Currently confirmed 2024 artists are below, with more to come! Check back to find new additions over the course of the winter.
ALBANY TANGO SOCIETY KEVIN MAGEE and MANDY VALIN Albany Tango Society is a community group in New York’s Capital Region, presenting weekly tango socials since 2007. Kevin Magee and Mandy Valin teach group classes and private lessons in tango, vals and milonga throughout the Capital Region. https://www.albanytangosociety.org/
JONATHAN GREENE AND THE GRAND BOUBOUSSE Grand Boubousse or “Big Blowout” is an early 20s and 30s jazz group led by Jonathan Greene. The Flurry sets will feature pianist Gordon Webster and vocalist Georgia Heers.
DJ FRANKIE RAMOS DJ Frankie F1 has served the Capital Region since 2009. DJing has been his passion since he was a teenager, and became a reality through his love of dancing Salsa. He enjoys mixing a variety of genres and is best known for his Latin Dance Mix. He’s DJed at several Wedding Venues, Albany Latinfest, Capital Region Salsa Social, The Mine of Saratoga, Newberry’s of Saratoga, and a few other local venues in the Capital Region. He currently DJs at Ritmo Room Albany, NY, Friday Nights Bachata Room Dance party, and/or Saturday Nights Salsateca dance party.
EMILY ADDISON Emily Addison is passionate about creating vibrant dance communities. A dancer, organizer, musician, caller, and researcher of traditional dance for 20 years, she looks for all opportunities to learn with others.
CASEY CARR Casey Carr began dance calling in the 1970s, and calls zesty contras, squares and grids. She enables beginners to feel at ease and confident, while also calling dances that are compelling for experienced dancers who are seeking that magical flow.
ISAAC BANNER A long-time contra dancer and Washington transplant, Isaac is known in the Pacific Northwest for his particular blend of humor and dance instruction. He focuses on dancer comfort and safety, striving to build a safe and inclusive community for all dancers. Originally a Flurry native, Isaac carries a fusion of northeast and northwest folk dance community and culture. isaacbanner.com/calling
LYDIA IEVINS lydia ievins plays nyckelharpa and five-string fiddle for Scandinavian and English Country dancing. Her absolute favorite thing about playing in either genre is the opportunity to improvise rich harmonic lines. As an avid dancer herself, she infuses her playing with rhythmic clarity and sensitive phrasing to make it irresistibly danceable. lydia has been attending the Flurry since 1990 and heading up its Scandi contingent since 2012. lydiamusic.org
TOM ROBY and LAURA STERN Tom and Laura have each been involved in Scandinavian dancing for close to 35 years and taught regularly for the pre-pandemic Scandia Boston monthly dance series. Dancing together they earned Bronze and Silver medals in traditional Swedish polska dancing and are continuing their training annually at camps in Sweden and the US.
WAYNE FUGATE Wayne Fugate is one of the New York area’s most versatile mandolin players. He makes his musical home in the space in, around, and between the American roots styles of Bluegrass, Blues, Swing, and Old Time music, and can move gracefully from these styles to any of his other musical loves in the worlds of Classical, Quebecois and Scandinavian music. Wayne has authored instruction and tune books, arranged and performed for films, and teaches privately and at festivals and music camps throughout the country. www.waynefugate.com
TRISH MILLER, JOHN KIRK, and JOEL ROSENBERGER 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://johnandtrish.com/
KIM HAWKEY and DAN GABEL Kimberly Hawkey’s voice is a time machine. Jazz, Broadway, folk – she effortlessly blends genres, transporting audiences to worlds of beauty with each crystalline note. Whether solo, fronting her band, or singing with an orchestra, her captivating and cinematic voice offers a vintage soul-nourishment that transcends the modern age. Kimberly Hawkey isn’t just a singer; she’s a weaver of timelessness, a storyteller with a voice that bridges generations and genres. Dan Gabel (hailed by the Boston Globe as “the real deal, [a bandleader] that looks and sounds like the 1940s” and by the Syncopated Times as “the champion of Big Bands and vintage jazz”) is a trombonist, arranger, bandleader, historian, professor and educator. His popular big band, Dan Gabel and The Abletones, has played throughout the northeast and is featured on numerous recordings and video/television programs. www.kimberlyhawkey.com https://gabelmusic.com
ALAN MCCLINTOCK Storyteller from the NY Capital District area.
PICK’N’ & SING’N’ GATHER’N’ The Pickin’ & Singin’ Gatherin’, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization, in the New York State Capital District, dedicated to playing, singing, and sharing of folk and traditional music as a group and family activity. www.pickingandsinging.org
ZYDEGROOVE ZydeGroove is a powerhouse Zydeco band from the Northeast with deep roots in Louisiana. When ZydeGroove’s in town there’s a zydeco party goin’ on. Doug Chatman, Laren Droll, Gary Graef, Maggie McManus, Francisco Reyes, Roger Weiss https://zydegroove.com/
STRAWBERRY HILL FIDDLERS Strawberry Hill Fiddlers is a unique program based on learning traditional music by ear. Open to violin, viola, cello and bass players, the Fiddlers offer exposure to various non-classical styles, improvisation, singing, dancing and body percussion. Directed by Chelsea Needham. https://stringendomusic.org/
GEORGE WILSON 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
TAMARACK Tamarack plays traditional fiddle music for barn dances, wedding receptions, reunions or community events. Fiddle, flute and guitar weave their way through smooth waltzes, foot-tapping reels and lively jigs. Traditional tunes mixed with original creations round out the group’s repertoire. www.tunefolk.com
SPARE PARTS 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
JOSHUA FIALKOFF and the ODDFELLOWS 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/
LOIS NEW 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.
SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCERS Scottish Country Dancers from the Capital District, Boston Branch, NYC Branch, New Haven Branch and Montreal Branch of the RSCDS.
TIM LAMM Tim has been dancing and teaching historical forms of couple dancing since about 1980. He was co-director of the Lexington (KY) Vintage Dance Society from 2000-2017 and taught waltz at Christmas Country Dance School in Berea KY between 2018 and 2022. After moving to Worcester, he taught Ragtime tango at NEFFA and teaches a weekly line dance class. His long-term dance partner retired in 2021, but he continues teaching and performing with various partners as Steps In Time Historical Dance. StepsInTime.us
TOSS THE FEATHERS Toss the Feathers presents traditional Irish music and songs in events throughout the greater Capital/Upstate region. www.tossthefeathers.band
CEDAR STANISTREET Cedar has been playing fiddle at the Flurry for many years, and can be found playing for contra dances, leading workshops, and jamming. He has played with the groups Quickstep, Nor’easter, and Cloud Ten, among others.
NICOLA MARAE ALLAIN 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 the Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Empire State University. http://nicolamarae.com
JOE and JESSE BRUCHAC Joe and Jesse Bruchac are a father and son duo who share the traditional stories, songs, and dances of their Abenaki ancestors, performing with drum, rattle and Native American flute. https://www.ndakinnacenter.org/
ELIZABETH MARIYAH Classic cabaret and fusion bellydance performer and teacher. www.bellydancernewyork.com
SHAWN HERSHEY Shawn, a classically trained trumpeter from Eastman School of Music, embraced lindy hop in 1999 and has since become a prominent instructor and performer, both nationally and internationally. Partnering with various artists, including his sister Betina Hershey, he teaches a unique blend of traditional blues, lindy hop, and tango, emphasizing musicality and enjoyment. Shawn boasts accolades in numerous blues competitions like Enter the Blues and BluesSHOUT!. He’s been teaching blues since 2005 across the US and Europe, collaborating with notable dancers like Amanda Gruhl and Julie Brown.
PETER MACFARLANE Peter has performed Scottish music for over three decades, discovering it through Scottish dancing which informs and infuses his playing. He played in many Scottish dance bands in southern England, learning from master musicians and performing in large parts of England, Wales and continental Europe. Since immigrating to Vermont in 2003, he has been teaching fiddle privately, and plays with Atlantic Crossing and Frost & Fire, and other combinations for Scottish and English country dancing. He co-founded and is musical director of the Champlain Valley Scottish Fiddle Club, and is the music director of the Vermont Fiddle Orchestra. www.petermacfarlane.net
DAVE LANGFORD and JACQUELINE SCHWAB Jacqueline Schwab (Piano) and Dave Langford (Violin) are seasoned performers for English Country Dance (ECD) as well as other genres. www.jacquelineschwab.com
DJ DARKSTAR aka EMILIO DJ Darkstar has been a DJ for 20+ years and has DJed many different events across the country and the world! He is grounded in playing music that is diverse in sound and culture to help you find new ways to explore your dance. Dance is a conversation. Emiliano has a background in Lindy Hop, Blues, Hip-Hop, House, Tango, Zouk, and a host of movements from many other genres. He has been dancing since 2000 and continues to add new ideas and movements to his style. Emilio has taught weekly classes in Lancaster, PA, taught at national events such as the Fusion Exchange; Albany Lindy and Blues; Blues Recess, and workshops in many locations like Montreal; Seattle; Austin; and Philadelphia. He DJs at many events locally and nationally providing a groovy flavor of Blues, Lindy, and Fusion styles of music. He also organized an event called DJ Experiment which is an organization created to give DJs, musicians, and dancers a safe place to experiment and grow.
PAUL ROSENBERG Caller/leader of traditional community dancing (contra, square, international folk) for all ages, especially for non-dancers. https://homespun.biz
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.
MARCIE VAN CLEAVE Marcie Van Cleave is the Executive Director of the Folk Arts Center of New England, an organization that promotes the participation in the traditional folk arts, particularly music and dance. Dovetailing with the desk job responsibilities, Marcie finds great joy in teaching international folk dancing, and calling English and American dances to any and all! She has a knack for making people laugh and forget that they don’t know what they’re doing!
POKINGBROOK MORRIS DANCERS Performing traditional English dance seasonal dances since 1974, based in the Capital District of NY.
NICOLE BALL Nicole Ball decided to become a musician and dancer after seeing clogging and flatfooting at a folk festival. She studied with director Megan Downes of City Stompers and now performs regularly with this high-energy NYC ensemble. While living in Brooklyn, Nicole became an integral part of the oldtime music community. Now living near Kingston, she teaches flatfooting and runs an old time song circle.
SUEKAUPELIS Country Line dance instructor.
JASON PEW Jason provides a fun and laid-back environment for his classes. He excels at making meaningful routines that are accessible to everyone. You can find Jason teaching at Heartspace in Troy, NY where he has taught his Sparkle Yoga class for over five years.
RHIANNA LEIGH Rhianna is a local artist and yogi. She’s been attending the flurry since 1995 and is happy to share her love of yoga and movement with our spirited flurry family!
ALICE HELLER Alice Heller is a Brown Belt Nia Instructor who has been teaching kids and adults for over 25 years. She has a varied dance background and brings in other healing arts like yoga and martial arts like Qi gong into her mindful movement practice. Her studio is in Williamsburg MA but she has zoom students from all over. www.alicehellerdance.com
BETH MURRAY Beth as an innovative dynamic pianist, known for rich chord progressions and melodic counter melodies and thrives on the comradery that comes with ensemble playing. Beth has taught piano for decades, and plays piano for American contra dancing, English country dancing, and regularly accompanies school choruses in Arlington, MA.
LORI FASSMAN Lori Fassman moved to the Boston area from Connecticut in the late 1980s, armed with a math degree, and immediately became enchanted with the local folk music scene. She joined and later became a core volunteer for the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston (fssgb.org), helping to organize their concert series, singing parties and annual Fall Getaway Weekend. More recently she joined the Board of the New England Folk Festival Association (NEFFA) and serves as their Treasurer and co-chair of the webmaster team. Lori has sung with numerous local performing groups including The Simones (named after her late cat), Acton Music Project, and Sisters in Song/SisterWolf, singing at weddings, private parties and local coffeehouses. Her repertoire includes traditional folk songs and covers of contemporary singer-songwriter material.