Details
The 2nd Thursday Community Dance for all ages starts at 6:00 downstairs with an all comers band led by Clara and Micah. Margaret teaches fun and accessible dances for all. Our community dances are supported by a grant from the Country Dance & Song Society.
At 7:00, we’ll have an orientation session to the contra dance form.
Oliver and Alex have formed a duo with the shiny name, Missing Lynx. Tonight, the energetic Cat Sloboda joins them on stage, giving soaring dual fiddle harmonies to the dance. All dances taught and called by Rochester’s Chuck Abell. Starting at 7:30, experience the magic of contra dancing, where all are welcome, and no partner or experience is necessary.
Bring your friends, family, and fellow dance enthusiasts for a night of lively music, connection, and community. 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.
Bands
Missing Lynx
Oliver Scanlon (fiddle, feet), Alex Fortier (keys)
Missing Lynx unites Oliver, a soulful fiddler, mandolinist and spellbinding tunesmith, with Alex, a rocking keys man covering an amazing breadth of styles in depth. Together, they rock the dance hall.
Both have been studying American music since they were small and have attracted the mentorship of great figures in traditional music.
Catherine Sloboda
Catherine Sloboda (violin)
Catherine’s fiddling is energizing, sensitive, and creates music with that elusive quality of danceability. She also has long experience in playing for dancing; in the early ’90’s, Catherine was a member of the Sloboda family band, Glenrose, who played for many contra and family dances. She is a member of the ECD bands Bellamira, Quicksilver, and many other combinations of local dance musicians.