Details
It’s a delight to welcome the New England based contra dance trio, River Road, back to Rochester! You may recall, they gave us an exciting Thanksgiving Weekend double dance two years ago. Our caller is Rochester’s Chuck Abell.
At 7:00, we’ll have an orientation session to the contra dance form.
Starting at 7:30, experience the magic of contra dancing, where all are welcome, and no partner or experience is necessary. Music this week is by our good friends, Sister Haggis with calling by Katy Heine. Bring your friends, family, and fellow dance enthusiasts for a night of lively music, connection, and community. All dances are taught. An introduction to contra dancing is provided around 7:00.
We have a sliding scale admission policy, with a target of $12. Pay more if you can, less if you can’t – come dance!
Caller
Chuck Abell
In his caller persona, Chuck Abell brings us challenging dances that will exercise your mind and tickle your fancy with their intricate beauty. Chuck organizes the monthly caller meetings in Rochester to workshop new dances. He debuted his “DJ Abell” persona at our 2017 Thanksgiving Festival, with a Taste of Techno Contra session.
Band
River Road
Jesse Ball - guitar, mandolin, foot percussion, Sarah-Hadley Yakir - fiddle, Kristin Planeaux - keyboard
River Road delivers beauty, power, and groove to contra dances with a highly revered mixture of contemporary and traditional tunes with strong influences from Quebecois, New England, & maritime traditions, featuring Sarah-Hadley Yakir on fiddle, Kristen Planeaux on piano, flute, and accordion, and Jesse Ball on mandolin, guitar, accordion, and foot percussion. While they are geographically divided by the Connecticut river, an aptly named River Road connects them to create an energy that is highly sought after in the contradance scene.
This phenomenal trio has taken New England by storm! Here’s a brief example on YouTube.