The musicians in Shandy have played together in various combinations for years and are now performing as a trio, playing for both English country and contra dancing. Past English events include the 2017 Rochester Jane Austen Ball and a Colin Hume ECD weekend in Toronto in 2019. Rebecca contributed her classically trained violin style to… Read more »
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Filtered by Performer Style: Contra
Mad Robin
Mad Robin is a fiddle and guitar duo whose energetic interpretations of a wide variety of traditional reels and jigs have delighted contra dancers and concert-goers all over Western New York. Dennis and Alaina also play in the groups Yellow Jack and the Shooktown Rounders.
Jane Knoeck
Jane Knoeck is the doyenne of Rochester dance piano for both English country and contra. She is a member of the nationally touring band, The Groovemongers, as well as River Bend, Sister Haggis, and others reaching back over many years. It’s always a great night for dancing when Jane is on stage.
PossumTone String Band
Hot old-time music
Max Newman
His guitar playing is refreshing, fun, and creative.
Tim Ball
Tim Ball has been on the contra music scene for over 15 years. As a performer, he tours throughout the northeast with his Celtic trio Arise & Go, contra dance bands Center Street and Tempest, and has played with Renaissance festival bands Empty Hats and Cantiga. Tim leads the Ithaca Irish Session. He has performed… Read more »
Matt Sloboda
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.
Barbara Seppeler
Pianist, music teacher and choral director Barb Seppeler, fell hard for the beauty of the English Country Dancer repertoire, and she has made it her own with deep understanding and delicacy.
Stomp Rocket
Stomp Rocket is a New England based trio. They’ve played for contras throughout New England, and at dance weekends in Alaska, Tennessee, and Maryland. In 2019 Stomp Rocket was at Fleur de Lis Fling in Kentucky, The Florida Snowball, and the Corvallis Contra Weekend among other places. Stomp Rocket also provides very fine music for English Country dancing. Dave brings decades… Read more »
Owen Morrison and Anna Patton
About the Band
The Gaslight Tinkers
African, Caribbean, Funk, Reggae, and Latin grooves meet traditional fiddle music. It’s the genre-bending future of the music of the past. The Gaslight Tinkers’ blend of global rhythms creates a joyously danceable sound around a core of traditional New England old time and celtic fiddle music, merging boundless positive energy with melody and song. Since… Read more »
JWalk
JWalk is: Jakob Raitzyk (fiddle, electric mandolin, foot percussion) Jared Kirkpatrick (keyboard, mandolin, fiddle, percussion)
Nadine, Tom and Peter
Nadine Dyskant, Tom Santarsiero and Peter Blue
Alyssa and Alex
Alyssa Rodriguez and Alex Fortier
Megan Wilson
Megan Wilson began dancing as a teenager in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a caller of English and contra dances based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she is working on a Ph.D. She specializes in challenging dances, dances by women choreographers, and fostering connection between music and movement. She has led dances in several states and… Read more »
Hans Krackau
Hans Krackau , contra caller and dancer from Berlin, Germany, has been calling for open house contra dances twice a month in Berlin, for 20 years.
Daphne, Audrey and Tom
Daphne Pickens, Audrey Potter and Tom Santarsiero
Louise Siddons
Louise Siddons is from Stillwater, Oklahoma. One of the founders of the Scissortail Contra Dance series, she is a light-hearted and adaptable caller. Check out her website.
Tim Ball and John Wobus
Tim Ball and John Wobus bring us great dance music from New England, Quebec, and Western New York by golly!
Dave Boyer
Long time dancer, artist, caricaturist, and delightful man.
David Millstone
David Millstone started contra dancing with Dudley Laufman in the early 1970s and has been calling dances for more than forty years. His monthly contra dance with the band “Northern Spy” in Norwich, Vermont ran from 1980–2015, making this one of the longest series in New England. David recently served six years as president of… Read more »
Confluence
Confluence is a mother-daughter duo from Western New York State. Nadine Dyskant-Miller contributes the flute and foot percussion, Barbara Dyskant contributes the piano, and we both contribute our joy of playing traditional music from Québec, New England, Ireland, and Scotland, original tunes, and more, for contra dances, English country dances, and concerts.
Alchemy
Alchemy is Karen Axelrod, Rachel Bell, and Eric Martin, three dynamic players steeped in traditional English Country Dance and Contra Dance music. Individually, they have performed across the United States, Canada, and Europe. As a trio, their improvisatory style brings a contemporary and innovative feel to both traditional and newly composed tunes and songs. Alchemy… Read more »
Laurel, Kit & Meg
This grouping is now named Dames Rocket.
Jesse Ball and Everest Witman
Jesse Ball of Polaris and Everest Witman of Nova team up for our dancing pleasure.
Alex Deis-Lauby
Alex is a NYC-based caller, dancer and organizer. Her smooth voice, clear teaching style and engaging dance selections delight dancers from coast to coast.
Craig Saunders
Craig Saunders
Bob Isaacs
Bob Isaacs, from Princeton NJ, squares the circles and lines up the dots with his delightful dance compositions. A prolific choreographer of creative dances, Bob is known for his clear calling of flowing contras and amazing hot grid squares. It’s a rare treat to have Bob come to Rochester.
Spindrift
Eileen, Chuck, and a variety of friends play for both contra and English dances.
Northside String Band
Laura Beth Taylor’s band from Ithaca
Colton Robbins
Colton Robbins is a local sensation with an electric fiddle. He will loop and accompany himself for our dancing pleasure!
Groove Effect
Chuck Abell’s 2025 band bring together jazzy stylings in arrangements ideally suited for a hot night of contra dance.
Northside String Band
Ithaca Northside neighbors, Laura Beth Taylor (fiddle/guitar), Deb Justice (guitar/banjo), and Scott (bass) enjoy playing Southern old time string band music together and with friends.
Eileen and Chuck
Eileen Kalfass on Fiddle and Chuck Abell on Guitar
Steve Zakon-Anderson
Steve Zakon-Anderson has been calling contras, leading workshops for callers and teaching couples dance for over 25 years. He has performed at dance camps and festivals in 36 states, including Pinewoods, Ogontz, Buffalo Gap, Lady of the Lake, Augusta and Brasstown. His own dance compositions, such as 3-33, are well-known to dancers and other callers…. Read more »
Colin Hume
Colin Hume is a world renowned caller and creator of contra and English dances. He has a deep knowledge of country dance, developed over decades of calling experience in his native England.
Calliope
A very experienced and versatile group of dance musicians who play for contra, English, Russian Ballroom, and Vintage dancing.
Joyce Rossbach
Joyce is a longtime caller with a southern twang!
Birch Trio
Birch Trio unites fiddlers Daphne Pickens and Molly Tucker alongside cellist/guitarist Casey Murray. Childhood friends Daphne and Casey are natives of Rochester, NY who have been playing tunes and improvising together at the Kanack School of Musicsince they were 4 years old. Daphne and Molly, a native of Thousand Oaks, CA, later met at Oberlin College and Conservatory, overjoyed to find… Read more »
The Bobbens
Rochester’s newest Contra dance band came together through playing at the local trad Irish music sessions and ceilidh dances. The core repertoire is thus Irish and for contra some Scottish, Canadian, and Old-time tunes have been added. Leader Bob Berch is a long time dancer and musician, so you know they’ll play great tunes in… Read more »
Kingfisher
Contra dance band from Boston, MA:
* Cecilia Vacanti: fiddle
* Jeff Kaufman: piano / drums / synths
Rich Goss
Most weekends, and sometimes on weekdays, I can be found in a dance hall somewhere calling, playing, doing sound, or contra dancing. I’m currently splitting time between The Pacific Northwest and Austin, Texas, with occasional travel sprinkled in. The Pacific NW is such a terrific place to live! It’s great for calling and playing opportunities…. Read more »
Pete’s Posse
Pete Sutherland, Oliver Scanlon and Tristan Henderson
O’Shanigans
The O’Shanigans contra dance band perform Celtic, American and world fiddle tunes suitable for contra dancing, general entertainment and weddings. Fiddle and dance tunes from: New England, Southern Appalachia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Finland, Sweden and the Middle East! We have our own sound gear and a publicity network to help gain attention for your event. We… Read more »
NOshanigans
The NOshanigans are Michael Ludgate (mandolin, feet) and Sophie Orzechowski (fiddle, accordion) as NO’Shanigans www.osh
Rebecca McCallum & Jane Knoeck
In addition to being members of the nationally known Groovemongers, Rebecca and Jane played regularly for Rochester English dances before Rebecca moved away. They are top notch players, and we sometimes catch Rebecca for a dance when she is in town.
Esteemed Clams
The Esteemed Clams originally came together in 1994 and have been playing for dances ever since. Their band roots are in Appalachian old-time music with a contra dance drive that will make you want to keep your feet a-movin’ on that dance floor!
Chet Gray
Hailing from Louisville, Chet is a dancer/caller who also calls in St. Louis and Urbana. Find out more on his Facebook page.
Dela Murphy
Dela is a community builder, dancer, and contra dance caller from Portland, Maine. She brings compelling arts programming to life and hosts events that connect people in meaningful, joyful ways.
Donna Hunt
Donna Hunt calls contra and square dances with interesting choreography and variations. She is known for utilizing clear, concise instructions to minimize teaching time and maximize dance time. Equally comfortable calling with a “techno” DJ as a “traditional” band of musicians, she offers programs of exciting dances in a variety of figures and formations for… Read more »