Details
Two fine musicians, Matt on fiddle and bouzouki and Alex on keys, will meld their wide ranging experiences in music to a happy match for contra dancing. They really know how to lift your spirits and your feet for the evening. Kim Thompson travels to Rochester bringing fresh dances and perspective.
Admission is charged on a sliding scale, with $12 as the suggested donation. Our admission fees don’t cover all our costs, so feel free to pay more if you can. We offer an introduction to contra dancing starting at 7:00.
Caller
Kim Thompson
Kim has been calling around the midwest for 10 years. She began calling out of her love for contra dancing. She works well with both new and experienced dancers with clear instructions that respect the skill level of dancers. She has a wide repertoire of dances that scaffold learning for new dances and also appeal to and challenge experienced dancers. She is a welcoming caller with a big heart and generous spirit.
Kim calls regularly for All Soles and Big Scioty in Columbus Ohio, at the Dayton, OH contra dance, and in Madison when she is in Wisconsin. She has also called in Lexington, KY, Chicago, Delafield, WI, and Cincinnati.
A Rochester native, she now lives in Athens, Ohio.
Bands
Matt Sloboda
Matt Sloboda (Fiddle, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Accordion)
Raised in the tradition, Matt has played with many bands, including Lake Effect and Glenrose. Matt brings a great lift to his style that swings.
Alex Fortier
Alex Louis Fortier has been studying and playing piano in various idioms since the age of 6. His traditional accompaniment stylings range between classic New England style (Bob McQuillen, Gordon Peery), Quebecois style (Mario Loiselle, Rachel Aucoin), and Cape Breton style (Neil Pearlman, Jason Roach, Mac Morin, Troy MacGillivray). With a love of tradition and a penchant for harmonic substitutions and development, he’s sure to keep a dance fresh and energetic!