Details
Fiddle teacher, Daphne Pickens, is accompanied by Ben Proctor on strings and Jordan Kleinman on Bass. Our own Margaret Mathews will be calling from her vast repertoire!
Introduction to contra at 7:00, and the dance starts at 7:30.
Caller
Margaret Mathews
With more than 35 years experience as dancer, musician and caller, Margaret’s easy-going, engaging style gets everyone out on the dance floor. Her ability to smoothly adjust the dances to the experience level of the dance community make it a fun and accessible evening for everyone. In addition to contra dances, she calls for traditional Old Time square dances, Civil War reenactments, hoedowns, weddings and other joy filled occasions. Her dance calling has taken her up and down the East coast, from the Carolinas to Vermont, as well as the Northwest and Canada. When not calling, Margaret plays bass in Wild Root String Band, a Southern Old Time band.
Bands
Daphne Pickens
Daphne Pickens (fiddle)
Fiddler Extraordinare! Daphne has played for Rochester contras since high school, when she and Casey Murray played for us, and also with Ginger Majority. Daphne has her BA from the Oberlin Conservatory and her master’s from Eastman. Daphne now teaches music in the Penfield Schools and the Kanack School of Musical Artistry.
With strong roots in folk and classical styles, she currently performs with The Crooked North and Birch Trio. She has released one folk 2013 album to date with her best friend and bandmate, Casey Murray, titled To Zamir. In addition to her roles as a performer and teacher, Daphne is also an avid composer, arranger, and visual artist. In 2016, Daphne collaborated with the Great Bear Trio, composing and recording string parts for their album, Magic Fantasy Dream Dance. Her drawings are featured in Basslines & Fantasies by Alice Kanack.
In her free time, Daphne enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family, playing board games, knitting, attending contra and blues dances, and creating art out of broken, unusable musical instruments.
Ben Proctor
Ben Proctor (Guitar)
Guitarist extraordinare!
Jordan Kleinman
Jordan Kleinman
Bassist extraordinaire