| Staff: | |
| Our caller, James Hutson: | |
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James Hutson has been an English country dance leader in Southern California since 1997. His programs encompass traditional, historical, and modern styles, connecting the dancers to the music with clear, concise instruction and abundant enthusiasm. He has taught at the California Dance Co-operative's South Bay English country dance series since its inception, and was the Dance Master for the 2001 Los Angeles Playford Ball. He has also taught English country dance at various special events, including the annual Jane Austen Ball in Pasadena, the California Traditional Music Society’s yearly Summer Solstice Festival, the Sam Hinton Folk Heritage Festival in San Diego, and the Santa Barbara Country Dance Society’s Sprung Floor Dance Weekend. |
| Our band, Flashpoint Plus, includes Jon Berger, Howard Booster, Rebecca King, and Erin Vang | |
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Jon Berger has played music for morris, English country, and contra dances since 1976. A former musician for Berkeley Morris, he now plays for Apple Tree Morris in Sebastopol, and in Flashpoint, a Santa Rosa-based contra dance band. He is well-known for his powerful music, and, while playing for morris, his ability to maintain a connection between the music, the dancers and the dance (not to mention his sense of humor, and grand singing voice). He is a regular musician at Bay Area and North Bay English country dances. Jon is also a former member of Tempest, a Celtic rock band that plays for an entirely different style of dancing. Between gigs, Jon has a solo law practice. He lives in Sebastopol, California with his wife, famed morris dancer and clogger Kalia Kliban, and a sufficient number of cats. |
| Steeped in the Scottish tradition and supported by classical training in the far distance past, Howard Booster's music is known for its cross-genre flavor and its ability to drive dancers down the floor. He can be heard playing with Flashpoint and other musical combinations for contra dances in the greater Bay Area. Howard also plays and has recorded with the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers and is on the organizing committee for the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle School. Several years ago Howard broadened his horizons by recording a CD with Cropduster, a local band that his daughters tell him is of the "cow-punk" genre. | |
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Versatile dance pianist Rebecca King has been playing dance music in California since 1982. She can be heard playing English and Contra Dance in the greater San Francisco Bay area and the North Bay, mainly with the bands Flashpoint and Luceo. Her strong classical training and her love of jazz shows in her rhythmic and lyric piano accompaniments. By day, she teaches music in the Sonoma Valley schools. She can also be heard on Cowboy Dancing by Ray Bierl, and on BACDS' recent music CD Swinging On The Gate in which she was also executive producer. |
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A native of Montana, Erin Vang holds degrees in horn performance from St. Olaf College and Northwestern University and has studied with Boris Rybka, Kendall Betts, and Dale Clevenger. She freelanced in the Chicago area for seven years; highlights include Le Cid and Die Walküre with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, tours of Korea and Germany with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, and performances with the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Symphony II, and Symphony of the Shores. Since moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, she has been performing with the San Jose Symphony, Oakland East Bay Symphony, Festival Opera, Sacramento Philharmonic, Monterey Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Napa Valley Symphony, Women's Philharmonic, and the Foghorn Quartet. Erin and various beasts from the brass family have also been showing up at Bay Area English and morris events (the Bufflehead Northwest Morris team having suffered a particularly acute infestation). |
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Workshop Musicians: Charlie Hancock and Avis Minger: Besides being the programmer for the BACDS Wednesday Night English Country Dance series, Charlie Hancock has done it all. Often seen with the Contrabandits, he has appeared at numerous camps and festivals playing piano and accordion. His infusion of high energy and equal facility in accompanying English Country, contras, and ritual dancing, make him a special addition to any event. He also suffers from being an incredible friendly and nice guy. Avis Minger is not only the musical anchor for Emperor Norton's Fire Brigade and Hose Company #2 (a local longsword team), but you can find her at all kinds of dance events. Equally proficient in both Renaissance Faire and contemporary English Country Dance styles, Avis is a perennial favorite and was featured as part of last year's Fall Ball band and has performed at the Playford Ball. |
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