Contra Callers that will entertain you!

USA West 2015 Contra Callers

The 2015 USA West has a full 3-day contra venue. So if you don’t square or round dance or just like to contra dance as well, please come check out the contra hall this year.

While there won’t be contra dance continuously from 10 am to 10 pm, there will be other sessions that you as a contra dancer might be interested in attending or just watching. The daily intro to round dance rhythm sessions at 9 am are open to all new dancers; the waltz session is on Thursday and you might learn some steps you can use during the waltzes at any contra dance. And there are a wide selection of education classes and workshops that might interest contra dancers as well including a class or two introducing contra dancers to modern western square dancing. There are exhibition dances that are always fun to watch in both the square and round dance halls and you are always welcome to go watch the dancing in any of the halls; just don’t attempt to dance at levels for which you have not taken square dance lessons or round dance lessons.

Contra Callers for USA West 2015
	Vicki Watson	From Missoula, Montana, has been calling for about 5 years. She’s a former farm girl and is now a college professor. She likes to dance and sing. She’s teaching a Transition to Contra Dance for Square Dancers and calling at one of the evening workshops.
	Bev Young	From Missoula, Montana, has been inspiring dancers of all ages and abilities to joyfully move through square, circle and contra dances for over 30 years. She began calling in Raleigh, NC as one of the founders of Pinecone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music. She continues regular calling today throughout western Montana at community monthly dances. She has been a featured caller at the Montana Folk Festival and Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle. Bev loves to accompany dance music with her “happy feet,” clogging to the driving rhythms of old-time, Quebecois and Irish music. Bev will be calling at the Thursday evening dance and a triplet workshop.
	Marty Albini	From Bozeman, Montana, has been contra dancing for 20 years or so and began calling in 2010. A member of the Bozeman Folklore Society (BFS) Board and an organizer of the Wintergreen contra dance weekend, he calls for BFS dances and school and youth events around the Gallatin Valley. Marty will be calling at a couple of the evening dances and workshops on End Effects and Frills and Flourishes for Contra Dancers.
	Roy Curet	From Missoula, Montana, is a well-traveled caller, dancer and fiddler. Roy's easy style, clear presentation and depth of material make him sought after throughout the inland northwest contra community. Roy started calling in 1990 and has been privileged to have done dances with Out of the Wood, KGB, Eric Anderson, Wild Asparagus and just about every band in Montana. Roy will be calling at a couple of the evening dances and two workshops Saturday called Smoooth Contra and Complicated Contra plus he’ll be doing a contra caller’s workshop on Thursday afternoon. Roy also plays fiddle with Skippin’ A Groove.
	Dave Fullaway	Is a square dance caller from Makawao, Hawaii, who also calls Contra. Dave is on the USA West board. He will be calling a Transition to Contra for Square Dancers workshop and calling during at least one evening contra dance.
	Steve Braun	Is a traditional square dance caller from the Gallatin Valley area near Bozeman, MT. Steve will be calling a couple of traditional square dance workshops and calling a few traditional squares during a couple of the evening contra dances.
	Calvin Campbell	Is a square dance caller from Castle Rock, Colorado and calls with the Rocky Mountain Squares. He started square dancing in the fourth grade and calling in 1955. In the early 1990’s he started combining multiple styles of dancing including contra in what he called a Community Dance Program and was awarded CallerLab’s Milestone Award in 2006 for his unique approach to square dancing. Cal will be calling contras at some of the evening contra dances.
	Mark Matthews	Lives in the foothills outside Arlee, Montana. When he’s not calling or teaching various types of dancing he’s likely researching history and writing. In fact, Mark is in the process of seeking a publisher for his four volume set on the history of social dance in the United States. SQUARING THE SET and PROMENADING TOWARD DEMOCRACY cover the history of the history of the square dance from 1620 to the present, while CAKEWALKING OUT OF SLAVERY and JITTERBUGGING ACROSS THE COLORLINE cover the same period for African-American dance. Mark teaches American folk dancing to school kids across Montana through Humanities Montana’s Speakers in the Schools program. He also spends a lot of time sculpting and has set up a sculpture walk on his property. If you’re ever traveling through Arlee drop Mark an email at peacejumper@yahoo.com to set up a guided tour. Mark is calling at the Saturday evening contra dance and during one of the educational workshops.

Contra Bands for USA West 2015
		Rhubarb Ridge	(aka Strawberry Ridge with a twist for this event) has its roots in western Montana, and consists of Teri Vore on fiddle, Phil Carlos on hammer dulcimer and button accordion, Steve Dagger on penny whistles, and Susan Morgan on guitar. Rhubarb Ridge will be playing at the Thursday evening dance and a Friday morning workshop.
		Skippin’ a Groove	Puts a new spin on traditional Irish, old time and contemporary tunes. Their imaginative rhythms and full speed ahead melodies have kept folks hopping at dances and festivals all over the Northwest for nearly 10 years. Based in Missoula, Montana, Skippin’ A Groove has Laura Lundquist on winds, Roy Curet on fiddle, Alan Boren on Guitar and John Parker on bass. Skippin’ A Groove will be playing for the Friday evening dance and a Saturday morning workshop.
		Weatherwood	Is on a mission to bring high energy to the contra dance floor. From smooth flowing jigs to driving reels the trio seeks to keep dancers on their toes. With Chelsea Hunt on fiddle, Lindsay Turnquist playing hammered dulcimer, bazouki and percussion and Steve Marty on guitars, mandolin and foot percussion, Weatherwood draws on diverse backgrounds and musical interests to create a fun mix of danceable tunes. Celtic, traditional American, French Canadian and lots of original compositions are all in the mix. Weatherwood will be playing during workshops on Saturday afternoon and for the Saturday evening dance.
		WMD	WMD stands for Williams, Mittelstadt, and Dendy who originally formed the group, but we now call ourselves Weapons of Musical Distraction. WMD now consists of Mike Williams, the only remaining original group member, on fiddle and ukelele, Steve Laster on frailing banjo and guitar, Barb Piccolo on mandolin, keyboard, accordion, and guitar, and Kyle Williams on guitar and bass. Barb and Mike have played music together in jam groups and various bands for about 35 years. Steve started with us when he moved to town about 4 years ago after 3 members moved. Kyle has played guitar for contras with us for about 3 or 4 years and just started on bass for our non-contra dance events. The WMD's also play Latin, Swing, Fingerstyle Blues, Old Country and Mountain Music, along with the Old Time Fiddle Music, which is played for dances. WMD will be playing for contra workshops on Thursday and Friday afternoons.
	FUNDING FOR BANDS: The Contra Venue is supported in part donations from by the following groups and people: Outreach Fund of the Country Dance and Song Society Bozeman Folklore Society Missoula Folklore Society Helena Contra Group Barb Piccolo, and Roger Hazen Ed and Carla Wambach

CONTRA VENUE WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Transition to Contra for Square Dancers	If you are a modern western square dancer, you already know most of the figures or moves used in contra dances and you are used to being told what to do by a caller. However, contra dancing is done in a slightly different format (working generally in pairs of dancers in long lines-couples 1s and 2s), with slightly different styling, and is a bit more continuous than modern western square dancing. Come try this cousin to square dancing and see how much fun you can have in this traditional dance style. We won’t start you from ground zero. We promise.
End Effects	End effects are the weirdness that happens at the ends of double progression dances, dances with diagonal moves, or dances with unusual minor sets. The workshop will teach some simple techniques to enjoy that weirdness, and to help others enjoy it too.
Frills and Flourishes for Contra Dancers	This workshop will provide an introduction to embellishments that make even a simple dance engaging. Emphasis will be on safe moves, sending and receiving signals, and will introduce dancers to some basic moves that can be employed in a variety of situations.
Triplet Contras	This session will focus on triplets, a three couple set, that uses modern contra figures and tempo. The roles of 1s, 2s, and 3s are reassigned each time through the dance, so that at the start of each time through the dance the head couple is the 1s. A well-known contra caller, Ted Sannella, wrote many of these dances and popularized them in the 1960s. They continue to be composed and called by a number of choreographers up through the present day.
Smoooth Contras	This workshop will include a selection of dances that flow smoothly and some advice on being a smooth dancer.
Complicated Contras	This workshop will include a selection of contras with complex series of figures, unusual sequences, and other surprises suitable for experienced contra dancers.
How to Nail the Walkthrough A Contra Caller’s Workshop	Learn the secrets to teaching any dance in two walkthroughs or less.
Traditional Squares	Traditional square dancing is the precursor to modern western square dancing. Much of traditional square dancing involves visitations by each couple around the square. There are no singing calls and the patterns are often simpler than in modern western square dancing. Traditional squares are often included at contra dances to provide some variation.