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| American and English dance music by Barley Moon | |
| Barley Moon is Dave Langford, Daron Douglas, and Karen Axelrod | |
| Charlie Hancock (piano, accordion) | Kathrine Gardner (fiddle, accordion) |
| Shira Kammen (fiddle) | Erik Hoffman (fiddle, guitar) |
| Display Dance Music | |
| Noel Cragg (accordion) | |
Robin Hayden teaches English country dancing in Amherst and Boston, MA. Soon after arriving at Swarthmore College in 1979, she found herself hopelessly over-involved in historical and traditional dance and music, including morris, rapper, Scottish, English, International, and modern dancing, as well as Swarthmore's Early Music Ensemble. A native Californian -- she grew up in Mill Valley -- she has lived in beautiful South Amherst, MA since 1987, and began leading English dances there in 1993. Under her sensitive and dedicated guidance, the weekly dance has become the center of a flourishing community of dancers and musicians.She has been a member of the office staff at CDSS for fifteen years; she is also an accomplished poet. Known for her lyrical dancing and dynamic teaching, she has participated in weekends, workshops and festivals across the northeast and in the U.K.
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Currently residing in Nashville, TN, Susan began calling in New England, appearing in grange halls in tiny snow-covered villages, as well as major festivals and dance camps from coast to coast. She spent 2000-2001 in France, traveling throughout Western Europe teaching contras, squares and English Country Dancing. Dancers on both sides of the Atlantic appreciate her clear teaching and diverse repertoire: singing squares, Western patter calls, contras and English Country dances presented with charm, wit and respect for the traditions.The choreographer of a number of well loved contras and squares, she is the author of "Trip to Phan Reel" and "The Country of Marriage." She is also a fine clarinetist and singer and has played with the groups, Sooz-a-rama and Pleasures of the Town. Last year saw the release of a joint CD with Mary Cay Brass entitled, "Full Swing" The recording features New England's finest contra dance musicians and includes a lengthy and entertaining booklet written by Susan tracing the roots of New England contra dancing and a guide for new callers.
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David Newitt arrived at Swarthmore College in the fall of 1976 and was shocked to discover that this pillar of higher education had a two year physical education requirement. Faced with the alternatives of being smashed to pieces on the football field and going to "folk and square dancing," the choice was clear, and he has been dancing ever since. Starting with international folk dancing, he was soon dragged into the local Scottish Country Dance group, the college morris and rapper sword team, and, when it started in 1978, the Kingsessing Morris team of Philadelphia. He came to Berkeley in 1982 to work on a Ph.D.in physics and to do country and display dancing. Since the dissolution of the One Shot Morris Team due to MIBS (Morris Induced Baby Syndrome) he has concentrated on country dancing in the Bay Area, teaching and playing music for regular Scottish and English dances, and calling contras and the occasional square dance. When not dancing, David takes pictures of people's insides, doing research in Magnetic Resonance Imaging at UCSF, specializing in body parts that start with "B." David is one of the most accomplished country dance teachers in the Bay Area, known particularly for his mastery of dance geography and his ability to make complicated dances seem simple. David's priorities can be guessed from the final acknowledgment in his dissertation, in which he thanks, "All my friends in various dance and music groups without whose continuing support I would undoubtedly have finished this dissertation several years earlier.
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Acclaimed teacher and dancer of morris and longsword, Jan Elliott currently dances with the Martha's Vineyard Swordfish and Thames Valley International, and plays English concertina for the Pinewoods Morris Men.Jan will teach WOODS HOLE VILLAGE MORRIS and SOWERBY LONGSWORD. Woods Hole is a new tradition, developed in the Cape Cod village of Woods Hole by Tim Radford and Jan Elliott. Founder of the Adderbury Morris Men, Tim created "Bloxham Morris" in a neighboring Oxfordshire village mainly as a vehicle for his daughter's participation; when they moved to Woods Hole in 1996, Tim and Jan developed this tradition further to suit its new environment. The style is based loosely on Ascot-Under-Wychwood and Sherborne, but with its own characteristic quirks!
Sowerby Longsword, as adapted by the Martha's Vineyard Swordfish, is a wonderful springboard for sword dance creativity, containing basic "overs" and "unders" in a continuously flowing pattern. When Jan joined the Vineyard Swordfish they were just learning Sowerby, and under her foremanship figures and tunes were adapted and added to give the dance more power and energy. We'll look at some of these changes, dancing as many figures as time allows.
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Barley Moon Comprised of three veteran East coast musicians, Barley Moon is known both for its driving American dance music and its sublime English dance music. Barley Moon has been on staff at Pinewoods and several other dance camps and played to a packed hall at NEFFA. Band members are Dave Langford, Daron Douglas and Karen Axelrod.
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Dave Langford Dave Langford is an experienced and versatile fiddler, guitarist and fiddle teacher from the Boston area. A veteran of over 20 years of playing for all manner of dance events, Dave combines multiple styles of fiddling with fierce energy and drive. Dave is featured on recordings of the "mega-fiddle-band" Childsplay and currently plays in several musical configurations including The Latter Day Lizards and Barley Moon.
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Karen Axelrod Karen Axelrod from Northampton, MA plays piano for English country, American and Scottish dance. This is her 20th summer at Pinewoods, and she has been at almost every Family Week since 1982 (either as a Pinewoods crew member, staff musician or camper). She is a member of the band Barley Moon with Daron Douglas and Dave Langford. In addition to her life as a musician and mother, she makes (and sells) jewelry and performs with the improv comedy troupe, the Villa Jidiots.
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Daron Douglas Daron Douglas plays English country dance fiddle with a background of a traditional Appalachian upbringing. She thanks her grandmother for the gift of her ballads and gardening preoccupation. She has played with the Knoxville Early Music Project, the Hominy Mamas and the contra dance band Misbehavin'. Daron has been on the staff of CDSS dance camps and at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C. She now lives and plays music in New Orleans.
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Noel Cragg Noel's flying fingers, strong musicality, and good cheer make him an excellent morris dance musician. He plays regularly for Mayfield Morris & Sword, has dazzled the dancers at the Berkeley Barn Dance, and is on staff at the 2003 BACDS English Dance Week. He'll give strong musical support for Jan Elliott's longsword and morris classes.
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Kathrine Gardner Kathrine has played fiddle and some piano for contra, square, and English dances and dance camps since the mid-80s. Some of her early mentors were Cathie Whitesides, Jeremy Kammerer, and Barry Shultz. She credits Cathie with teaching her how to fit tunes to dances, Jeremy with how to live the itinerant musician's life on a low budget and with honor, and Barry with helping her master the slippery and offbeat ways of Southeastern American fiddling. Lark in the Morning camp deserves mention for providing some of her first opportunities to play for dancing, and for the inspiration to try to make life a nonstop music party.Today she plays with the Contrabandits, whose music is known for its wacky surprises and irresistible drive. She also plays with The Guppies and the KJammers. Kathrine lives with husband Kit Nelson near the beach at Half Moon Bay.
Back to TopShira Kammen
SHIRA KAMMEN's fiddling is always a hit at Mendocino English Week and Fall Weekend. Her band workshops always encourage the players to push themselves along. She's played for the BACDS Playford Ball, CDSS dance camps, and regular English dances. She's been a highlight of many Christmas Revels shows. She has a degree in music from UC Berkeley. She is a member of Ensembles Alcatraz, Project Ars Nova, and Medieval Strings. She has performed and taught around the US and the world, and is at home in many musical genres, including English and Breton.Here is Shira's website.
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Charlie Hancock
CHARLIE HANCOCK's piano and accordion are familiar sounds at BACDS dances. He plays for English, contra, and Scottish country dancing, and plays a bit of jazz for fun. A member of several bands, he's played often at Fall Weekend and has played for the Playford Ball.. He is now the programmer of the even-Wednesday Berkeley English dance
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Doug Olsen
DOUG OLSEN, well-known as a member of Oak Ash & Thorn, has been well-received on singing at several year's Fall Weekends and Mendocino English Week. Doug's singing and his sense of humor and good fellowship bring a lot to camp.Back to Top
Erik Hoffman
ERIK HOFFMAN is a well-known Bay Area contra and square dance caller, couple dance teacher, musician, and sound guru. He is the programmer of the odd-Wednesday Berkeley contra dance
Erik's website.
Erik's bio at NBCDS.
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