2026 Performers and Presenters
Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings ㅤㅤ●ㅤ Alyssa (Lyss) Adkins ㅤㅤ● Ambassadors ● Armand Aromin ● Ben Sachs Hamilton ● Beth Robinson ● Big Fez and the Surfmatics ● Brooklyn Contra ● Capital District Megaband ● Cast Iron Cowboys ● Cedar Stanistreet ● Children at the Well ● The Children’s Museum at Saratoga ● Clayton Jennings ● Dance Animals ● Devesh and Veena Chandra ● DJ Alex Bittle ● Drank the Gold ● D.R. Shadow ● Flurut ● Gaby Cook ● George Wilson ● Gerardo Contino ● GET Dance Company ● The Gong Lab ● Gordon Webster ● Heavy Bone Zydeco ● Jake Blount ● Jay Ungar and Molly Mason ● Jenny Beer ● Jeremy Carter-Gordon ● Joe, Jesse, and Jim Bruchac ● John, Trish, & Joel ● Johnny Martinez & Diane Lachtrupp ● Josh Fialkoff and the Odd Fellows ● Les Taiauts ● Lili Loveday ● Lindsey Dono ● Lindsay McCaw and Hannah Lewis ● Lisa Greenleaf ● Lois New ● Lustre Kings ● Lynn Noel ● Maggie McNally ● Malvenn ● Mary Alice Amidon and Stefan Amidon ● Mean Lids ● MetaMovements ● Michael Ginsburg ● Michael Seider ● Music with Miss Kelly ● Nathan Bugh ● Nicola Marae Allain ● Northwoods ● Paul Rosenberg ● Peter Macfarlane and Beth Murray ● Pokingbrook Morris Dancers ● Rafal Pustelny ● Red Case Band ● Reverend Robert Jones ● Rick Mohr ● Riley Mullany ● Roo Lester ● Saratoga Springs HS Fiddle Club ● Sophie Wellington ● Spare Parts ● Storycrafters ● Stove Dragon ● Strawberry Hill Fiddlers ● Tamarack ● Troy Samba ● Vanaver Caravan ● Wild Indigo (Miranda Weinberg, Rebecca McCallum, Kathy Talvitie) ● Will Mentor ● Windborne ● Yoga Mandali ● Zlatne Uste ● Zorkie Nelson
Artist bios are alphabetical by first name. Jump to:
A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M / N / O / P / Q / R / S / T / U / V / W / X / Y / Z
A – G ⬇
Juilliard Graduate and Multi-GRAMMY Award nominee Alphonso Horne is described by New York Times as a “devastating trumpeter” that thrills audiences with his soulful sound and dramatic sensibility. Alphonso has collaborated with artists from all genres and disciplines including Wynton Marsalis, Patti Labelle and Rihanna. Alphonso was also featured in the Louis Armstrong musical on Broadway, “A Wonderful World”. Alphonso can also be seen on CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and in the Hollywood Jazz Film, “BOLDEN”. Gotham Kings is a high energy immersive jazz experience! Two-time Grammy nominated trumpeter, Alphonso Horne has put together an all star band that weaves the sound of New Orleans, Funk, Jazz, and Hip Hop to bring a celebratory spirit that uplifts every room they play. Inspired by the music of King Oliver Creole Jazz Band, Gotham Kings uses the virtuosity of the young Louis Armstrong and innovative genius of King Oliver to take you on a journey of sound that encompasses the history of the trumpet and the story of jazz through rags, stomps, shouts and funk! The band has played in venues including Newport, Aspen, and Caramoor Jazz Festival, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Jazz at Lincoln Center and many more! Individually, members of the Gotham Kings have compiled a diverse resume of collaborations with top artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Michael Feinstein, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, The Colbert Show and more!
https://www.alphonsohorne.com/
Alyssa (Lyss) Adkins is a Maine-based caller, dance/movement teacher, and fusion organizer who has been dancing all their life. Introduced to contra by parents who met folk dancing, they also trained in ballet in their youth and quickly went on to explore hip hop and several partner dance styles including Blues, fusion, and West Coast Swing during their time living in NYC. Lyss has taught waltz, contra dance workshops and fusion at local dances in Maine, Portland Fusion Dance!, Boston Second Sun, Motley Hue, Brooklyn Contra, NEFFA, YDW, and Pinewoods and is featured as a dance artist and contra caller in the Urban Stomp exhibit currently at the Museum of the City of New York.
instagram.com/mixolyssian
Older teen and young adult trad musicians continuing a long tradition of representing Vermont at the Flurry.
Emma Barker (fiddle), Maeve Fairfax (fiddle), Eliza Goodell (fiddle), Silas Hamilton (Guitar, feet), Wendell Moske (Guitar), Casey Seem (fiddle), Mark Sustic (Ambassador Leader)
facebook.com/mark.sustic
In chronological order, Armand Aromin is a queer Filipino American musician, percussive dancer, singer, and violin maker now enmortgaged in Riverside, RI with his partner, Benedict Gagliardi. More importantly, if you can say “Arm & Hammer” you’re pronouncing his name correctly! First taking up Irish fiddle and tin whistle in his early teens, he soon sought to supplement his malnourished, withering lower half. Armand learned his first sean-nós steps from Kieran Jordan in 2008 at the Catskills Irish Arts Week, followed by Siobhan Butler a few years later. In 2010 he unintentionally learned his first flatfoot clogging steps from Sara Cory, then intentionally from Aubrey Atwater. He loves dancing the tune, stepping to songs, and doing that one Charleston move he learned in high school. Armand is one-third of The Vox Hunters, a quarter of Eight Feet Tall, and at least a third of The Ivy Leaf. He proudly owns Aromin Violins, a tiny basement workshop in his first, and only, house.
www.arominviolins.com/
www.thevoxhunters.com
Ben Sachs-Hamilton started contra dancing at 12 and started teaching dances at 15. Since then he has called and organized for dances across the northeast, with a focus on LGBTQ and gender-role-free dance communities. He fosters a welcoming and inclusive space for diverse groups of new and experienced dancers, adding tips on style and safety into his teaching. Ben currently lives in Western Massachusetts.
@BenSachsHamiltonDanceCaller
BETH ROBINSON
Beth Robinson is a cellist, cello teacher, and contra dance caller who discovered the Alexander Technique in 1997 when researching ways to deal with performance anxiety. In 2004 she received her certification from the Montreal Alexander Technique Teacher Training School, and has since taught lessons, classes and workshops on the Alexander Technique to a wide variety of people of all ages and abilities in a variety of venues.
Big Fez & The Surfmatics performs surf and beach tunes from the early 1960’s. We have been performing for over 10 years, and have frequently been featured performers at The Saratoga Race Track and at Saratoga First Night. Our 3rd CD, “Big Fez Big Dance Album” was just released. Our Dance Flurry show would also include a dance instructor who will teach everyone all the fun dance steps from the early 1960’s like The Twist, The Jerk, The Monkey, and The Swim.
https://bigfezmusic.com/
BROOKLYN CONTRA
The Organizing Committee of Brooklyn Contra works to build a New York City community that supports the creation of accessible art and culture. We believe in a City and world where culture is participatory, created by the people who experience it, working with traditions and evolving them across and between generations. We strive to build a more inclusive and cooperative art economy that honors the experiences of all of New York City’s diverse population, and actively creates space for all of those populations to thrive physically and creatively. We do this by producing contra dances for a broad audience, working with city and local partners to engage public space, and creating resources and connective opportunities for dancers and organizers in the NorthEast region and beyond.
Christin Licata (Organizing Committee Member), Dana Miller (Organizing Committee Member), Joe Rinehart (Organizing Committee Member)
https://www.brooklyncontra.org/
Dance Flurry Organization’s community contra dance band.
Liz Albertson, Melanie Axel-Lute, Mark Bagdon, Nancy Bakemeier, David Barnert, Tom Black, Alice Callahan, Tom Capuano, Sue Cerniglia, Bob Denton, Vonnie Estes (piano), Jane Falkenstein, Mary Fellows, Charles Fisher, John Guay, Jeff Haas, Kim Heath, Terri Hughes, Carol Ipsen, Graeme Jones, Vicki Kelsey, Patricia Kernan, Rich Klein, Terry Klein, Carle Kopecky, Mary Lou Leavitt, Shira Love, Terri Lukacko, Karen Maher, John McCarthy, Maura McNamara, Jill Mehan, Gary Mehlum, Barbara Mullin, Britany Orlebeke, Laura Paparatto, Judy Pardee, Pat Rabl, Dian Ryan, Carolyn Sanford, Patrick Scannell, Laura Smith, Jackie Tenney, David Tisch, Pam Tisch, Bess Wadler, Mary White, Linda Wicks, Beth Williams, George Wilson (conductor), Joe Zoske
www.danceflurry.org/series/megaband
Honky-Tonkin’ country western, blues, and bluegrass! Throughout the show, line dances are taught along to poignant, playful originals, and a satisfying selection of country classics.
Josh Chamberlain (Bass, Vocal), Margaret Harper (Vocal, Mandolin), Joe Hayward (Banjo, Pedal Steel Guitar, Vocal), Nate Marshall (Keys, Harmonica, Vocal), Max Moses (Guitar, Vocal), Zeb Whitford (Drums)
castironcowboysmusic.com
Cedar grew up playing fiddle music in a variety of traditional styles including Irish, Quebecois, New England, and American Old-Time. With spirited, rhythmic playing and clear tone, he has become a renowned contra dance fiddler, and has toured across North America with Nor’easter, Maivish, Cloud Ten, and others. Along with dances, Cedar plays for weddings, parties, house concerts, and more, and can often be found at traditional Irish sessions near his home in southern Vermont.
https://cedarstanistreet.com/
Children at the Well connects tomorrow’s leaders through storytelling!
https://www.withourvoice.org/
Clayton Jennings has social danced for almost 20 years. Initially captivated with contra and other folk dancing traditions, he joined the UMass Ballroom Dance team, competing in collegiate dance competitions and instructing beginners in a variety of ballroom dances. He has combined these backgrounds to teach waltz at folk dance weekends (YDW, Pinewoods, NEFFA), He is also a blues dance teacher, completing the Boston Blues Instructor Training facilitated by internationally acclaimed instructor Julie Brown. Regularly traveling to blues dance weekends over the past 10 years, he continues to grow his knowledge of blues dance idioms and history of this Black dance form. He currently teaches at the local blues dances: Bluesy Tuesy, Blues Union, and the Burren Backroom. As an instructor he values: a playful environment for skill growth, all dance roles for all bodies, and exploration to new dance horizons. Please ask him to dance!
DANCE ANIMALS
“Dance Animals” is a group of competitive-level dancers and teachers from the greater Capital District area who span several dance genres including: Contra, Swing, Country Western, Ballroom, and Hustle. We are equally comfortable teaching large groups in dance practice to learn new techniques and patterns, and in more comtemplative sessions discussing and practicing mind/body-care and social justice. Dance Animals members believe in non-gendered dancing, and many of us know how to both lead and follow in our chosen dance styles. Dance Animals see dancing as a way to foster community, create joy, and enhance mental and physical health.
Amy Howansky (Lead teacher), Zach Lynn (Teacher), Lisa Winkler (Teacher)
Veena Chandra is an internationally renowned Sitar player, composer, teacher and choreographer. She is the founder and director of the Dance and Music School of India in Latham, NY (celebrating 31 years) where she teaches Indian classical music. She has been a faculty member at Skidmore College since 1990, teaching sitar in the Music Department. Since 2014 she is also the Artist Associate in Sitar at Williams College (MA). In 2019, she was awarded the NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship in music & sound. This prestigious award was for her continued work in preserving her tradition through her various endeavors. Devesh Chandra’s approach to the tabla is the confluence of all the unique influences of his upbringing. Devesh believes the tabla has the rare ability, to very accurately convey a wide range of emotions. His innovative and imaginative approach makes his performances enthralling to both Western listeners and Indian classical purists. Veena & Devesh recently received the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town Project in Collaboration with NYFolklore Society.
DJ ALEX BITTLE
Alex Bittle is a Boston-based dancer & DJ. Her dance background spans 15 years across more than a dozen styles, including blues, fusion, contra, and Brazilian zouk. She’s danced up and down the east and west coasts, exploring the different ways that dancers find home in their bodies. She studies dance as an outlet for expression, as a way to challenge herself, and as a way to find community. Alex has DJ’d all across the Northeast, from fusion festivals in Boston to house parties in Upstate New York and monthly socials in Portland. As a fusion DJ she plays a wide variety of genres, ensuring folks of all backgrounds can find something that inspires them. She loves DJ’ing as a way to influence the energy in a room and to share the music that makes her want to move. She hopes you’ll join her on the dance floor!
Upstate NY based duo, soaring vocal harmonies, fiddle, guitar/banjo, Irish and American old-time tunes and songs, contemporary traditionalists. 2023 Folk/Traditional Artist of the Year at the NY Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards, Drank the Gold play and sing North Atlantic dance tunes and folk songs. Both steeped in music from an early age, they have been performing together since 2015. Their latest (double A side) single, The Song of Wandering Aengus/The Widow Halpyne, simultaneously features the group’s tight vocal harmonies; Oona Grady’s deep Irish fiddle roots; James Gascoyne’s compositional talents; and their shared passion for digging deep into traditional music and finding something new to say.
https://www.drankthegold.com
D.R. Shadow is an Electro Contra musician/DJ specializing in modern American contra dance music, blending deep house/tech-house with historic fiddle/banjo samples, performing live with loops and instruments.
Flurut is Big Band Scandi starring Swedish-born fiddler Göran Olsson with Ellen Bartlett & Andrea Larson, fiddles; Marko Packard, guitar; Charlie Pilzer, bass.
Gaby Cook is an esteemed, active professional in the global lindy hop community. For 20 years, she has established her career performing and teaching for major swing dance festivals worldwide — including Stompology, Swing Out New Hampshire, Camp Hollywood, Beantown, Herräng Dance Camp, Lindy on the Rocks, Paris Jazz Roots and Lindy Focus. On stage, she is a principal dancer for the acclaimed “SW!NG OUT”, which premiered at the Joyce theater (2021) and tours regularly. Other stage credits include: “Macy’s Day Parade Live Broadcast” for Nickelodeon’s Blues Clues (2022), “Swing’s the Thing” with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (2023), “Decades of Dance” at the BET Soultrain Awards (2021), “Don’t Mean a Thing” with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center (2021) and many appearances in film and TV. She regularly advocates for lindy hop in industry dance communities and is consistently “on-call” with university dance programs (past: Julliard, Marymount, NYU, Columbia).
In New York, Gaby curates and teaches several swing dance programs, including Midtown Swing with AJ Howard and Columbia University with Nathan Bugh. In class, she is playful, informative and honest. She prioritizes equality for followers and leaders in the classroom space — and has championed a movement first approach to teaching partnered dance content. Online at @gaby_cook
Veteran contradance fiddler specializing in Quebecois, Cape Breton, New England & Old time styles. Lead Belly expert on 12-string guitar, Uncle Dave Macon expert on banjo.
www.georgewilsonmusic.com
Gerardo Contino is a Cuban-born vocalist, bandleader, cultural curator, and entertainment lawyer whose work bridges tradition, innovation, and cultural diplomacy. Hailed as a dynamic interpreter of Afro-Cuban music, he first gained international recognition as the lead singer of the legendary timba and jazz group NG La Banda. Now based in New York City, he leads the Gerardo Contino Latin Jazz Band, blending Afro-Cuban roots, jazz improvisation, bolero elegance, and the timeless charisma of classic performers like Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole, and Dean Martin — reimagined for global audiences in Spanish. A dedicated cultural organizer, Gerardo is the founder and executive director of Camino al Arte, a nonprofit committed to elevating Afro-Latinx and cross-cultural artistic exchange. Through this work, he curates concerts, festivals, community arts programs, and cross-border collaborations connecting New York, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Gerardo holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Havana and a Master of Laws in Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law from Benjamin Cardozo School of Law. His dual path as artist and lawyer informs his mission: to champion artistic excellence, empower immigrant and Afro-Latinx voices, and cultivate meaningful cultural connections across communities. He performs internationally at concert halls, festivals, cultural centers, and high-end venues, representing the vibrant evolution of contemporary Cuban and Latin jazz.
https://www.gerardocontino.com
GET Dance is a multicultural dance company with repertoire from different regions of the world including India, Egypt, Turkey, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
Sergio Guzman (Dancer and admin), Carolina Hernandez (Dancer and director)
https://getdancecompany.com/
G – N ⬇
Sound and Vibration experience with the Gong Lab. Fifteen huge gongs create layers of immersive harmonics and vibrations called “tactile tones” that will wash through your body leaving you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
https://www.gonglab.com/
Pianist Gordon Webster is one of the most sought-after musicians in the Lindy Hop world. His tremendous musicianship and passion, supported by his first-hand knowledge of social dancing, have inspired lindy hoppers at hundreds of dance events worldwide. Drawing on influences as diverse as Fats Waller, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and Gene Harris, Webster serves up a smorgasbord of styles unified by one characteristic: irresistible danceability.
gordonwebstermusic.bandcamp.com/
Heavy Bone and the Good Time Zydeco Band is a five piece group based out of Ithaca, NY. Zydeco has been in the background of these gentlemen’s lives since the beginning. Having attended the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance since early childhood, every member has a foundational appreciation for the genre. The distinctive melodies and irresistible grooves attracted the attention of this group, leading them to usher in the next generation of dance music in Ithaca. This group comes from an intriguing blend of musical backgrounds. The members of this project have a collective resume spanning multiple decades, playing in countless musical projects ranging from country, folk, rock, and even punk rock. They’ve simultaneously come together to learn, study, and perform Creole Dance music, a rich tradition that is coveted and honored in Louisiana. Still in the early stages of national understanding, Zydeco is an infectious genre that grabs the listener and steers them to the dance floor. Heavy Bone has been setting its roots in Ithaca since March of 2024, but is expanding far and wide as time goes on. Members Jonas Puryear (Accordion and Vocals), Joe Hayward (Bass and Vocals), Sam Schmidt (Guitar), Cole Stearns (Washboard) and Zeb Whitford (Drums) are excited to display Upstate New York’s newest excuse to dance.
hvybone_goodtimezydeco
Jake Blount is a musician and scholar based in Providence, RI. Primarily focused on Afrofuturism and string band music, Blount has synthesized his scholarly and artistic pursuits into a performance practice that has taken him to Carnegie Hall, Newport Folk Festival, NPR’s Tiny Desk, and beyond. He’s worked as a music writer for outlets including NPR and Rolling Stone, and his first academic essay was recently published in Modern American History. He also served as a music consultant for the movie Sinners. Blount is now at Brown University working toward his M.A. in Anthropology and Ph.D. in Musicology and Ethnomusicology.
jakeblount.com
Jenny Beer has led English Country Dancing for many years, and teaches Scottish Country Dance intermittently. She lives near Philadelphia, where post-pandemic she has organized a new community contra dance series, and a bi-monthly “Gentle English” afternoon dance. She is probably best known for the dances she writes, and will share some of them during the Flurry.
Jeremy Carter-Gordon is a teacher, performer and scholar of traditional dance and music. Known for his clear and innovative teaching style of making complex dances simple, he specializes in Swedish dance and European Bal Folk. Jeremy holds an MA in Dance Knowledge, Practice, and Heritage.
JeremyCarterGordon.com
Joe, Jim, and Jesse Bruchac are father and sons who share the traditional stories, songs, and dances of their Abenaki ancestors, performing with drum, rattle and Native American flute.
joebruchac.com
ndakinnacenter.org
Fiddle tunes, folksongs and fancy footwork from John Kirk, Trish Miller and Joel Rosenberger. Americana and Celtic styles are featured in their repertoire with harmony singing and splashes of humor sprinkled in their dance calling and music workshops.
https://www.johnandtrish.com
Johnny & Diane teach all forms of ballroom and partner dance including swing, salsa, West Coast swing and Argentine tango. Johnny also teaches tap and jazz dance.
https://tangofusiondance.com/
Joshua Fialkoff fuses pop, funk, jazz, and soul, glues it together with smoky vocals, and sprinkles it with a variety of piano stylings that span the eras. The result: great music that moves your soul and body.
https://joshuafialkoff.com/
We play Cajun Music. Classic lineup Accordion, Fiddle, Steel Guitar, Guitar, Drums.
Mike Ambs (drums), Chenda Cope (guitar/vocals), Jess Golay (steel guitar), Missy Roser (fiddle/vocals), Rafe Wolman (accordion/vocals)
facebook.com/LesTaiauts/
LILI LOVEDAY
Lili Loveday has been teaching Dance and Movement with Interdisciplinary Arts to children in the Capital District for the past 40 years. She teaches at the Skidmore ECC, at the Bennington ECC, at the Beagle School and in the WSSS. She teaches adult classes and the Improv Dance Ensemble outdoors in area parks and indoors in and around the Capital District area. Ms. Loveday collaborates with area musician and accompanist Thad Niles for workshops, for adult classes and with IDEArtists.
http://www.dancelili.com/
Washington-based Lindsey Dono is a serene and sunny caller for contra and other social dance. Passionate about the user experience, Lindsey leverages a background in cognitive science and a career in tech to continually hone teaching skills. When not at the mic, Lindsey can be found mentoring up-and-coming callers, geeking out over choreography, and working on dance floorcraft.
https://lindseydono.com/
Lindsay McCaw and Hannah Lewis are part of the Detroit Cantastoria Festival and have made many cranky and cantastoria shows together and with other members of the Detroit community. Cantastoria is the ancient artform where a narrator sings or tells a story while gesturing to painted banners. Crankie shows are a related form where a narrator tells a story using a scrolling picture which is displayed with a crank mechanism or “cranky box.” They will be presenting several different short shows with live singing/music and some historical background information about this form of art.
flyingcardboardtheater.com/detroit-cantastoria-fest/
Caller for contras, squares, family and community dances. Specialist in contra and square dance calling mentoring.
Lois New is a fully certified teacher with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS). She teaches a weekly Scottish country dance class in Clifton Park. Her class is affiliated with the Boston Branch of the RSCDS.
AlbanyRSCDS.org
In 2020, Mark Gamsjager and the Lustre Kings marked its 25th Anniversary by winning the illustrious Ameripolitan Music Award, launched by the legendary Dale Watson, taking home the “Rockabilly Group” trophy at the virtual ceremony. Gamsjager’s new album Still the King tells its own story, rocking with original tracks from seminal writers like Ben Vaughn, Ronnie Self, Leroy Preston and John Lilly, and choice classics like the Ricky Nelson chestnut “Stop Sneakin’ Around.” “American music is what keeps me going,” Gamsjager grins. “It all comes back to the rhythm, the space, the beat.”
Butch Amiot (Bass), Marcus Benoit (Saxophone), Mark Gamsjager (Band leader), Chris Osborn (Drums)
https://www.lustrekings.com/
Lynn Noel knows the story behind the song and makes you a part of it. Her clear, powerful voice is equally at home in rhythmic sea chanteys and lyrical ballads, and her repertoire extends to over fifteen languages. Lynn accompanies herself on treble, baritone, and bass dulcimer, shruti box, bodhran, and spoons, but her favorite instrument is the audience. She has a winning stage presence, an encyclopedic knowledge of her material, a huge sense of fun, and a joy in singing that shines through every song. Lynn is the Program Chair of the New England Folk Festival and has been a performer at NEFFA since her teenage years.
crosscurrents-music
MAGGIE MCNALLY
Maggie McNally is certified through An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha as a Scrúdú Teastas Rince Céilí (ceili instructor) and has been a part of the Farrell School of Irish Dance (Albany, E Durham, Schenectady, NY) as a ceili & stepdancing coach for over 25 years.
MALVENN
Malvenn is a traditional music trio based in Montreal, Quebec, made up of Cécile Delage on Celtic harp, Charlotte Layec on clarinet and McKinley James on cello. Because of their varied backgrounds, the members of the trio offer a new and original take on balfolk and fest-noz music. The group has become a regular at balfolk balls and shows in the Montreal area, as well as festivals such as the Grand Bal du Québec in Hatley (Quebec)
malvenn.ca
MARY ALICE AND STEFAN AMIDON
Mother and son, Mary Alice and Stefan are two members of the singing Amidon family. Mary Alice has been singing, dancing and teaching children as a lifelong passion and career. She has been a long time teacher at CDSS camps Family Weeks. She met Peter Amidon in Cambridge at a Ted Sanella contradance in 1975 and never looked back. She has been an artist in residence in elementary schools, a teacher of Village Harmony for both teens and adult singing camps. With Peter, she was an Orff Advocate, having presented in song and dance workshops for music teachers nationally. She recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award as a part of the New England Dancing Masters. She is deeply involved in choral singing, hospice singing, leading harmony singing workshops and loves playing banjo, guitar, accordion and Appalachian dulcimer. Stefan Amidon, a gifted singer and singing leader, leads shape note singing at the Old Songs Festival, and has led harmony singing at Oberlin and at the CDSS-sponsored summer camps such as Cascade of Music and Dance, for which he is now the program director. He has been on several Northern Harmony tours, and has co-led an Adult Village Harmony singing camp. More recently he has been teaching music in elementary and high schools and directs the Brattleboro Children’s Choir and the Guilford Community Church Choir.
amidoncommunitymusic.com
facebook.com/stefanamidon
The Mean Lids are a cool, modern contra dance band known for their energetic mix of Appalachian grooves, Irish melodies, and Midwestern sensibility, featuring fiddles (Ben Smith), guitar (Matt Turino), and flute/jawharp (Miriam Larson), all sporting distinctive hats and delivering “chin-cello” grooves for foot-stomping fun.
http://meanlids.com/
MetaMovements Artist Collective is dedicated to fostering community through cultural exchange, dance, and music programs in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and U.S.A. Our offerings have included immersive travel experiences, workshops, performances, virtual dance programs, community events, cultural exchanges, artist residencies and more.
www.metamovements.com
Michael has been director and lead trumpet player of Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band since 1983.
For many years, Michael has been interested in Balkan music and dances, especially Macedonian and Serbian. He is an expert in the complicated rhythms of Balkan music and has made several research trips to Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia, and studied in North Macedonia with Pece Atanasovski. He has given workshops in Balkan dance throughout North America, as well as in Brazil, Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He has also been on the staff of many prominent folk dance camps and seminars in the US.
https://eefc.org/teacher/michael-ginsburg/
Michael Seider – partnered by wife, Anna Sapozhnikova – teaches Southwest Louisiana Creole and Cajun dancing from the basics to the latest steps and stylings including the Whiskey River Jitterbug ™, Creole Zydeco Two-Step, Louisiana Shuffles (line dances), Baisse-bas (traditional Creole step), and Cajun Two-Step and Jitterbug variations. He learned his steps and style at dancehalls & church dances, on trail rides, and on the streets of Acadiana. He strives to convey the authenticity of this rich dance culture.
www.facebook.com/zydec0wb0y/
Kelly Meehan is a certified K-12 music educator with more than seven years of experience teaching elementary and middle school, along with leading community music classes for preschool and elementary children. She has two degrees in music education and a strong passion for working with families!
musicwithmisskelly/home
Nathan Bugh “rocked the stage” at Carnegie Hall, dancing Lindy Hop with the New York Pops Orchestra. And he has performed in Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater, in “Swingin’ Frankie’s Way.” Nathan brought the 20’s to life in the “Great Gatsby” episode of David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding;” appeared on FoxNC’s “Fox and Friends Christmas” with George Gee; and he danced Lindy Hop at the legendary dance mecca, Jacob’s Pillow, as part of the Vanaver Caravan’s “Earth Beat.” He has also danced in several music videos, including the Weepies, “Be My Honey Pie.” As a national competitor, Nathan has taken 1st place in Lindy, Slow Dancing, Solo Charleston, Team, Jill&Jack, and Cabaret divisions. He is one of the most eminent solo-jazz contestants in the world, having won both the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown (2012) and International Lindy Hop Championships (2014). He is also the director and choreographer of “Yeah Man,” the 2015 ILHC Team champions. He is based in New York City, where he performs and teaches regularly, in affiliation with Syncopated City Dance Company, and Gaby Galore.
https://www.nathanandgaby.com/
N – Z ⬇
Of mixed Celtic and Polynesian ancestry, Nicola Marae Allain was born in England and raised in Tahiti, French Polynesia. She is a former dancer and choreographer specializing in Oceanic traditions. Her performances, poetry, and creative works have been featured at arts and cultural festivals in the United States and Mexico. Nicola is a tenured Professor at Empire State University.
https://nicolamarae.com/dance/
Northwoods is a contra dance band based in Boston MA. Northwoods also plays for English Country Dance occasionally. Casey Murray on guitar and cello, Molly Tucker on fiddle, Sam Zakon-Anderson on piano.
@northwoods.contra
Caller/leader of traditional community dancing (contra, square, international folk) for all ages, especially for non-dancers.
https://homespun.biz
Peter has been performing Scottish music for well over three decades. He discovered the music through Scottish dancing, and this informs and infuses his playing. He cut his musical teeth in the hot seat, playing in many of the Scottish dance bands in southern England, learning from master musicians and performing in large parts of England and Wales as well as continental Europe. Since immigrating to Vermont in 2003, he has been teaching fiddle privately. He plays and has recorded with Atlantic Crossing & Frost and Fire, and also plays in other combinations for Scottish and English country dancing. He co-founded and is musical director of the Champlain Valley Scottish Fiddle Club, and since January 2020 has been music director of the Vermont Fiddle Orchestra.
https://www.petermacfarlane.net/
Performing Traditional English dances from the Cotswolds, Welsh borderlands, and Yorkshire Dales. Pokingbrook is based in the Capital District of NY.
Clare Anderson, David Barnert, Bill Bracken, Sue Cerniglia, Joyce Cockerham , Ned Depew, Lawrence Eger, Doug Morrison, Ruth Olmsted, Jeff Ostertag, Bev Seinberg, Larry Syzdek , Marilee Urbanczyk, Christina VanHoesen
pokingbrookmorris.org
Rafal Pustelny is a vibrant dancer and instructor who is passionate about traditional dances from all around the world! Rafal moved to NYC in 2010 and there studied American Jazz dance forms, including Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Balboa. He quickly established himself as one of the top dancers in NYC, and has since earned acclaim in the international swing dance community. Rafal continues his own dance education by studying Tap, Clogging, Hungarian folk dances, and Polish folk dances. As a performer, he works with several regional groups, including “Gatsby Entertainment,” “The Vanaver Caravan,” “Project Connect”, and “Harvest Moon Hoppers”, as well as community events and corporate parties. A Frankie Manning Foundation Ambassador, he teaches and performs locally with “You Should Be Dancing” studios and in New York City. You can also find him at international events where he works with dance communities across the globe.
The Red Case Band is an electrifying deep-space groove party machine, featuring Stuart Kenney (interstellar banjo trance, deep bass pulsars), Clara Stickney (star-shimmering harp and fiddle), Alex Cumming (cumulonimbus accordion and piano), Matt Kenney (galactic percussion), and Max Newman (gamma ray electric guitar). Their richly textured musical signal shakes to the planetary core and broadcasts on all danceable frequencies.
http://stuartkenney.com/rcb
“The Reverend Robert Jones is comfortable among juke joint loud talkers, fancy-hatted church ladies, and PhDs alike.” The late and legendary Detroit Free Press columnist wrote these words about Rev. Robert Jones, Sr., more than 25 years ago, but this description is as true today as when he penned them. Robert Jones is an award-winning storyteller, musician, teacher and tradition keeper. He is a multi-instrumentalist who blends both traditional and personal stories to convey a simple but important message, namely that most people have more in common than they do to fight about. Reverend Robert Jones, Sr. tells stories that entertain us, inspire us and teach us that we are grounded in a culture that proclaims that we are stronger when we share the power of our diversity. Rev. Jones’ stories bring laughter and, sometimes, tears to his audiences, but always he always brings a storytelling experience that is memorable and transformative.
https://www.revrobertjones.com/
Rick Mohr’s contra dance calling and choreography have delighted dancers across North America for decades. Known for top-notch repertoire, good humor, and crystal-clear calling, Rick always brings fun and connection to the dance floor. Besides calling he loves fiddling, singing, stories, tessellations, and luring people into the world of music and dance.
https://rickmohr.net/
Performing for square dances with Sophie Wellington and Jake Blount, as well as old-time jams and workshops
@wryly_coyote
Since meeting the hambo on the dance floor during college Roo Lester has been a student of Scandinavian dance. She furthered her studies in Norway and Sweden and wrote her Master’s thesis (UCLA) on the United States’ Scandinavian dance community. In addition to her research and teaching, Roo has been a creator, director, coordinator and/or board member for camps, dance weekends and workshops in the US and Sweden.
SARATOGA SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL FIDDLE CLUB
We are a group of high school students that meet once a week after school to learn traditional tunes by ear. We perform at numerous events for our school and community. We’ve gone on tour to Ireland and this spring will be touring Scotland. Maggie Branco, Anderson DeBow, Mauricio Drotos, Luc Frappier, Owen Galarneau, Thomas Goffoiul, Xiuyi Hu, Rose Janicke, Leanna Kanar, Sophia Karrel, Inara Lopez, Annie Marsh, Sara Munro, Eliza Nizolek-Watson, Kaira Rawert, Ben Rosan, Lucy Schmidt, Ian Seeley, Sophie Smemo, Juliette Susi, Amaife Uzo-Menkiti, Maevia Walsh, Brianna Wiebicke, Anna Yarsovich.
Sophie is a multi instrumentalist and percussive dancer. Her work is centered in studying old time fiddle tunes using an interpretive approach to the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structures inherent to the music. By adapting this music to various instruments and instrumental combinations (voice, guitar, percussive dance), her music uncovers the deeper similarities and patterns within the music. In addition to growing up in the old time community, she earned a degree from Berklee College of Music in vocal jazz performance.
https://www.sophiewellington.com/
Lovely contras, romantic waltzes and couples dances, elegant English, really fun zwiefachers. Historic ballroom social dance from Jane Austen to Ragtime. Argentine tangos, milongas and tango valses a special passion.
www.bfv.com/spareparts
Award-winning, internationally renowned musical storytelling duo.
Summer Bugbee, Jeri Burns, Barry Marshall, Zachary Marshall
http://www.storycrafters.com/
Four exceptional New England contra musicians join forces as Stove Dragon, the kindly dance-beast, breathing in notes and breathing out smoldering rhythms and flickering melodies, igniting dancers’ feet and toasting listeners’ ears. Oliver Scanlon and Rose Jackson fill the room with melodic lift and tight, dynamic double-fiddle harmony, while Sam Zakon-Anderson and Max Newman are a beating heart of fiery piano-guitar groove. Stove Dragon draws on the combined tool kits of their individual experiences touring with Pete’s Posse, Nor’easter, Polaris, The Stringrays and more. Infused with the subtle warmth of excellent musicianship, their music propels through snappy New England tunes, punchy French Canadian sets, smooth and driving Irish reels, delightful improvisations, and trad-inspired originals. Hold on tight and let Stove Dragon take you for a spin!
@stovedragonmusic
Strawberry Hill Fiddlers are a group of fiddling, singing, and dancing teenagers from various high schools in and around Dutchess County, NY under the direction of Chelsea Needham. The group performs traditional music from across the world.
www.stringendomusic.org
Tamarack has been playing a variety of traditional fiddle tunes mixed with original creations, in and around the NY Capital District and Western New England for over 20 years. Foot-tapping reels, lively jigs, smooth waltzes, and whatever falls under their fingers.
www.tunefolk.com/tamarack
Troy, NY-based percussion group playing Brazilian-style batería music in the Capital Region and beyond.
@troysamba
The Vanaver Caravan is a Hudson Valley-based nonprofit organization that performs original, world-infused choreography and music, both locally and internationally. Drawing from their ever-expanding repertoire of dance and music traditions, The Vanaver Caravan also provides cross-cultural dance education through in-school arts residencies and after-school classes. Wherever The Vanaver Caravan goes dance and music follows, inspiring people in every walk of life to join together in song, dance, and celebration.
Luna Anata (Dancer (YDC)), Ariana Brisport (Dancer), David Chernak (Bass), Camila Cifuentes Welles (Dancer (YDC)), Tyler Dezago (Guitar), Amadou Diallo (Percussion), Nafi Diedhiou (Dancer (YDC)), Zoza Rose Doherty (Dancer (YDC)), Livia Drapkin Vanaver (Dancer/Percussionist), River Enchede (Dancer (YDC)), Moira Goudy (Dancer (YDC)), Talli Jackson (Dancer), Ellen Jahoda (Dancer), Timna Jahoda Kligler (Dancer), Julia Larsen (Dancer (YDC)), Brian Lawton (Dancer), Kyan Malone (Dancer (YDC)), Nicola Molina (Dancer (YDC)), Mark Murphy (Bass), Chelsea Needham (Fiddle), Neve Parker (Dancer), Rafal Pustelny (Dancer), Toby Stover (Percussion/Piano), Alan Thomson (Piano), Gabriel Vanaver (Dancer), Jonah Zane (Dancer (YDC))
https://vanavercaravan.org/
WILD INDIGO
Joyful English Country Dance music that sparkles and soars, rumbles and roars. Rebecca McCallum (fiddle), Kathy Talvitie (piano), Miranda Weinberg (fiddle)
Will Mentor is a contra and square dance caller from Northern Vermont known for his clear teaching, upbeat wit, and relaxed stage presence.
With a 20-year background studying polyphonic music around the world, the four members of Windborne share a vibrant energy onstage with a blending of voices that can only come from decades of friendship alongside dedicated practice.
Lauren Breunig (Vocals), Jeremy Carter-Gordon (Vocals, banjo), Lynn Rowan (Vocals, percussion), Will Rowan (Vocals, banjo)
www.windbornesingers.com/
Yoga Mandali is Saratoga’s oldest yoga training and wellness center, immersed in the practices of love and devotion, and dedicated to serving our community by offering a safe, nurturing environment to learn and grow.
Erin Joy, Rhianna Leigh
https://www.yogamandali.com/
Balkan Brass Band
Belle Birchfield (baritone), Morgan Clark (baritone), Marian Eines (sax, vocals), Raya Ferholt (baritone), Sarah Ferholt (trumpet), Catherine Foster (Trumpet, sax, clarinet), Michael Ginsburg (Trumpet, vocals), Emerson Hawley (tuba), Melinda Hunt (vocalist), Helen Marx (percussionist), Dean Olsher (baritone), Seido Salifoski (percussionist), Matt Smith (baritone), Daniel Stern (trumpet)
facebook.com/ZlatneUste/
Zorkie Nelson comes from a long line of Ghanaian master drummers. A founding member of the Pan-African Orchestra (PAO) with whom he toured internationally, Zorkie was a member of the group Odadaa!, which toured with Wynton Marsalis. He is a drummer, vocalist, and flute player in the eclectic jazz fusion group HEARD and leads his own group, Gballoi.