Lisa Greenleaf (MA)
is a valued leader at dance camps and festivals, both nationally and abroad. Her rich repertoire, succinct and witty teaching, and infectious commitment to community building make her a valued favorite. All advanced-beginner and intermediate level callers should consider applying to her special Contra Callers’ Mini-Course offered at camp this year.
Linda Leslie (MA)
calls extensively around New England and internationally, as far away as Denmark. She is known for her resonant voice, clear teaching, careful programming, and, most especially, her catch-fire enthusiasm.
Matthew Duveneck (MA)
started waltzing prenatally, clogging at age 8, and morris dancing at 13. From Montreal to California, he has been teaching couple dancing for the past 10 years.
Chris Bischoff (KY)
has been organizing, performing, and calling American, English, and Scottish folk dances since 1985, with primary focus on clogging, contras, and squares. Ask him about one of his heroes - Fred Astaire.
The Avant Gardeners
Dave Bartley (WA)
skilled on mandolin, guitar and cittern, glides from melody to harmony to rhythm to counterpoint, throwing in rock riffs, cross-rhythms, classical motifs and Eastern tonalities.
George Paul (VA)
was born to play piano, having been exposed in utero to his mother's accordion and piano playing. He has been influenced by jazz, blues, funk and country, with a sprinkling of Irish for good measure.
Laura Light (VA)
has fiddled for dances and festivals for 30 years. Her repertoire includes old-time & swing, New England, Scandinavian, Cape Breton, Quebecois and Irish, as well as her original compositions.
NOTORIOUS
Eden MacAdam-Somer (MA)
is one of the most exciting and versatile young fiddlers performing today. With roots in classical music, she has also grown to love traditional fiddling, jazz, and folk music from around the world.
Larry Unger (MA)
a prolific tunesmith and musical prankster, plays guitar, banjo, piano and bass with many renowned contra bands. His original waltzes and fiddle tunes have been played and recorded by musicians around the world.
Mark Murphy (NY)
most recently with Wild Asparagus on stand-up bass, provides that strong dance beat that grounds the musical interplay of the other band members.
Sam Bartlett (IN)
plays Irish, old-time American, and contra dance music on mandolin and guitar. When not on tour, he loves torturing his family with obscure banjo recordings or practicing in the resonant bathroom while his son is in the tub.
Tidal Wave
Eric Favreau (QUE)
fiddles with delicacy, nuance, and a je ne sais quoi liveliness that leaves no foot untapped! He has recorded two solo albums and three albums with his current group, Enterloupe.
Rachel Aucoin (QUE)
despite a strong classical piano background, is today considered a specialist of traditional music accompaniment. She is much appreciated for her percussive, colorful, yet sensitive style, and for her second passion: teaching.
Sabin Jacques (QUE)
has been playing accordion since the age of 14, and left-handed at that! Having developed his own unmatched style, he has played at numerous festivals and on the international scene, as well as on many recordings.
Stuart Kenney (MA)
one of the most in-demand upright bass and banjo players on the contradance circuit, mixes New England music with Cajun and Blues. His musicianship and creativity underlie his up-close and personal teaching style.
Marty Brenneis (CA)
a valued “gizmo guy,” was a rock-n-roll sound engineer in a former life. It wasn’t long after he started contra dancing that he began twiddling the knobs on the soundboards for dances … and he hasn’t stopped yet.
Tod Nysether (CA)
from Santa Cruz, has a reputation for creative and diverse menus. Tod Nysether loves to cook good, healthful food, and it shows. He is the chef and owner of ‘Simple Pleasures Catering’ in Santa Cruz, California. Tod specializes in cooking for retreats and is adept in preparing attractive, delicious and healthful meals that meet a wide variety of dietary needs. He has more than twenty years of experience cooking in a variety of different professional settings that range from summer camps and commercial kitchens to fine dining restaurants and full-service catering companies. He thinks that food is at its best when it is prepared with a combination of the freshest ingredients, simple techniques and love. Tod is passionate about his work and is continually inspired to provide people with an experience that reminds them of how deeply satisfying good food can be. Get ready to lick your plates!
