Maine Tune Cats Dance Panther to Play the Belfast Flying Shoes Contra Dance: Friday, March 6, 2020, with Caller Sarah VanNorstrand

Join us for an evening of contra dancing at American Legion Post #43, 143 Church Street in Belfast. The festivities begin at 6:30 pm with a Community Dance called by Chrissy Fowler and Lisa Newcomb, and with music by the All Comers Band. All musicians are welcome to sit in. Fun and simple dances will be taught, giving beginners the opportunity to learn new skills and offering experienced dancers a chance to brush up on their steps. The Contra Dance begins at 8:00 pm.

Sarah VanNorstrand

This month’s caller is Sarah VanNorstrand. An avid contra dancer since her teens, Sarah co-founded a contra prom at her high school in upstate New York. Since her debut as a caller in 2006, she has built a nationwide following with a style that combines clarity, enthusiasm, and an infectious sense of joy. Sharing the Flying Shoes stage with Sarah will be:

Dance Panther–Alden Robinson, Glen Loper, Bethany Waickman (left to right)

Dance Panther

Named after a crumbling (yet still terrifying) plaster panther that lurks in the dining room of a Portland apartment, Dance Panther often creeps around Maine looking for unsuspecting dancers. Alden Robinson on fiddle, Glen Loper on mandolin and tenor banjo, and Bethany Waickman on guitar are a trio ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. With all the great contra dance musicians roving the New England landscape, why do so many of the hottest bands include at least one of these guys? Ours is not to reason why; ours is but to balance, swing, and carry on.

  • Alden Robinson—fiddle
  • Glen Loper—mandolin & tenor banjo
  • Bethany Waickman—guitar & piano

Sound provided by Eric Weest Johnson

Admission to the Community Dance is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Admission to the Contra Dance is $10 for adults, $8 for ages 13 to 20 and adult All Comers, and $5 for children. Bring along a window fan and get $1 off. For more information, email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook.

Maine Trad Trio Emily, Benjamin & Owen to Play the Belfast Flying Shoes Contra Dance: Friday, February 7, 2020, with Caller Chrissy Fowler

Join us for an evening of contra dancing at American Legion Post #43, 143 Church Street in Belfast. The festivities begin at 6:30 pm with a Community Dance called by Chrissy Fowler and Lisa Newcomb, and with music by the All Comers Band. All musicians are welcome to sit in. Fun and simple dances will be taught, giving beginners the opportunity to learn new skills and offering experienced dancers a chance to brush up on their steps. The Contra Dance begins at 8:00 pm.

Chrissy Fowler

This month’s caller is Belfast’s own Chrissy Fowler. A founder and leading light of the Belfast Flying Shoes dance series, Chrissy called her first dance in 1999. Since then, she has cheerfully guided people through the steps of contra dances at festivals, schools, dance series, and special events throughout New England. She is especially gifted at introducing the joys of traditional dance to the uninitiated in educational, community, and professional settings. Chrissy is committed to building community and sees traditional dancing as a vital means to connect people of all ages and levels of experience.

Sharing the Flying Shoes stage with Chrissy will be:

Emily, Benjamin & Owen

Emily Troll, Benjamin Foss, and Owen Marshall promise Flying Shoes dancers “a high energy night with [Maine] Fiddle Camp drive!” That means a mix of old time, Quebecois, and Irish tunes delivered with the virtuosity and verve these three Maine musicians are known for. Emily has most recently set the Legion hall rocking with her trio Anadama. Benjamin Foss showcases his incredible musicianship and versatility in any number of local groups and gatherings, including our own All Comers Band (he’s also a talented luthier). A youthful elder statesman of the New England traditional music scene, Owen Marshall is a regular with the bands Riptide and the Press Gang, along with many others, and a pillar of the Maine Fiddle Camp community.

  • Emily Troll—fiddle & accordion
  • Benjamin Foss—fiddle, mandolin & banjo
  • Owen Marshall—guitar

Sound provided by Eric Weest Johnson

Admission to the Community Dance is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Admission to the Contra Dance is $10 for adults, $8 for ages 13 to 20 and adult All Comers, and $5 for children. Bring along a window fan and get $1 off. For more information, email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook.

Belfast Flying Shoes Contra Dance Takes a Spin with Velocipede: Friday, January 3, 2020, with Caller Dugan Murphy

Join us for an evening of contra dancing at American Legion Post #43, 143 Church Street in Belfast. The festivities begin at 6:30 pm, with a Community Dance called by Chrissy Fowler and with music by the All Comers Band. All musicians are welcome to sit in. Fun and simple dances will be taught, giving beginners the opportunity to learn new skills and offering experienced dancers a chance to brush up on their steps. The Contra Dance begins at 8:00 pm.

Dugan Murphy

This month’s caller is Dugan Murphy. Based in Portland, Maine, Dugan is a nationally known contra dance caller, co-organizer of the Portland Intown Contra Dance, a Maine humorist, a voice artist, and a storyteller. His calling, which manages to be both chill and energizing, has earned him an enthusiastic, far-flung following. This will be Dugan’s first time calling a Flying Shoes dance, and we’re excited to welcome him to Belfast.

Sharing the Flying Shoes stage with Dugan will be:

Velocipede

VELOCIPEDE

An elegant and sprightly two-wheeled conveyance, Velocipede joins the talents of fiddler Julia Plumb and tenor guitarist Baron Collins-Hill. A former Flying Shoes board member and leader of the All Comers Band, Julia has traveled widely, studying the traditional dance music of New England, Quebec, Appalachia, Scandinavia, and the British Isles. Along the way, she developed a fluid yet driving fiddling style and a keen sense for matching the tune to the dance. Baron grew up in Maine and graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in music performance and ethnomusicology. His tenor guitar playing reflects a sophisticated harmonic sense, a playful spirit, and a knack for getting a really big sound. Local favorites as both performers and instructors, the two met at Maine Fiddle Camp, in Montville, where they teach each summer.

  • Julia Plumb—fiddle and foot percussion
  • Baron Collins-Hill—tenor guitar

Sound provided by Eric Weest Johnson

Admission to the Community Dance is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Admission to the Contra Dance is $10 for adults, $8 for ages 13 to 20 and adult All Comers, and $5 for children. Bring along a window fan and get $1 off. For more information, email us at [email protected], visit www.belfastflyingshoes.org, or find us on Facebook.

Farm-and-Fiddle Favorites Sassafras Stomp to play the Belfast Flying Shoes Contra Dance: Friday, December 6, 2019, with Caller Will Mentor

Join us for an evening of contra dancing at American Legion Post #43, 143 Church Street in Belfast. The festivities begin at 6:30 pm, with a Community Dance called by Chrissy Fowler and with music by the All Comers Band. All musicians are welcome to sit in. Fun and simple dances will be taught, giving beginners the opportunity to learn new skills and offering experienced dancers a chance to brush up on their steps. The Contra Dance begins at 8:00 pm.

Will Mentor

This month’s caller is Will Mentor. Will is a contra and square dance caller from Northern Vermont known for his clear teaching, upbeat wit, and relaxed stage presence. He loves to choreograph evenings with a variety of dances and tempos that at times surprise and always delight, all the while following his guiding principle as a caller: “It’s about the dancers!”

Sharing the Flying Shoes stage with Will will be:

Sassafras Stomp

Sassafras Stomp is a high-energy contra dance band from central Maine. Fiddler Johanna Davis, guitarist Adam Nordell, and multi-instrumentalist John Pranio build a rich, dynamic roots sound , weaving together diverse fiddle traditions with a strong rhythmic sensibility. Davis and Nordell’s collaboration began with a month-long musical artists’ residency in Basin, Montana, a stone’s throw from the Continental Divide. After a debut performance at Seattle’s Northwest Folklife Festival, the duo established themselves as a favorite band at contra dances across Montana. In 2010, they relocated to Davis’ home state of Maine to start an organic farm, and to participate in the New England contra dance community. They have since performed at a widening circle of concerts, dances, and festivals across the country. Belfast’s own John Pranio joined the team in 2016 and brings harmonic and rhythmic depth to the band’s sound. John draws on decades of experience as a fiddler, banjo, and harmonica player at dances across Maine and around the country. John, his wife, Toki, and their friend Ted Sannella co-founded the much-loved North Whitefield Contra Dance.

  • Johanna Davis—fiddle & shruti box
  • Adam Nordell—guitar, banjo, foot percussion & service bell
  • John Pranio—fiddle, banjo & harmonica

Sound provided by Eric Weest Johnson

Admission to the Community Dance is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Admission to the Contra Dance is $10 for adults, $8 for ages 13 to 20 and adult All Comers, and $5 for children. Bring along a window fan and get $1 off. For more information: call 338-0979, email us at [email protected], visit www.belfastflyingshoes.org, or find us on Facebook.

Slither In! Electric EEL to play the Belfast Flying Shoes Contra Dance: Friday, November 1, 2019, with Caller Chrissy Fowler

Join us for an evening of contra dancing at American Legion Post #43, 143 Church Street in Belfast. The festivities begin at 6:30 pm, with a Community Dance called by Chrissy Fowler and with music by the All Comers Band. All musicians are welcome to sit in. Fun and simple dances will be taught, giving beginners the opportunity to learn new skills and offering experienced dancers a chance to brush up on their steps. The Contra Dance begins at 8:00 pm.

Chrissy Fowler

This month’s caller is Belfast’s own Chrissy Fowler. A founder and leading light of the Belfast Flying Shoes dance series, Chrissy called her first dance in 1999. Since then, she has cheerfully guided people through the steps of contra dances at festivals, schools, dance series, and special events throughout New England. She is especially gifted at introducing the joys of traditional dance to the uninitiated in educational, community and professional settings. Chrissy is committed to building community and sees traditional dancing as a vital means to connect people of all ages and levels of experience.

Sharing the Flying Shoes stage with Chrissy will be:

Electric EEL

Electric EEL combines the talents of three of the most highly sought-after musicians on the New England contra dance circuit. Fiddler Eric Boodman has lent his subtle and energetic melodies and driving foot percussion to numerous ensembles around New England. Check out his amazing work here, with the band Calico. Emily Troll’s accordion is a mainstay of another of our favorite bands, Anadama, and reason enough to get up off the couch and lace up your dancing shoes. And Larry Unger? How much time do you have? A working musician since 1984, Larry has composed over 5,000 tunes–including many that have become standards of the contra dance repertoire–played countless dances and concerts, and spread enough musical pleasure to qualify as a genuiune national treasure.

  • Eric Boodman—fiddle & foot percussion
  • Emily Troll—accordion
  • Larry Unger—guitar, banjo & jaw harp

Sound provided by Eric Weest Johnson

Admission to the Community Dance is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Admission to the Contradance is $10 for adults, $8 for ages 13 to 20 and adult All Comers, and $5 for children. Bring along a window fan and get $1 off. For more information: call 338-0979, email us at [email protected] or find us on Facebook.

Flying Shoes Contra Dance: Friday, October 4, 2019, featuring Caller Chrissy Fowler and Peregrine Road + Becky Tracy

Join us for an evening of contra dancing at American Legion Post #43, 143 Church Street in Belfast. The festivities begin at 6:30 pm, with a Community Dance called by Chrissy Fowler and with music by the All Comers Band. All musicians are welcome to sit in. Fun and simple dances will be taught, giving beginners the opportunity to learn new skills and offering experienced dancers a chance to brush up on their steps. The Contra Dance begins at 8:00 pm.

Chrissy Fowler

This month’s caller is Belfast’s own Chrissy Fowler. A founder and leading light of the Belfast Flying Shoes dance series, Chrissy called her first dance in 1999. Since then, she has cheerfully guided people through the steps of contra dances at festivals, schools, dance series, and special events throughout New England. She is especially gifted at introducing the joys of traditional dance to the uninitiated in educational, community and professional settings. Chrissy is committed to building community and sees traditional dancing as a vital means to connect people of all ages and levels of experience.

Sharing the Flying Shoes stage with Chrissy will be:

Peregrine Road + Becky Tracy

Karen Axelrod, Rachel Bell, and Becky Tracy crank out high-energy dance music that balances raw energy with impressive musical precision, innovation with strong ties to tradition, and fiery intensity with heartfelt beauty. The trio plays driving Celtic reels, gritty French groove tunes, jovial Quebecois melodies, and captivating originals, drawing on their depth of experience in making music that is both exciting to listen to and eminently danceable.

  • Karen Axelrod—piano & accordion
  • Rachel Bell—accordion
  • Becky Tracy—fiddle & octave fiddle

Sound provided by Eric Weest Johnson

Admission to the Community Dance is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Admission to the Contradance is $10 for adults, $8 for ages 13 to 20 and adult All Comers, and $5 for children. Bring along a window fan and get $1 off. For more information: call 338-0979, email us at [email protected], visit www.belfastflyingshoes.org, or find us on Facebook.