This page is devoted to listing contra dances in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States along with bands, musicians, callers, and organizations that are based in the region. URLs and e-mail addresses are listed when available. New entries, additional information, and changes in information are always welcome. Links to other pages in the www.contradancelinks.com web site are listed at the bottom of the page.

New links are simply new to me, not necessarily new to the World Wide Web. Change in URL means that a link has changed its WWW address or URL.

Regional

Delaware

• The Folk Gild sponsors a Contra Dance almost every month on the first Sunday of each month and some third Sundays in Arden. In addition, you can obtain a complete list of all the dances that the Gild sponsors (contra, international, etc.). Change in 2nd URL (August 11, 2018)

Maryland

• The Lloyd Shaw Foundation sponsors Terpsichore's Holiday in late December and early January in Adamstown.
• The Annapolis Traditional Dance Society contra dances are held on 3rd Saturdays, but sometimes other events are held on special dates.
• The Baltimore Folk Music Society among its other activities, holds a number of dance events including:
  • The Catoctin Mountain Music & Dance Weekend is held in June at Camp Misty Mount in Catoctin Mountain National Park, near Thurmont.
  • Wednesday Night Square & Contra Dances every Wednesday night in Baltimore;
  • New Dancers' ("Nouveaux Danseurs") Workshops are held every second and fourth Wednesday preceding the Wednesday Night Contra Dances;
  • The Mid-Winter Ball held at the end of January or the beginning of February; and
  • Second Saturday Dance Events which include contras.
• Southern Maryland Traditional Music and Dance hosts a variety of dance and music events including contra dances in Chaptico.
• Almost Heaven is a contra and swing dance weekend in Darlington. It occurs in late May includes contra and swing.
• The Folklore Society of Greater Washington hosts a Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend in late April at Camp Letts in Edgewater which includes contras, Southern-style, zydeco, cajun, and Irish stepdancing. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Mid-Maryland Folk Arts Council and the Frederick City Department of Recreation host contra and square dances on the 4th Saturday of each month in Frederick. Marguerite Plank supports the site.
• The Friday Night Dancers (FND) dance contras on Fridays in Glen Echo Park.
• The Folklore Society of Greater Washington (FSGW) hosts regular dances on Sundays in Glen Echo Park.
• The Folklore Society of Greater Washington sponsors a series of family dances in Glen Echo on the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the month. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• In addition to the more established series of dances, the Folklore Society of Greater Washington sponsors a Contra Sonic/Techno Contra series in Glen Echo on 3rd Tuesdays (some months alternative venues are used). Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• Carpe Diem Arts and the Folklore Society of Greater Washington are now jointly sponsoring dances in Silver Springs on the 2nd Thursday of the month. Facebook page.

New Jersey

• The Folk Project maintains a list of dances in the northern NJ area.
• As part of the Folk Project activities, Swingin' Tern presents Contra and Square Dancing to live music in East Hanover the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month.
• The Folk Project's Spring (May) and Fall (October) Acoustic Getaway weekends are held in northwest New Jersey with (sometimes) contradancing among the activities. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Princeton Country Dancers meet each Wednesday and on 4th Saturdays for contra dances. English country dances are held on 2nd Saturdays. Community dances are held on a variety of Sundays. Many special contra and English events are held throughout the year.

New York

• The DanceFlurry Organization has information about a number of contra dances in upstate New York.
• The Albany contradances continue in Albany on 2nd & 5th Fridays.
• The Dance Flurry Organization sponsors a series of family dances on the 2nd Sunday of the month from November to April in Delmar and Albany. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music and Dance is held in late June of each year in Altamont.
• Friends of Fiddle & Dance have pages for their music and dance programs at Ashokan, a rustic camp in New York State's Catskill Mountains. The programs include:
  • New Year's Weekend;
  • Western and Swing Week in late June;
  • Northern Week in late July/early August; and
  • Southern Week in early - mid August
  • Family Week in mid August
  • a variety of Summerdance nights including at least one devoted to contradancing. Change in URLs for the various camps (August 11, 2018)

  Some of these have appear to have more contradancing than others. You can see and read about some of the weeks via Ted Crane's journals and photographs.

• There are contra dances on the second (generally) Saturday of each month at 7:00pm in Binghamton.
• There is a new contra dance series on various Fridays (and other dates) in Brooklyn in various venues.
• Dave Harvey hosts a barn dance on various dates in non-summer months in Brooklyn, many times at the Jalopy Tavern.
• Queen City Country Dancers in (not to be confused with the folks in Burlington, Vermont), holds dances in Buffalo on the first and third Saturdays of the month (October to June) and third Saturdays only from July to September at 8:00pm. Cynthia Van Ness maintains the site.
• DanceFlurry has information about the 4th Sunday dances (followed by a potluck) in Cambridge at the Beacon Feed Studios.
• The DanceFlurry Organization sponsors a variety of dances and events in upstate New York. They also have the best information about dances in the Capitol District (Albany). Laurie Sims and Rich Futyma provide the information.
• The Columbia County contra dance series occurs on the 1st Saturday of each month in Chatham.
• The Rockland Contra Dances occur in Chestnut Ridge on the 4th Friday of the month. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1016628738420196/. Added web site (April 23, 2019)
• Dance Flurry sponsors dances on 4th Saturdays from September to April in Clifton Park. Change in location (August 11, 2018)
• The folks at the DanceFlurry Organization sponsor dances on various Sundays (May through September) in Colonie. Rich Futyma maintains the site.
• The Otsego Dance Society holds dances, generally on 1st Fridays, in Cooperstown at the First Presbyterian Church, on the corner of Pioneer and Church Streets. Change in URL (January 26, 2019)
• Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival is held in Croton-on-Hudson in late-mid June each year and includes dancing along with a huge amount of music and expanded environmental exhibits, educational workshops, and Hudson River displays.
• The Southern Tier Contra Dance Society sponsors dances in Cuba generally, but not always, on the 2nd Saturday of the month.
• The Dance Flurry Organization sponsors a series of family dances on the 2nd Sunday of the month from November to April in Delmar and Albany. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• As you might guess, the Fredonia First Friday Contra Dance, is on the first Friday of each month at 8:00pm. Kathy Fox provides the information about the dance.
• In Hillsdale, in late July and/or early August, there is the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival which includes contra dancing among its wide range of activities. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• Ted Crane provides information about the Tompkins County Country Dances in Ithaca on Fridays at 8:00pm (indoors) and on Wednesdays during the summer at 7:00pm outdoors.
• The Hands Four Dancers of Ithaca hold dances six times a year (roughly every two months) including the daylong Fiddlehead Frolic in April.
• The Cornell Contra Dance Club holds dances on various Saturdays on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca.
• The Adirondack Dance Weekend is held at Lake George in mid-September and contras, swing & lindy hop, English Country, and waltzes.
• The Long Island Traditional Music Association holds a series of contra dances on first Saturdays in Watermill, second and fourth Fridays in Smithtown, and a family dance in Westbury on the 2nd Saturday of every other month during the school year.
• The Turtle Hill Folk Festival occurs in early-mid September in Mendon and includes contradancing among the various events. Bill Gamble handles the web chores.
• Ashokan provide a calendar that covers dances in the Mid-Hudson region and beyond. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• Country Dance * New York! holds contra dances in New York City on Saturdays, generally at 8:00pm although some dances have workshops beginning at 7:00pm.
• The New York Village Contra sponsors gender-role free dances on 2nd Fridays in New York.
• The New York [City] Pinewoods Folk Music Club includes contra bands w/dancing on occasion.
• The Tioga County Contra and Square Dance occurs on the 3rd Sunday of each month, except February and holidays, in Owego. New entry (January 28, 2019)
• The Hudson Valley Community Dances are held in Poughkeepsie, generally on the 3rd and 5th Saturdays of the month at 8:00pm and include contras, mazurkas, squares, round dances, hambos and the occasional improvised step at the end of the line.
• Dances are held at the Clinton Community Library in Rhinebeck on the 2nd Saturday of each month. New entry (January 23, 2019)
• The Country Dancers of Rochester host a contra dance every Thursday night. In addition, they host a Thanksgiving (American) Weekend Dance Festival in Rochester in late November.
• The DanceFlurry Organization sponsors the annual Dance Flurry Festival, held in mid-February in Saratoga Springs.
• The Great Blue Heron Music Festival is held in early July in Sherman and includes a variety of music and dance events and activities.
• The Syracuse Country Dancers hold contra or English Country dances on 1st and 3rd Saturdays, Family Dances, once a month, before the 3rd Saturday contra and Dance Gatherings on 1st and 3rd weekends on Sunday afternoons. In addition to all these regular dances, they hold the Phylla Mae Fall Festival in mid-October. Brought up to date (August 11, 2018)
• The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance held in Trumansburg in late-mid July each year includes a contra dance and is a wonderful festival.
• Old Songs, Inc. sponsors contra dances in Voorheesville generally the first Saturday of the month at 8:00pm (beginners sessions at 7:30pm). Change of URL (August 11, 2018)

Pennsylvania

• The Valley Contra Dance holds regular dances on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Saturdays of each month in Bethlehem September through June, except November's second dance is Butterball Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the day before ContraCopia (which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving).
• The Birdsboro contra dances are held on the 1st Saturday of each month (other than in July and August).
• The Harrisburg Area Contra Dance Association holds the Locust Lane Contra Dance in Harrisburg on the 2nd Fridays of the month. Change in dates (July 6, 2019)
• The Cooperage hosts contra dances on the 4th Saturday of the month from April to December in Honesdale. Change in dates (August 4, 2018)
• The Folklore Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania holds contra dances, generally on 1st Saturdays, in Kingston, in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre region of Pennsylvania.
• The Princeton (New Jersey) Country Dancers hold an annual Head for the Hills, a weekend of dance and music, near Kresgeville in early November.
• The Lancaster Traditional Society hosts the Lancaster Contra Dance, normally held on the third Saturday of each month.
• The Lewisburg (Pennsylvania) Contra Dances, presented by the Countryside Contra Dancers, are held on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Change dates (January 13, 2018)
• There's a contra dance every Wednesday night at Montgomery Hall at Allegheny College in Meadville when school is in session.
• Peggy Leiby keeps track of dancing in Philadelphia for the Folk Dance Council with the Seven Day Guide to Folk and Traditional Dancing In and Around Philadelphia.
• Philadelphia Area Traditional Music and Dance sponsors dances on third Saturdays in Philadelphia.
• And, the organization also sponsors dances on most Thursday nights in Philadelphia.
• For dancing in Pittsburgh, try the Pittsburgh Contras & Squares web site. Contra dances are held every Friday. You can also obtain information about their Fall Dance Weekend in mid-November.
• The Central Pennsylvania Country Dance Association holds dances generally on the 1st Friday of each month in State College. Change in dates (August 11, 2018)
• While specializing in English Country and Scottish Country dancing, the Swarthmore College Folk Dance Club also holds occasional contras during the school year. Check out their Facebook page for up to date information.

Virginia

• Donna Arehart's Central Virginia Dance News covers the world of dance, including contra dance, in central Virginia.
• The Two-Dog Waltz dance series in Blacksburg occurs on the 3rd Saturday of the month.
• The Rockbridge Mountain Music & Dance Festival occurs in Buena Vista in mid-September and includes a couple of contra dances.
• Cville Contra, Contracorners, and the Charlottesville Contradance Fall Festival sponsor the Charlottesville and Central Virginia Contradance web site with information for dances in and around Charlottesville.
• The Albemarle Chapter of the Country Dance and Song Society in Charlottesville, Virginia holds dances on 3rd Fridays. The page is maintained by Paul Rosen. Change in dates (August 11, 2018)
• There are contra dances in Dayton on the 2nd Saturday of each month.
• Earl & Ronda Vanover supply details about the Blue Ridge Country Dancers which sponsor contra dancing in the Floyd generally on the 2nd Saturday of each month from September to June.
• The Contra Corners dances are generally the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, except during the summer, in Greenwood. Paul Rosen supports the page.
• There is now a series of dances on most 1st and 3rd Mondays in Harrisonburg at the Massanetta Springs Conference Center. Second site. Change in location (August 11, 2018)
• The Bluemont Old-Time Country Dances occur on the 3rd Saturday of the month from October to May in Hillsboro.
• The Friends of Appalachian Music (F.O.A.M.) hold dances on the 1st Saturday of each month except August in Norge or Williamsburg.
• Tidewater Traditional Dance provides information about a variety of dances, contras and others, in the Norfolk area.
• The Traditional American Dance and Music Society of Richmond hold Contra Dances on the evenings of every 2nd and 4th Saturday. In addition, they host the Springforth Ball & Weekend Dance in mid-April. Webmaster for the site is Deborah Nelson.
• The Roanoke Contra Dancers host dances on the 4th Saturday of each month and the dances are co-sponsored by the City of Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The dances in Staunton happen on various dates and times.

Washington, D.C. (and area)

• The Friday Night Dancers (FND) dance contras on Fridays in Glen Echo Park.
• The Folklore Society of Greater Washington (FSGW) hosts a number of regular and special events of which contra dancing is a part:
  • Regular dances on Sundays in Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, Maryland;
  • The FSGW Mini Festival in late January/early February;
  • The Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend in early April at Camp Letts in Edgewater, Maryland which includes contras, Southern-style, zydeco, cajun, and Irish stepdancing.
  • The DC Square Dance Collective holds square dance in Washington, D.C. on various Saturdays.

Bands and Musicians

• Chuck Abell is a contra dance musician with bands such as Tempest and Mo'Contra along with being a singer-songwriter, caller, and musician in swing/blues bands. He is based in New York State.
• The Avant Gardeners include Laura Light, Dave Wiesler, Dan Sebring, and George Paul and are based in Charlottesville, VA.
• When they were in existence, Back Up and Push played old-time fiddle tunes, honky-tonk, blues, early country, and even some originals and was based in Pennsylvania.
• Tim Ball plays fiddle with Contrapasso, Tunescape, the O'Shanigans, and other fine musicians for contra and English Country dances around upstate New York and beyond.
• Rachel Bell is an accordion player, tunesmith, and music teacher from the wilds of Pennsylvania. She is in demand throughout the United States and beyond for concerts, contra dances, English country dances, French dances, and workshops.
• Charley Beller is based in Baltimore and a member of the band, Contranella.
• Megan Beller is a violinist and traditional American and Klezmer fiddler in Baltimore, Maryland. She plays American, Irish, and French Canadian fiddle tunes with her contra dance band Contranella.
• Based in New Jersey, Big Chaos plays for contra dances and features Aleks Taranov, Em McKeever, Luna Skye and Angelo Campus.
• The Big Phat American K-Lee Band was conceived during a trip to England where we fell in love with English Ceilidh music and dancing. We wanted to capture the fun rowdy English ceilidh feel with our own American twist. It is based in Pennsylvania, but also plays in other mid-Atlantic states.
• Blue Jersey is a contra-dance string band with an eclectic mix of swing, gypsy jazz, and bluegrass to their performances.from Princeton, NJ and includes Frank Ruck, Ellen Ruck, and Mike Sutton.
• Box and String Music is the duo of Bill Quern and Sarah Gowan. They play instrumental traditional roots music from the American Appalachians, England, Canada, Scandinavia, and France as well as their won original music composed in traditional styles. They are based in Pennsylvania.
• Bo Bradham is a fiddler in Virginia. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• Cabernet Sauvignon includes the talents of Karen Ashbrook, David Wiesler, Andrea Hoag and Paul Oorts, each nationally and internationally known in diverse genres, and is based in Maryland.
• The Cacklin' Hens & Roosters Too play Old Time Music for dancing, dancing, and dancing in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
• Julianne Carney has performed with Jay Z at Radio City Music Hall but also plays fiddle at barn dances in New York City.
• From the Pennsylvania/New Jersey area, Col. Mike's Dance Band is composed of John Krumm, Bob Pasquarello, and Bob Stein. (e-mail only)
• Confluence from Olean NY, consists of Nadine Dyskant-Miller on flute and foot percussion and Barbara Dyskant on keyboards and features music of Quebec, Ireland, New England, Europe, and elsewhere, plus contemporary sounds and rhythms and original material.
• The Contra Mantra is Barb Schmid and Ryck Kaiser on fiddles and Jill Smith on piano. The band plays Appalachian tunes and is based in south central Pennsylvania. (e-mail only)
• The Contra Rebels is an old-time southern-style band led by York County fiddler Todd Clewell, with Henry Koretzky on guitar and mandolin. The group specializes in playing contradances and square dances in a circuit ranging from New York to Georgia, and is often augmented by banjo and bass.
• The Contradictions is Laurie Hart on fiddle, Rick Manning on fiddle and mandolin, Tom Hodgson on guitar, and Dave Davies on bass and vocals. They offer an eclectic mix of fiddle tunes and songs from American and European traditions. They are headquartered in New York State.
• Contranella is composed of father and daughter John and Meg Wobus Beller with Charley Beller and is based in Syracuse, New York area.
• Coracree melds a transatlantic mix of traditional Celtic, Old-time, European, and original music with a playful, improvisational style. The band is based in Pennsylvania.
• Susie Deane plays Jazz, Swing, Irish, Contradance and is based in Poughkeepsie, New York.
• Dot-dot-dash performs live acoustic music in Celtic, Appalachian dance, Old-time and Gypsy-jazz stylings, performing around Virginia's New River Valley.
• Dragonfly plays wonderfully eclectic collection of trio arrangements of Scottish, Irish, French, Renaissance, and contemporary folk tunes in Binghamton and other parts of upstate New York.
• The FireFlies play traditional fiddle music for your dancing and listening pleasure and are based in the NY Capitol District. Site has problems (August 11, 2018)
• Floorplay, a Charlottesville, Virginia contradance band plays an eclectic mix of French Canadian, Old-time, Klezmer, Swing, and original tunes since the spring of 2007.
• Alan Friend has been playing banjo, guitar and concertina, and singing traditional songs from America and the British Isles for many years. He is a member of the contra dance band "The Contrapolitans."
• Giant Robot Dance includes two Marcus brothers (Andrew and Aaron), two VanNorstrand brothers (Noah and Andrew) and Michael and Alex Ferguson. The band is based in Syracuse, New York.
• From New York State, Gigue-a-Bit uses celtic tunes from Scotland, Ireland and Quebec for playing dance music and includes Patty Rutins on fiddle, John Guay on hammered dulcimer and Vonnie Estes on piano.
• The Gnu Tones is a Celtic-based contradance ensemble led by State College, Pennsylvania fiddler Bruce Young and anchored by Lancaster pianist Jill Smith. (e-mail only (replace the (at)))
• Based in Charlottesville, VA, Go Figure is a piano-fiddle duo of Janet Muse and Mike Dunn, that plays an eclectic mix of Celtic, French-Canadian, and Classical music.
• Government Contra Act takes a fresh new look at contra dance music from the Scottish Highlands to the NY Jazz Club to the LA Mosh Pit and perhaps the halls of Congress given that the band is from Washington, D.C.
• In addition to her solo work, Ellen Gozion plays and tours with three contra dance bands, Toad Hall, Toppish and The Hot Toddies and has played with David Knight, members of Amarillis, The Contrarians, Sylvan's Harvest and others and is well-known in contra dance scene in Pittsburgh.
• The Grafton Street Trio are David Danks, David Jones, and Diane Jones. The trio is available for hire for dances, weddings, parties, and other celebrations in the Saratoga Springs - Glens Falls - Capital District Region of New York State.
• Grand Picnic, a Brooklyn based band, combines the rhythmic drive of southern old-time tunes with French Canadian and New England fiddle music.
• The Great Bear Trio performs a huge realm of traditional music styles from New England, French-Canada, Ireland, Old-time Appalachia and Scandinavia with a contemporary, world-beat twist, features Andrew & Noah VanNorstrand and their mother, Kim Yerton, and is based in Fulton, New York.
• Green Light Karma is a relatively new DC-area contra dance band, Green Light Karma is David Knight on fiddle, Andrew Marcus on accordion, and Dave Wiesler on piano and guitar. All three players are experienced dance musicians, as well as prolific tunesmiths, and Green Light Karma's music is at once driving and danceable, with a refreshingly different repertoire. Change of URL (August 12, 2018)
• Hope Grietzer has played and studied in Colorado, Pennsylvania and her present home near Owego, New York and plays with a variety of bands in the area.
• The Groovemongers is a band in which world beat meets contra, with Rebecca McCallum on fiddle, C.W. Abbott on mandolin and guitar, and Jane Knoeck on keyboard and accordion, as well as Mark Hellenberg on percussion. It operates from Rochester, New York.
• Before you check out the pages about the bands that she is in, visit New York's Laurie Hart's own page.
• Central New York contradance band Hearts Delight consists of David Smukler on fiddle, Laurel Sharp on whistle and recorder, and John Wobus on piano.
• The Highlander String Band is a collection of Rockingham County (Virginia) musicians playing traditional Appalachian Mountain music, sometimes for contra dances. Facebook page. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• Andrea Hoag, Loretta Kelley and Charlie Pilzer play Swedish, Norwegian and other Scandinavian music as a trio. The group is based in Maryland.
• Hog Wild is a wild combination of New England tradition and Yankee innovation and features Jody Kruskal, Marnan Laibow-Koser and Tom Phillips. The band is based in New York State.
• Homespun Occasions plays for dances at a variety of dances, including schools with students of all ages. They are based in New York State. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Horse Flies feature Judy Hyman, Jeff Claus, Richie Stearns, Taki Masuko, Jay Olsa and Rick Hansen. Change in URL for musicians (August 11, 2018)
• Fiddler Judy Hyman is a member of groups such as The Horse Flies, Small Tattoo, and Big Table and is based in New York State.
• Idewild is a contra dance band based in New York State.
• Illegal Contraband is a contradance band with an emphasis on New England, Irish, and Quebecois dance tunes, they are just as likely to throw in everything from wild Klezmer music, swing, classical, and jazz to gentle Scandinavian waltzes. The band is based in Catskill Mountains of New York. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Indian Run Stringband is a community-based, traditional, and all-inclusive Old Time band based in Blacksburg, Virginia.
• Inishowen repertoire is drawn primarily from the rich musical heritage of the seafaring nations, especially Britain, Ireland, Canada and the United States and is based in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area.
• Jane's Gang, a contra/square dance band, features the driving fiddling of Jane Rothfield with Allan Carr (Guitar), Paul Sidlick (banjo/mandolin) and Geoff Harden (bass) and is based in Pennsylvania.
• Jiggermeister plays lively, energetic music from all over the world, combining the traditional sounds of the British Isles and Appalachia with Eastern European scales and modern jazz riffs and is based in Ithaca, NY.
• The Jugbusters play old-time country music in the New River Valley and Blacksburg, Virginia and for traditional square dances.
• Ryck Kaiser and Jill Smith are a fiddle and piano duo, playing mostly Appalachian and some Celtic tunes. They are based in south central Pennsylvania. (e-mail only)
• John Kirk and Trish Miller live near Saratoga Springs, New York and teach and perform traditional music and dance including playing at contra dances.
• David Andrew Knight plays Scottish fiddle and for contra dances and has been playing since 1991. He is based in Washington, D. C.
• Rooted in the traditions of American Old-Time music, Baltimore-based banjo player Brad Kolodner represents the next generation of Old-Time musicians pushing the boundaries of the tradition into uncharted territory.
• Harry Koretzky has played with groups ranging from High Strung to The Old World Folk Band (klezmer) to the contra dance band, Medicinal Purpose along with playing with Todd Clewell and the Contra Rebels. He is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• Caller and musician John Krumm has been performing for almost four decades for contras, squares, swing dancing and English dancing with knowledge from the U.S., Quebec and the British Isles. He is based in Pennsylvania.
• Jody Kruskal is a New York City concertina player who is a member of several bands in the area.
• Marnen Laibow-Koser plays piano, fiddle, viola, flute, and recorder for contra dances and is based in Medford, Massachusetts. Change in location and URL (August 11, 2018)
• Late for Supper plays old-time Appalachian fiddle tunes, bluegrass, gospel, and originals sung in three part harmony. We're an eclectic group, playing a variety of music on guitar, fiddle and banjo -- old country songs and ballads, to bluegrass standards, to old-time gospel. It is based in Pennsylvania.
• The Laune Rangers featuring Ryck Kaiser (fiddle), Chad Shambaugh (bodhran), and Jamie Ward (guitar) are based in Pennsylvania.
• Leighas is committed to the preservation and transmission of the traditional dance music and cultures of Ireland, Scotland, and their Diaspora in the new world. They are based in the Tidewater region of Virginia.
• Long John and the Tights is an old time string band from Ithaca, New York. They play dance music, fiddle tunes and songs inspired by American country music popular before it splintered off Blues, Bluegrass and Rock and Roll.
• Michael Ludgate is a fiddle player who lives in upstate New York and is a member of O'Shanigans and other bands.
• Mangrove Green plays traditional Celtic, British and American music on fiddle and piano in upstate New York.
• Em McKeever is a self-described "classical guitarist gone haywire," who melds her love of wordcraft with musical pizzazz. She is a Newark-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, often writing for banjo, dulcimer, tin whistle, and any other instrument that crosses her path. Facebook page.
• The McKenzies (Woody & Marcia) are from Blacksburg, Virginia and play music from the Celtic/British Isles, Cape Breton/French Canadian, Southern Appalachian, colonial era (18th century and earlier), American minstrel era (mid 19th century), early American country (1920's to 1940's), lesser-known contemporary folk, originals, children's.
• In addition to the traditional Finnish repertoire, Metku plays music for contra dances, square dances, private parties and weddings. The band is based in New York State.
• Milliners' Maggot plays traditional music on fiddle and piano, with a focus on Celtic, English and New England tunes for contra and English country dances in upstate New York.
• Celia Millington-Wyckoff plays bass and recorder with Dr. Twamley's Audio Snakes and is based in Pennsylvania.
• The Mixed Age Dance (MAD) Band plays easy-to-learn tunes for the Princeton Country Dancer's Community Dance. Our participants range in age from grammar school to senior citizens. It's a great way to learn a new instrument or learn to play with a live band. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• Mo' Contra is a relatively new dance band featuring Chuck (guitars, mandolin), Mike Hoerschle, and either Eric Metzger or Jamie Kubala on drums. Mo' Contra strives to present creative interpretations of traditional, and some more modern, tunes. Mo' Contra most recently played for the Toronto Contra Dance and plays regularly for the local and regional contra dances. The band is from New York State.
• Rick Mohr is a contra dance caller and fiddler living in the Philadelphia area.
• New York State's Bruce Molsky: alone or with fellow musicians; guitar, fiddle, or banjo in hand, has been exploring traditional music from an astonishingly broad range of cultures over the past two decades and even plays at a few contra dances.
• The Morrison Brothers: Jim Morrison (Fiddle and Guitar), Owen Morrison (Acoustic and Electric Guitars) and Will Morrison (Percussion) of Charlottesville, Virginia, occasionally play at contra dances.
• The New Southern Cowtippers reach deep into the musical roots of American music playing Appalachian fiddle tunes and songs, southern blues, pop tunes from the early 1900s, Grand Ole Opry favorites, southern gospel, and original compositions. They are based in Columbia, Maryland.
• No Strings Attached is a quartet based in Roanoke/Blacksburg, Virginia that features the following instruments: two hammer dulcimers, guitar, bass, harmonica, bouzouki, pennywhistle, flute, kalimba, synthesizers, bass and tenor clarinets, bass and tenor saxophones, Slinkys and percussion.
• Notes Inegales includes Michael Ludgate, Andrea Katz, and other musicians. The band is from New York State.
• The O'Shanigans contra dance band performs Celtic, American and world Fiddle tunes suitable for contra dancing, general entertainment and weddings with fiddle and dance tunes from: New England, Southern Appalachia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Finland, Sweden and the Middle East! The band is based in New York State.
• Old Sledge is a group of young musicians from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, blowing the dust off old tunes and songs from the golden era of early country, hillbilly and blues music.
• Belgian-born Paul Oorts performs on harp guitar, 10-string cittern, mandolin, and musette accordion most often with his wife, hammered dulcimer player Karen Ashbrook. He is very active in the world of English, Contra, and Vintage dances in the DC-Baltimore area. With the trio Goldcrest he has performed at dance events all over the US.
• The Panther Hollow String Band is a Pittsburgh-based traditional Appalachian old-time string band. The name refers to a particularly beautiful and spooky hollow in the city's Schenley Park. Its repertoire includes traditional fiddle tunes and old ballads that stretch back before the birth of recorded sound, as well as "newer" songs from legends like the Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers.
• Party of Three brings together three musicians, Lilly Pearlman, Neil Pearlman, and Joe De Paolo, from diverse musical backgrounds who share a depth of experience playing for dancing. Combining high energy Scottish and Cape Breton fiddle music with Latin and Funk influenced piano and drum grooves, Party of Three has been enthusiastically received by dancers across the mid-atlantic and northeast. The band is based in New York State.
• Charlie Pilzer's resume of includes being a musician, producer, sound engineer and event organizer for music ranging from Scandinavian and Celtic to folk and acoustic. He hails from Virginia.
• The Princeton Country Dancers Pick-Up Band plays about once per month for the weekly contra dance in Princeton, New Jersey. It is open to players at all skill levels on any acoustic instrument.
• Fiddler Alicia Jo Rabins plays everything from old-time (traditional Appalachian dance music, with banjos and stuff) to klezmer (Eastern European Jewish party music, with Slivovitz). She is based in Brooklyn, New York.
• Raise the Roof, from the eastern Pennsylvania/New Jersey area features Mat Clark, Pete Soloway, Judi Stellar and Kathy Talvitie. Switch from URL to e-mail (August 11, 2018)
• The Reed Island Rounders play the foot-stomping dance tunes of the Blue Ridge to romantic waltzes, and beyond to the dark and lonesome mountain tunes of a solo fiddle or duet with the banjo and are based in Virginia.
• The Rhythm Raptors is a high energy trance contra band featuring TJ Crow, Rodney Miller, Jeff Spero, Mark Hellenberg and Ralph Gordon. [The band features musicians from different parts of the United States, but the main contact is TJ Crow, so I'm putting them in Virginia - CS]
• Philip K. Robinson is an Ithaca (NY)-based musician who plays in several bands from the area.
• Rosetree consists of Amy Shapiro (fiddle & nyckelharpa) and allen lutins (guitar). Amy and allen have played together to enthusiastic audiences for many years; both are long-timer performers on the Binghamton region folk scene.
• Jane Rothfield plays fiddle, banjo, and guitar with a number of bands along with running "home-based" music workshop weekends. She is based in upstate New York.
• Roustabout, including Chris Romaine, Lars Hanslin, and Bruce Hutton, play in the Washington, D. C. area. (e-mail only)
• The Rum & Onions Band is the name of the band which, for many years now, has formed and rehearsed for several weeks in the fall to play at a Halloween contra dance organized by the Princeton Country Dancers. We have been joined in the past by many musicians from near and far. Instruments of all kinds are welcome: melody, rhythm, percussion. They also play at a few other events such as NEFFA. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Run of the Mill String Band has been playing and performing Old Time Appalachian music together for over ten years in southeastern Pennsylvania.
• Kathy Selby plays traditional fiddle music from England, Scotland, Ireland and North America. Her repertoire spans almost four centuries, from 17th century English country dances to recently composed tunes. Her expressive playing embraces a broad spectrum ranging from lively jigs and reels to soulful airs and tragic laments. She lives in New York State.
• Based in New York State, Set Americain concentrates mostly on Quebecois tunes with Steve Fry on mandolin, Betsy Fry on bass, Barbara Lubell on fiddle, Maurice Mercier on button accordeon, feet and other percussion, John Guay on hammered dulcimer and Vonnie Estes on piano.
• Kathy Shimberg lives in Mt. Vision, New York, plays piano, fiddle, banjo for a wide variety dance types (contradance, old time traditional square-dance, English country dance, Irish ceili dance) and musical genres and bands, including pick-up bands, and sometimes calls for dances. (e-mail only) New entry (April 2, 2019)
• The Shoe String Band is a local, organic, free-range, and sustainable band playing Appalachian music in New York's Hudson Valley.
• The Sligo Creek Stompers include Sarah Foard, Adrian Erlinger, Jess Eliot Myhre and Chris Ousley. The band is based in Washington, D.C.
• Smash the Windows began as a Civil War period dance project in 2006 and branched out to play contras and festivals in 2007 and is based in State College, Pennsylvania.
• Some Assembly is a quartet of musicians from Southern Maryland whose repertoire is quite eclectic, but draws heavily from traditional Irish, Scottish, English and Canadian (especially Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) instrumental music. (e-mail only)
• Bill Spence with Fennig's All Stars and other groups, has bee playing the hammered dulcimer for dances and others events since the 1970s. He is based in New York State. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• SPUDS is the pick-up band that regularly playsfor the Thursday Night Contra Dance held at the Commodore Barry Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Squeezology is a band of driving rhythms, lush harmonies and flights of fancy and is based in New York.
• Clelia Stefanini has followed in herŐs fatherŐs footsteps quickly becoming outstanding on fiddle, guitar and vocals. She was first prize winner in fiddle at the 2013 Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, W. Virginia and is also an accomplished teacher privately and at music camps. She occasionally plays at contra dances in Nashville and at events in other locales. New entry (August 11, 2018)
• While he was born in Italy, Rafe Stefanini has established himself as an interpreter of fiddle music from the South with his dynamic and elegant fiddle and banjo playing in numerous bands. He is based in Pennsylvania. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• Besides all his wonderful web pages about contra dancing, Bob Stein, from the Philadelphia area, is a musician who plays the accordion, piano, banjo, and a small drum called a doumbek. (e-mail only)
• From State College, Pennsylvania, Strath Hanna plays mostly Scottish traditional music, both for dancing (Scottish and contras) and for listening. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• Strings on Wings plays traditional fiddle tunes and waltzes in the Appalachian, Celtic, Folk, New England and French Canadian styles, features Todd Clewell and Barb Schmid and is based in Pennsylvania.
• Strumbow Squeezeblow, a New York State band, is contra dance mayhem - infused with the blues.
• Based in Maryland, Sugar Beat is a folk fusion band blending Scottish, Irish, Quebecois, Klezmer, and American music with contemporary improvisation.
• Tamarack brings the joyous touch of traditional fiddle tunes to any event, from background music at wedding receptions or public events, to the upbeat drive for barn dances, hoedowns and community dances. They are based in the New York State Capitol region. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• Tempest is a fiddle, jazz, and folk music band based in New York State.
• Nancy Bakemeier on fiddle, Barbara Naple on bodhran, John Guay on hammered dulcimer and Vonnie Estes on piano compose the band Tenpenny Bit which uses mostly Scottish and Irish tunes for dances.
• Ellen Tepper plays the harp at dances and other events with a variety of musicians. She is based in eastern Pennsylvania.
• The Maryland based band Terpsichore is a contra duo (Elke Baker and Liz Donaldson), a trio with Ralph Gordon, or even larger with special guests from Maryland.
• Toppish plays traditional Irish music for Contra Dancing - many years of contra experience, precision players, tunes to suit the dances and plenty of positive energy and plays for the weekly contra in Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
• Toss the Possum is the band of the Zisette family of Virginia and plays at dances in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. Facebook page.
• Based in the Northern Catskills of New York State, Traverse is a trio playing traditional Celtic music for Contra dances, weddings, parties, events, and other gatherings. Liz Brown (flute), Carol Mandigo (guitar), and Bernd Neumann (fiddle).
• An innovative dance band from Western New York & Pennsylvania, TuneScape nudges the border between traditional music and modern groove, inspired by the tunes of Ireland, New England, Quebec, and Appalachia.
• The Two Bits String Band features two musicians, Vonnie Estes on keyboard and John Guay on hammered dulcimer who comprise parts of contra/community dance bands Set Americain and Gigue-a-Bit as well as other bands Tenpenny Bit and the Saratoga Pan Celtic Sessioneers in New York State.
• Unbowed is a fiddle-less contradance band from Pennsylvania, led by the mandolin of Henry Koretzky and supported by guitarist Jamie O'Brien and others. (e-mail only (take out the (at)))
• Uncle Henry's Favorites is an old time string band from Charlottesville, Virginia and was formed in 1985.
• Uncle Joe and the Rosebud Ramblers offers a mix of lively up tempo New England fiddle tunes, energetic old time tunes from before the Civil War and family oriented traditional folk songs that have stood the test of time. The band is from Ithaca, New York.
• Josee Vachon plays in the band Chanterelle, solos, and with other musicians. She is based in Pennsylvania.
• The Walker Family Band, in various incarnations, has played for traditional dances all over New York (their base) and New England for almost 25 years. With the children adding a variety of musical instruments, they play a mixture of music from the dance traditions of England, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, Quebec, Cape Breton, New England, and Appalachia.
• The Whitetop Mountain Band is a family-based band from the highest mountains of Virginia. The members have done much to preserve the Whitetop region's style of old time fiddling and banjo picking and are legendary musicians and teachers of the style.
• The Rochester, New York based WildRoot String Band plays Southern style Old-Time music from the Appalachian regions of North Carolina, the Virginias and Tennessee.
• George Wilson's dynamic fiddling, strongly influenced by Cape Breton and French Canadian styles, has been popular with contra dancers and concert-goers since the late 1970s. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• John Wobus plays piano for contradances and English Country dances with Contranella, Fancy That, Crooked Sixpence, and with other Central New York fiddlers and contradance musicians.
• Gary Wright and Leah Weiss play guitar and fiddle with other musicians at contra and square dances in Maryland.
• For more than twenty years, the Zillionaires have played string swing jazz standards, fiddle tunes, klezmer dance music, and songs new and old at events in and around Albany, New York.

Callers

• Chuck Abell began calling in earnest in 2011 and has since become a regular on the regional dance scene as well as toured in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, California, and New England. He is based in Rochester, NY.
• Melanie Axel-Lute calls from South Orange, New Jersey.
• Tom Amesse is a caller from New York City.
• Ruthanne E. Ankney calls a variety of dances including contras, Squares, English and International. She specializes in family and community dances and creates special holiday and seasonal themed dances. She also teaches seasonal ritual dance. She is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Hilton Baxter began contradancing around 1992 and began calling dances in 1998 and have written a few of his own. He calls in and around Binghamton, New York.
• Peter Blue calls, plays, and handles sound duties at dances in New York State and other environs. (e-mail only)
• April Blum has called in various venues in the Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia). (e-mail only)
• Laura Brown is a caller of squares and contras who lives in the downtown of the District of Columbia. (e-mail only)
• Ron Buchanan is a caller from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but calls and runs workshops in a variety of other locales. (e-mail only)
• Wendy Burwell is a caller in the Rochester, New York area. (e-mail only)
• Cynthia Butcher is a caller from the Albany, New York area. (e-mail only)
• Besides formulating his heavy duty contra dance data base, Ted Crane calls in Ithaca, New York and other places.
• Sargon de Jesus is contra dance caller based in Arlington, Virginia (near Washington, DC). Site has problems (August 12, 2018)
• Sue Dupré is a caller from New Jersey. Change of URL (August 12, 2018)
• Ann Fallon calls in and around the Maryland and also teaches waltz. (e-mail only) Change in e-mail (August 20, 2018)
• Don Flaherty, from New Jersey, calls and in Pennsylvania. (e-mail only)
• Kim Forry calls circles, squares and contras in the Maryland area. (e-mail only (change the at))
• Greg Frock lives in Maryland and calls there and over the border in places such as State College, Pennsylvania. (e-mail only for direct contact)
• While located in Pennsylvania, Steve Gester calls there and a number of other places. (e-mail only)
• Pam Goddard is a caller from the Ithaca, New York area.
• Yonina Gordon is from the New York City area and calls English Country and contra dances in and around the greater metro area. (e-mail only)
• From New York, Gail Griffith has been calling for 20 years, specializing in bringing traditional music and dance to beginners. She calls English and Welsh barn dances, and contradances.
• Chart Guthrie is a caller out on Long Island, New York associated with LITMA. (e-mail only)
• Brian Hamshar has been calling up and down the East Coast from Maine to Florida and to the north Mid-West. Brian is also known as DJ B-Ham, and has called and DJ'ed for many dance communities and weekends. (e-mail only)
• Katy Heine is from Ithaca, New York and has been calling since 1989 in the region including Rochester, Binghamton, Syracuse, Cooperstown, and north-central PA.
• Scott Higgs is a caller from the Philadelphia area.
• Tom Hinds has been calling squares and contras since 1984 and is based in Charlottesville, Virginia. (e-mail only)
• Eric Hollman lives just outside of New Paltz in Highland, New York and is a frequent caller in the Mid-Hudson Valley. (e-mail only)
• Donna Hunt lives in Pennsylvania and calls at a number of dances in the area.
• Old Man Kelly calls dances and plays music in Virginia and other locales.
• Ridge Kennedy is a caller based in New Jersey. (e-mail only)
• Jim Kitch, of Pennsylvania, spends much of his spare time volunteering with the Heritage Dance Association in Philadelphia. (e-mail only)
• Caller and musician John Krumm has been performing for almost four decades for contras, squares, swing dancing and English dancing with knowledge from the U.S., Quebec and the British Isles. He is based in Pennsylvania.
• Denise Lair is a caller from Charlottesville, Virginia. (e-mail only)
• Margaret Mathews is a caller and musician from the Rochester, NY area. (e-mail only)
• Maia McCormick is contradance caller and choreographer based in New York City. She has been calling in and around the Northeast since 2012.
• Mike Miller is from Syracuse, New York, but also calls out in the Great Lakes region. (e-mail only)
• Janet Mills calls on a frequent basis at the Princeton, New Jersey dance.
• Rick Mohr is a contra dance caller and fiddler living in the Philadelphia area.
• Eva Murray is a traditional dance caller in metropolitan Washington, D.C. Change of URL (August 12, 2018)
• Bob Nicholson calls from the Syracuse, New York area.
• DeLaura Padovan is based in Virginia and has calls at many of the dances in the area including the Friday Glen Echo, Maryland dance.
• Joseph J. Pimentel, Jr. calls at dances all across the country and is based in Washington, D.C.
• Paul Rosen has been calling dances in Virginia and surrounding states since 1990.
• Paul Rosenberg calls a variety of dances (contras, squares, international) at a variety of venues ranging from Falcon Ridge to family dances. Change of URL (August 12, 2018)
• Joyce Rossbach is a caller based in the Syracuse, New York area.
• Richard Sauvain is a caller in the Rochester, New York area. (e-mail only)
• David Smukler calls from the Syracuse, New York area.
• Nancy Spero is a caller from the Ithaca, New York area. (e-mail only)
• Peter Stix calls in the Albany, New York area and other venues. (e-mail only)
• Bryan Suchenski calls squares and contras in Philadelphia and other locations in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Susan Taylor is a caller from the southern Maryland area who considers herself the hostess of a dance, wherever she may be.
• Sarah VanNorstrand regularly calls at her home dance in Syracuse dance, as well as in Rochester, Oswego, Owego, Buffalo, Cooperstown, Albany and Ithaca along with dances in New England and other venues. Slight change in URL (August 12, 2018)
• Bill Wellington of radio WOOF is a storyteller, folk musician, songwriter, and dance caller who has entertained audiences throughout America for over twenty five years. He lives in Staunton, Virginia.
• Mark Widmer is a caller based in central New Jersey.

Organizations

• The Baltimore Folk Music Society is a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to preserving and promoting folk music, dance, and tradition. BFMS sponsors regular dances, concerts, family events, and related activities year-round.
• The Folk Project is a not-for-profit folk music and dance organization which sponsors or organizes a wide variety of folk-music related activities in the Northern New Jersey area.
• The Folk Dance Council is located in Philadelphia.
• The Folklore Society of Greater Washington's main purpose is to further the understanding, investigation, appreciation, and performance of the traditional folk music and folklore of the the American people.
• The Long Island Traditional Music Association supports traditional music and dance in this part of the state. S. Guthrie manages the site.
• Old Songs, Inc. is a not-for-profit, educational, tax-exempt organization dedicated to preserving traditional music and dance.
• Southern Maryland Traditional Music and Dance hosts a variety of dance and music events including contra dances in St. Mary's and Calvert Counties.
• The DanceFlurry Organization sponsors a variety of dances and events in the Capital Region of upstate New York. See their online Dance Calendar for more information about traditional dance events in the Capital Region.

This page is part of the Contrdancelinks.com web site. For more information about contra dancing, visit these other site pages:

*The Colorado link will bring you to Dancing on the Web. The Maine link will bring you to the Downeast Friends of the Folk Arts. The New Mexico link will bring you to the New Mexico Folk Music and Dance Society. The Utah link will bring you to Utah Contradance Information. These fine organizations and individuals already have complete listings for these states and there is no reason for me to duplicate their efforts.

**As far as I know, there are no regular dances or events in Mississippi, South Dakota or Wyoming, but I have created pages if something changes in the future.

http://www.contradancelinks.com/midatlantic.html
Produced by Charlie Seelig
Last updated December 1, 2019