This is community dance for all. Join these fun, easy dances that will be taught and prompted by a variety of dance callers. Dance to live music by the Folk Festival Open Band, led by Art Peterson. No partner or experience needed, expect to mix around after every dance. Dancing will include contras, squares, ceilidh & rolicking barn dances! Expect fun and laughter. (Ages 12+ years. 8-12 years may dance with a helping adult.)
Claire Takemori is passionate about sharing the JOY of folk music & dancing. She is known for clear & fun teaching. She has called around the Bay Area as well as from Haiku, HI to Plymouth, MA. She is an accomplished dancer and has infectious smiles when dancing. In her free time, she enjoys singing, gardening, sewing, scuba, and travel. She is learning to play fiddle and foot percussion, and is the organizer for the South Bay Contra Dance (an intergenerational, gender-free dance) on 3rd Sunday afternoons in San Jose. (www.bacds.org/sbc)
https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/
Dane Wallinga, contra dance caller.
Erik Hoffman calls dances, plays guitar, fiddle, and a bunch of other stuff. Erik calls regularly around the SF Bay Area, and has called all over the nation as well as in England, France, and Italy. He is a sought-after band leader and caller at Bay Area contra dances. He’s taught guitar and fiddle privately as well as at Lark in the Morning, the Bay Area Country Dance Society’s Spring Weekend, Missouri’s Sole Fest, and more.
Annalise Véliz is an all-around music lover and multi-instrumentalist. She fell in love with folk dance as a child, then fell into renewed love with it through square dance about 5 years ago. She enjoys calling and dancing, as well as playing various types of music, including Celtic, old-time, and classical. She lives in Northern California with her husband and teaches music in public schools.
Shirleigh Brannon has been an Irish/Scottish dancer for 35+ years, and has taught various forms of noncompetitive Irish dance for adults for 30+ years. She’s also the founder/director of Siamsa le Cheile, a Bay and Sac area based Scottish and Irish music and dance troupe. https://www.facebook.com/Siamsalecheile/
Music will be provided by Art Peterson and the band from the Free Festival Contra Band Workshop.