McCallum, fiddle, Tom Santarsiero, guitar, mandolin, banjo, Mark “Pokey” Hellenberg, percussion. For nearly 20 years, the Groovemongers have been thrilling contra dancers with a world beat approach to dance music. Countless tours, festival weekends and dance camps in 32 US states, Canada, the UK and the Caribbean have forged an ensemble that is equally at home with crafted musical arrangements as with jam band improv. Pioneers of groove contra, the band works with callers to create a great dance experience, expertly matching tunes to dances and drawing from a breathtaking variety of
styles and rhythms. From Celtic to Calypso, Southern to Salsa, Old England to New England, Motown to Cape Town, plus a liberal dose of American Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Groovemongers’ memorable tunes and driving rhythms fuse into a spicy mix that is irresistibly danceable.

Cloud Ten is a high-energy band of talented young musicians. Cedar Stanistreet on fiddle, Donal Sheets on guitar and cello, Arthur Davis on keyboard and trumpet, and Ness Smith-Savedoff on percussion. Here’s the new generation of great contra dance music. These musicians have already made a name for themselves in other hot bands of the northern tradition, hailing from Gallimaufry, Nor’easter, the Red Case Ramblers, and Nova to name only a few.

Sarah VanNorstrand has been calling, organizing and teaching contra, square, and family/community dances for over ten years. She has a clear and engaging teaching style and a great repertoire of dances to share. Instantly hooked from her first contra dance as a teen, Sarah’s love of social dancing and her joy in sharing it is evident and infectious. Above all, her goal as a caller is to make sure the dancers are having a wonderful time connecting with the music and each other.

Adina Gordon’s collection of dances is delightful. Her sense of the moment is trustworthy. She blends the feel of the band and mood of the crowd with her repertoire to produce an exhilarating dance experience. Every program is unique. It’s no wonder she’s a favorite not only throughout the Northeast, but across the country, for contra, English, and squares.

Here’s what’s planned:

Show up at 4:30 pm Saturday to help arrange chairs and tables, hang signs and drapes, and move sound equipment. We will have pizza for the volunteers. Then after freshening up, start dancing with a Friday evening Big Contra featuring Sarah VanNorstrand and Adina Gordon calling to music of The Groovemongers and Cloud Ten!

You’ll have a great night’s sleep after such a good dance, so you’ll be psyched to show up at 9:15 am Saturday for 45 minutes of open waltz with Jane and Rebecca, followed by an hour and 45 minutes of English Country Dance led by Adina Gordon, with the Groovemongers playing. If English is not your cup of tea, head up stairs at 9:30 for “Flow and Glide” contras, followed by “Contras that Break the Mold” arranged by Sarah VanNorstrand to the music of Cloud Ten.

Flow & Glide Contras: Sarah writes, “These are dances that flow beautifully from move to move – some of my favorite choreography. Whether it’s elegant and relaxed or driving and uptempo, these dances feature seamless transitions. I try and encourage the dancers to really get lost in the music, letting the dance carry them from one move to the next.”

Contra Dances that Break the Mold: “Dances that have shaken up the contra choreography world in some fashion. Whether the first of its kind, or a reimagining of an old favorite, these dances feature the creativity and continual shifting of the contra scene.”

After Noon

And now for something completely different: enjoy our sumptuous lunch buffet followed by a demo of Argentine Tango by Stephen Thull. If you are moved by the demo, follow Stephen upstairs to the Tango Workshop. Or stay right there in the main hall for Grid Squares called by Casey Carr, and the Groovemongers. Take a few minutes out any time during the afternoon to enjoy the sing-along led by Golden Link. After a quick sock change, try Sarah’s Communiccontras session in the main hall, or stop in for some Triple Minor fun with Adina upstairs in the Hands Six session.

CommuniContra: How do dancers communicate with each other? How can we become better partners, neighbors and community dancers while elevating our own dance experience? We’ll explore the topic through dancing, with a few experiments and games.

No Walk Thru Contras: After all those workshops and spending extra time lining up for odd formations, have a 45 minute No Walk Thru Contras session with Cloud Ten and Adina Gordon in the main hall.

Or polish up your calling skills with Sarah VanNorstrand.

Evening

Fuel up for the Big Saturday Night contra by joining up with other dancers to eat at one of the many Rochester dining establishments. We take a 2.5 hour break to give you enough time to get out and back in a relaxed fashion. We’ll have lots of restaurant information in the lobby.

Finish the dance experience starting at 7:30 Saturday evening with Sarah VanNorstrand calling to The Groovemongers and Cloud Ten. Typically the best attended session, this will feature some memorable dancing. Remember to collect your belongings, and help us close up. Our dance community helps the church by setting up tables for their soup kitchen in the big hall after the last dance.

Plan to come back next year, we’ve booked Steve Zakon-Anderson and Polaris as our top performers for the 36th annual Thanksgiving Dance Weekend!