Regional | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Minnesota | Michigan
Ohio | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Bands and Musicians | Callers | Organizations

This page is devoted to listing contra dances in the Great Lakes 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

• Eric Conrad has a list of regional dances links for contradance information.
• Bryan Walls providesa a page featuring Contra Dancing in the Mid-South including Kentucky.

Illinois

• The Friends of Traditional Music and Dance in Carbondale hold dances on 4th Saturday of the month from April to October with a page maintained by Martha Edwards.
• The Chicago Barn Dance Company holds and helps sponsor a variety of dances in and around Chicago. They also include listings for area dances.
• The University of Chicago Folklore Society sponsors a Folk Festival in early February each year which includes a small amount of contra dancing. They also host contra dances on various Saturdays of the month.
• Mark Gaines provides a Chicago Traditional American Folk Dance web site which includes information about a variety of dances including contras.
• The calendar of the Folk Dance Council of Chicago covers all types of folk dancing including contras. Jim Rust provides the data.
• The Plank Road Folk Music Society holds periodic dance parties in Downers Grove along with the other events which they sponsor. Slight change in URL (February 15, 2008)
• The Elsah Community Folk Dance is held on the 3rd Saturday of most months at Farley's Music Hall with a variety of callers and musicians.
• In Geneva, the Fox Valley Folklore Society sponsors the Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival in late August and/or early September which includes a barn dance.
• Diane Ippel supplies information about the old-time dances in Morris which are held, generally, on the 4th Tuesday of the month. Change in date (February 15, 2008)
• The Illowa Community Folk Dance Series occurs in Rock Island, generally but not always on the 1st Friday of the month from September to June. Everything from contras to British Historical Dances from 1651-1830 to a Welsh/Cornish Barn Dance is part of the schedule.
• The Urbana Country Dancers host dances on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month. In addition, they hold an annual Jan Jam in early-mid January and an Illinois All Night Dance in early October. The site is maintained by Jonathan Sivier.
• Lynn Garren maintains the web page for the folks at the Fermilab Folk Club in Warrenville, outside Chicago, who hold dances on second (September to June) and third Sundays (November to April).

Indiana

• One of the activities at the Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering in Battle Ground, held in late June, is a contra dance.
• The Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group dances each Wednesday and also on the 5th Saturdays of the months that have them. In addition to their regular dance schedule, they sponsor Sugar Hill in Bloomington, a dance weekend in mid-late August and they hold an annual informal dance weekend in April in Bloomington called Swing into Spring. Updated location of Swing Into Spring (February 15, 2008)
• The Goshen Community Contra Dancing happens on the 1st Saturday of the month.
• The Indianapolis Traditional Music and Dance Group holds dances on Tuesdays with an occasional dance on Saturday. In addition, they hold the Gypsy Moon Ball in late October. Doug Becker provides the information.
• Also in Indianapolis is the Celebration Dance Weekend held in July and hosted by the Indianapolis Contra Dance Community. (on hiatus)
• Contra dances are generally held on the 2nd Friday of the month during the school year, at the Common Grounds Coffeehouse, which is located at West Richmond Friends Meeting, 609 West Main Street, Richmond . Check the calendar for details. Added URL (February 15, 2008)
• The Valparaiso Oldtime Dance Society holds contra dances on the 3rd Saturday of each month in northwest Indiana.
• The Vincennes Colonial and Contra Dancers meet on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays (sometimes other Saturdays) of most months.

Kentucky

• The Contraire Dance Association dances in Berea every fourth Saturday and most 3rd Fridays with open-mic calling and a pick-up band.
• Berea College sponsors an annual Christmas Country Dance School in late December in Berea featuring classes in instruction for a number of styles of dance.
• The Thorn Hill Country Dancers meet first and third Fridays monthly, September through May in Frankfort.
• Based on their schedule, the Lexington Traditional Dance Association generally holds contras on the first Saturday and second and third or fourth Fridays, each month. In early June they hold a "Dance Trance" weekend. Cary Ravitz provides the information.
• In late January, Lexington and Berea host the Swing Shift contra/swing weekend.
• Dwayne Johnson at provides information about the dances sponsored by the Louisville Country Dancers, which are held on Monday nights and third Saturdays. They also host the Potato Run weekend in May.
• The Lloyd Shaw Foundation hosts Cumberland Camp in Nancy near Lake Cumberland in late July which includes contras and a wide variety of other dances. Marnen Laibow-Koser maintains the LSF web site.

Michigan

• The Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance provides listings for a number of Michigan dances including contras.
• The Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance holds contra dances on 1st Saturdays and 4th Saturdays along with a wide range of other activities including the Ann Arbor Dawn Dance Weekend in late February.
• The Oakland County Traditional Dance Society hosts dances in Clawson on the 4th Saturday of most months and dances on the 1st Sunday of October and November.
• The Michigan Dance Heritage Spring Weekend (Trillium Twirl) is held near Dowling in mid-April. Bob Stein provides the information.
• The Grand River Folk Arts Society hosts contra dances on the 4th Friday of the month.
• The Allegan Woods Folk Arts Cooperative hosts dances in Holland on the 3rd Friday of each month at the Park Township Community Hall.
• Country Dancing in Kalamazoo sponsors great American and English traditional dancing to live music. Contra and square dances are held on various Saturdays throughout the year, "Dance Just for Fun" on 1st Sundays, and occasional events on other days of the week. Robert Messer handles the web duties. Added mention of Dance Just for Fun (February 17, 2008)
• Ten Pound Fiddle provides a variety of activities, including contra dances in the Lansing area on first Saturdays. The pages are sponsored by the Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse in East Lansing, Michigan, and are maintained by Warren Armstrong.
• Also in the Lansing area is the Looking Glass Music And Arts Association which among its activities sponsors monthly contra and square dances on the 3rd Saturday of the month and hosts the Looking Glass Festival in mid-October. The combined efforts of Bonnie Wheeler, Hanno Meingast, and Julie Levy-Weston make the page possible.
• The Michigan Dance Heritage Fall Dance Weekend in mid-late September at Camp Cavell, on the shore of Lake Huron, near Lexington. The Weekend includes contras, squares, English country, couple dances, jamming, singing, baking and time to relax with friends!
• The Folklore Society of Midland sponsors a dance including contras, squares, and circle dances on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month from October to mid-May. In addition, they sponsor the Midland Dulcimer Festival in late August. John and Sharon Skaryd maintain the page.
• The Blissfest Country Dance series is held at the Rustic Ballroom between Petoskey and Walloon Lake on the 1st Saturday of the month.
• The Wheatland Music Organization sponsor contra dances, among their other activities, on the 3rd or 4th Saturday of the month, in Remus. In addition, they sponsor the Wheatland Festival in early September and a Traditional Arts Festival in late May.
• The Paint Creek Folklore Society gets together to share folk and traditional music during monthly meetings that include a workshop, a song swap and jam sessions in and around Rochester Hills. They hold an occasional contra dance.
• The mission of the Bayside Travellers Country Dance Society is to promote traditional music and dance. Contra and Square dances are held in various locations, on 2nd Saturdays, in and around Traverse City. Don Basch maintains the site.

Minnesota

• The Tamarack Dance Association holds Community Contra and Barn Dances on the 3rd Saturday of the month in Duluth.
• The Home on the Range (Iron Range) Dance Association sponsors dances and special events in Ely and other communities in northeastern Minnesota such as circle dances, New England contra dances, Irish dances, waltzes, polkas, schottisches, and two steps.
• Check the Fergus Falls Culture Pulse site for information about various barn dances there.
• The Lanesboro barn dance is held periodically throughout the year.
• The Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis hosts New England-style Contra on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Saturdays of each month. Challenge Contras are featured on the first Thursday of each month.
• According to the Tapestry Folk Dance Center, there are dances on 1st Saturdays in St. Paul.
• Brian Haskell also mentions the 1st Saturday dances along with a variety of folk music and dance events in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Change in URL (February 17, 2008)

Ohio

• Harold Cheyney provides information about the dance in Athens which occur generally, but not always, on the 2nd Saturday of the month. In addition, the Ohio University Traditional Dance Club meets on Tuesdays. Added mention of Dance Club (February 17, 2008)
• Headquartered in Broadview Heights, the Northeast Ohio Folk & Traditional Music & Dance Society covers events and listings for the area.
• John Brockman supplies information about the Cincinnati ContraDancers which sponsor contra dances every Monday night and the 2nd (generally) Saturday of the month. In addition, they sponsor an annual Pigtown Fling in March in Covington, Kentucky.
• Bob McKimm covers the contra dance scene around Cleveland including schedules, news, special events, and web links.
• Paul Koret posts a Cleveland & North East Ohio Community Dance Schedule which has information by the month. Last information posted was for April 2007 (February 17, 2008)
• Harold Cheyney provides information about the Big Scioty dances in Columbus. They are mostly on the first and third Saturdays, except for the occasional Friday. In addition, they have:
  • a Summer Pot Luck and Dance in early-mid July;
  • a May Apple Stomp at Lake Logan in the middle of the month (which is also sponsored by the Southeastern Ohio Traditional Dance Society);
  • a Winter WarmUp Weekend in December;
  • and the John Shaw Country Dance Weekend in Columbus in late October which includes a mix of contra and English.

   

• Also in Columbus is the All Soles contra dance series on a Friday of each month, September through May. All Soles switches to 4th Saturdays for a summer dance series in June, July and August.
• And the Partyline Extension Contra Dance is held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, from September to May at the Brookwood Presbyterian Church, 2685 Livingston Avenue, from 7:30-10 PM in Columbus. For more information, call 614-861-2088 or e-mail.
• Dancers from the Cleveland/Akron area are sponsor a River Rendezvous Dance Weekend in mid-July in Coshocton. Carol Kuegeler provides the information.
• CityFolk, has information about contra dances in Dayton on the 1st Friday of non-summer months. They also host the CityFolk Festival in July.
• The Dandelion Romp in Oberlin is held in late April.
• And the Oberlin Contra Dance Club holds dances during the school year.
• The Northwest Ohio Traditional Music and Dance (NOTMAD) in Toledo holds contra dances on 2nd Saturdays (usually). Cathy Whitaker maintains the site.
• Balance and Swing in Wooster holds dances on the 1st Saturday of the month from October to April and has information about other dances in the area. Susan English hosts the site.

West Virginia

• Whitewater Whirl, a weekend with a combination of dance and outdoor events, occurs each year in early May near Beckley. New entry (February 17, 2008)
• The Kanawha Valley Friends of Old Time Music and Dance host the annual Fall Festival in late-mid September in Beckwith. Steve Ballman handles the page design.
• The Vandalia Gathering occurs in Charleston in late May each year and includes a little bit of contradancing.
• Also in Charleston is a series of dances on the 3rd Friday of the month sponsored by the Kanawha Valley Friends of Old Time Music and Dance. Steve Ballman handles the page design.
• The Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins sponsors a variety of classes and workshops each year.
• In Elkins they dance on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of the month (depending on the month). Steve Ballman handles the page design and the Kanawha Valley Friends of Old Time Music and Dance host the web page.
• The Almost Heaven Committee sponsors the Almost Heaven Dance Weekend in late May and the FootFall Dance Weekend in September each year at the Timber Ridge Camp in High View. Jim Hoyt maintains the site.
• The Morgantown Friends of Old-Time Music hosts a mix of old time squares, contras, circle dances and waltzes on a variety Saturdays. Mary Swim supports the site. There is an alternate site.
• The Contradancers Delight Holiday takes places in late December each year in Morgantown.
• The Lloyd Shaw Foundation sponsors Terpsichore's Holiday in late December and early January in Roanoke. Change in URL (January 29, 2008)
• Elaine Keagle provides information on behalf of Shepherdstown Music and Dance, which sponsors the dances on the 1st Saturday of each month with some dances on 5th Saturdays.

Wisconsin

• The Prairie Hill Contra Dance sponsors dances on the 1st Saturday of the month in Delafield.
• The Folklore Center in Dodgeville hosts dances on the 1st Saturday of the month.
• Clint Sprott presents information about the Squirrel Moon Dance Weekend held in Dodgeville in mid-September.
• The University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee holds periodic Stringalong Gatherings at the Edwards Conference Center in East Troy.
• Clint Sprott provides information about contra dances in Madison on Tuesday nights plus a variety of dances during the weekends.
• The Last Gaspé including John Kraniak, Paul Biere, Kevin Clark, Amy McFarland, and Maria Terres, play on 2nd Saturdays in Madison.
• Mark Gaines provides information about the Milwaukee Folk Dance Community which includes contra dances, usually on 3rd Friday nights.
• The River Falls Community Arts Base in River Falls is a co-sponsor of a series of barn dances on the 2nd Saturday of each month.
• The Door County Folk Festival in Sister Bay is held in early-mid July and features contradancing among its wide range of dance and music activities.
• The Good Apple in Stockholm sponsors a series of barn dances on the 1st Saturday of each month during the summer.
• The Sugar on the Floor Barn Dance Society sponsors dances in Sturgeon Bay on a variety of dates along with holding other music and song events.
• Waterford will host the 49th (2008) Wisconsin Square & Round Dance Convention in mid-August. While mostly squares and rounds, there will be some contras among the activities.

Bands & Musicians

• The Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance has information about a number of bands and musicians in Michigan.
• The 3rdSunday String Band is a group of dynamic Chicago musicians dedicated to the preservation and performance of Traditional American Music.
• Aisling is a Columbus, Ohio Irish traditional music band playing all of the dance music of Ireland: jigs, reels, polkas, hornpipes, slipjigs, marches, and set dances. MySpace page. Slight change in URL (February 17, 2008) Added MySpace page (February 17, 2008)
• Stefan John Amidon plays percussion and other instruments in bands including Magic Foot and Assembly. He lives in Ohio. New entry (January 10, 2008)
• The Appalachian Celtic Consort plays traditional Irish and Scottish music mostly, but also a little old-time and some original compositions with a mix of the local flavor and is based in Charleston, West Virginia.
• Aunt Lu & The Oakland County All-Stars come from White Lake, Michigan.
• The Band O'Goshen is of the Indiana Goshen. (e-mail only)
• The Doctor of Stuntology, Sam Bartlett who plays with a number of contra musicians and other types, has a site featuring his works. He is based in Indiana.
• Mandolin player Michael Mayerfeld Bell is a former member of bands such as The Fiddleheads and the Barn Owl Band has composed tunes recorded by the latter, Fool's Gold and Wild Asparagus. He is based in Wisconsin.
• The Berea Castoffs, composed of Alice White, Al White, Atossa Kramer, David Witherspoon and occasionally Elise Melrood play on most 4th Saturdays each month at the Berea, Kentucky dance.
• Black River Ironworks plays at dances in Ohio and neighboring areas. (e-mail only) New entry (April 19, 2008)
• While Michigan's Blue Water Ramblers mostly sing extraordinary folk music, they occasionally do play at a contra dance.
• Born Old is Doug Van Gundy and Paul Gartner. They have been playing together since 1997, and have learned or stolen from the best traditional musicians in the state of West Virginia. They play traditional old-time music from West Virginia with occasional forays into early country music from the 78 rpm era. New entry (February 17, 2008)
• Bob Bovee and Gail Heil play everything from square dance tunes to authentic cowboy songs to yodels & tin pan alley favorites and are based in Minnesota.
• The Boys of the Hock' play instrumental interpretations of Irish traditional music weaving together lively jigs and reels, stately hornpipes, and haunting airs to bring the sounds of Ireland to the hills of Appalachia and to their home base in Ohio. New entry (November 7, 2007)
• Brittany Bay is an acoustic quartet from Cincinnati, Ohio which draws upon music from New England, the British Isles, and French Canada and takes a new approach to the traditional folk dance music.
• The Brook String Farm Band plays on a regular basis at the dances in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
• Members of the Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin based Bubble and Squeak play for dances there along with weddings, private parties and receptions.
• Buzzstep is a Kentucky-based contra dance band including Cary Ravitz on fiddle, Richard King on piano, and Steve Bennett on drums. New entry (April 20, 2008)
• Celtic Mist, featuring Steve Hedges, Mark Moschell and Will Watt played at the Indianapolis, Indiana dance on February 19, 2008.
• The Celery City Sodbusters are based in Kalamazoo, Michigan and play at dances in the area. (e-mail only)
• Ceol Cridhe are three musicians based in Frankfort, Kentucky, begins a concert. Jack Twombly, Bob Cox, and Bryn Bowen Cox share a love and passion for the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, as well as the lesser-known Celtic cultures of Brittany and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
• Changeling is the Celtic music duo of guitarist/singer Karl Clark Colón and fiddler Deborah Clark Colón.
• The Circle of Friends Dance Band is the resident band for the Home on the Range Community Dance Association and has performed widely throughout northern Minnesota since 1996. Circle of Friends plays traditional American and Irish music for contra dances, house dances, weddings, concerts, and other special occasions.
• The Clearfork Valley String Band is an Ohio based band with members spanning three generations. The band performs traditional fiddle-based music with a purity that transcends trends and gimmicks. New entry (February 17, 2008)
• The Ohio band, Colerain Connection plays American traditional dance tunes as well as music from the Anglo & Celtic heritages and a variety of International dance tunes for different types of events.
• The Common Taters have a bunch of fun playing and singing traditional old-time stringband music for dances, festivals, weddings, and other events in the Chicago area.
• Hailing from West Virginia, the Contrarians are comfortable in a variety of styles and traditions: Celtic, New England, swing, and of course, old-time (Appalachian). They also write original material. With rhythmic variety, occasional glimpses of ethnic music, and unique improvisations, dancers let loose and never lose interest in the music. MySpace page. Added MySpace page (November 11, 2007)
• Contratopia, featuring John Goodin on the mandolin, Eric Sessions on the fiddle, Patrice Pakiz on keyboard, oboe, and percussion, and Pat O'Loughlin on concertina and banjo, is based in Minnesota.
• The Corndrinkers include Tom Duffee (banjo), Barbara Kuhns (fiddle), Linda Scutt (fiddle), Doug Smith (guitar), and Al Turnbull (bass), are based in the Springfield-Troy area of southwestern Ohio and have played for more than 25 years. You should be able to contact them by e-mail.
• The Cosmic Otters are the Chicago based duo of Jonathan Whitall on fiddle and Meg Dedolph on guitar playing Celtic music for contra dancing.MySpace page. Added MySpace page (May 3, 2008)
• Dark of the Moon, a women's band based in Madison, Wisconsin, plays traditional music from the the British Isles, America, Scandinavia, and other countries for dancing and listening. They specialize in music for contradancing, such as jigs and reels, and also play waltzes, polkas, schottisches, folk songs, and other traditional music. Mary Mullen and Bonnie Gruber provide the information.
• Bob & Lynn Dixon hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota and play as a duo and in bands such as Danebodium. New entry (November 11, 2007)
• Duck for the Oyster specializes in traditional music for dancing, from 18th and 19th century America as well as a variety of dances from around the world and play a regular dance series in northwestern Wisconsin featuring squares, contras, reels, quadrilles, international, circle and round dances.
• Rachel Eddy plays fiddle, clawhammer banjo and mandolin with fellow old-time and Irish music musicians and is a member of the Morgantown Rounders in West Virginia. New entry (November 15, 2007)
• Erwynne's Mash is the Erwin family ceilidh band from Oberlin, Ohio. (e-mail only)
• The Ethnic Connection performs Jewish Klezmer music, as well as Balkan Folk Dance music and is based in Michigan.
• The Fall Creek Delta Boys continue to play on a periodic basis at the Indianapolis, Indiana dance.
• The Fiddle Fire aka Panning Family Band specializes in traditional, foot stomping fiddle music, as well as gospel bluegrass for events ranging from dances to corporate parties and is based in Michigan.
• Five-Oh! is based in Indianapolis, Indiana and plays at dances in the area. (e-mail only)
• Flying Fingers is a student run musical ensemble at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, performing traditional folk music from the Scottish-Irish tradition and its descendants in America (old-time, contradance, bluegrass, etc.), with occasional forays into other forms of traditional folk music.
• Four Mile Portage is Brandy Forsman, Tom Maloney and friends and plays at dances in Duluth, Minnesota area. New entry (February 17, 2008)
• The Full Moon Country Dance Orchestra continues to play at the at dances in Indiana and thereabouts. You can contact Astrid Otey about the band (e-mail only).
• Dan Gellert is based in Dayton, Ohio, sings and plays banjo, guitar, and fiddle at various events including contra dances. MySpace page. New entry (November 11, 2007)
• The Golden Griffon Stringtet is an acoustic, instrumental, square dance & contra dance band from southeast Michigan whose repertoire includes traditional music such as jigs, reels, waltzes and airs from Irish, French-Canadian, New England and Southern/Old Time sources, as well as contemporary dance tunes written in the traditional style and a few contemporary pop melodies that they have corrupted into contra dance tunes.
• Based in Minnesota, Greenwood Tree plays lively and lyrical renditions of traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, England, Canada, and Appalachia. Stu Janis maintains the information.
• Guys Can Talk include Dan Newton on accordion, Eric Mohring on fiddle, and Larry Siegel on piano and are based in Minnesota and New Hampshire. (e-mail only)
• Hawks & Owls is an old-time string band based in Michigan.
• From Michigan, Heartsease (e-mail only) (aka David West & Donna Baird, Chicken Shuckers, etc.).
• The Hoosier Recruits are based in Valparaiso, Indiana. (e-mail only)
• While the Hot Club of Derbytown is best known for recreating the hot sounds of vintage jazz produced in Paris in the 1930s and 40s produced by the Quintet of the Hot Club Of France, it also plays at a contra dance on occasion. New entry (February 17, 2008)
• Ohio's Hotpoint String Band has the recipe for a wall of rhythm, and it is one of the most in-demand contradance bands in the country. MySpace page. Added MySpace page (November 13, 2007)
• Adam Hurt plays elegantly innovative clawhammer banjo on old-time music tunes in Minnesota. MySpace page. Added MySpace page (November 11, 2007)
• The Java Junkies have played old-time music for dances in the Lansing, Michigan area since 1998 and include Doug Berch on banjo, Hanno Meingast on fiddle, Larry Johnson on guitar, and Steve Szilagyi on upright bass.
• Jim's Red Pants plays traditional and original folk music, including waltzes, jigs and reels for concerts and dances in Ohio.
• Lakefront Property is a band from the Lansing, Michigan area. (e-mail only)
• The Last Gaspé including John Kraniak, Paul Biere, Kevin Clark, Amy McFarland, and Maria Terres, play on 2nd Saturdays in Madison.
• Tom Norulak maintains a site about Magic Forest, based in Ohio, which performs an eclectic mix of traditional folk songs, modern material, clever originals and vocal gems mined from the parlour tradition of the 19th century.
• McInnis' Kitchen which plays music in the spirit of a down-home kitchen party, occasionally plays at a contra dance in the Duluth, Minnesota area. New entry (February 17, 2008)
• Minnesota's Mill City Serenaders repertoire encompasses not only square and contra dance music but also minstrel tunes and songs, fiddle rags, waltzes, polkas, schottisches, and the occasional parlor ballad.
• The Mink Run Consort are based in Frankfort, Kentucky. (e-mail only)
• The Morgantown Rounders are an Old-Time string band of eclectic proportions. They are traditionalists pushing the envelope of tradition, infusing high-energy square dance exhilaration into a mix of vintage songs in West Virginia. New entry (November 15, 2007)
• Judi Morningstar, a contra musician, hails from White Lake, Michigan.
• Mud In Yer Eye has played dances in the Cleveland area since 1978 and is the oldest continuously operating contra dance band in the Cleveland area. Added URL (February 17, 2008)
• New Bad Habits with Dave Landreth, Chirps Smith, Tim Foss, Andrew Gribble and Dot Kent, play old-time, the music that combines the traditions of immigrants bringing their music to America for more than two centuries; music intended to accompany ethnic as well as uniquely American dances. The members hail from Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. Change of URL (February 17, 2008)
• New Deal plays at the 1st Saturday dances in the Welshfield, Ohio area. Change of URL (February 17, 2008)
• From Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nutshell. (e-mail only) Change of e-mail (February 17, 2008)
• The repertoire of the Olde Michigan Ruffwater Stringband includes traditional jigs, reels and hornpipes of the British Isles, breakdowns from Southern Appalachia, and old polkas, waltzes and schottisches from 19th century Europe and America. They are based in Michigan.
• The Picks & Sticks Stringband are a gumbo mixture of acoustical folk, swing, traditional, light pop, western, country, jazz, bluegrass, oldies, and ethnic tunes that captivates audiences of all genres based in Michigan.
• Pig's Eye Landing is a Saint Paul, Minnesota based contra, square and swing dance band. They play an eclectic (and sometimes epiplectic) blend of Irish, old-timey, and the occasional rock and roll tune. Erik Peterson maintains the site.
• The Pit Bull String Band from Ohio plays, as they say, "Old Time Music with a bite".
• The Plum Creek String Band plays Appalachian Jamaican groove music: West Virginia meets West Jamaica and goes out dancing. They are based in Ohio. MySpace page. Added MySpace page (November 15, 2007)
• Named for the Raisin River, the Raisin Pickers are from Michigan and "...Their music flows effortlessly from swing to ballad, from hometown cookouts to outer space..."
• Rattletrap Stringband, from Athens County, Ohio, features Matthew McElroy (fiddle), Tim Peacock (banjo), Frank McDermott (guitar) and Thom Herbie (bass).
• The Reel World String Band is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky and features Bev Futrell, Karen Jones, Sue Massek, Elise Melrood, and Sharon Ruble.
• The Rhythm Rats is a Cincinnati based old time band. MySpace page. Added MySpace page (November 15, 2007)
• The Root Cellar String Band plays at dances in the Bowling Green, Ohio area. (e-mail only)
• Chicago, Illinois banjo player Steve Rosen writes about his trips, t-shirts, music, and bands on his page.
• The Ann Arbor, Michigan based Scalar Scalawags have been described as "a touch of classical meets traditional, Celtic, Eastern European, rock, and pub." They play at dances in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. New entry (April 19, 2008)
• The Scarlet Runner String Band, now featuring Mike Ross, Dave Langdon, Larry Johnson, and Brian Hefferen started playing in Lansing, Michigan more than twenty years ago and continue to play at dances in the area.
• The Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance provides information about the members of the Sharon Hollow String Band which is from Michigan. Change of URL (February 18, 2008)
• Soltré is an Irish musical trio from the Indiana (Middlebury)/Chicago area. With fiddle, flute, guitar, and vocals, they present a unique, innovative variety of traditional and contemporary Irish music.
• The Squeaky Reels is a contra dance band based in Lexington, Kentucky which includes Cary Ravitz on fiddle, Brett Mason on piano, Eve Podet on Mandolin, and Shannon Arnold on bass guitar.
• Patty Stevenson and Craig Siemsen play for an occasional contra dance in Wisconsin along with their other gigs.
• Stewed Mulligan blends the old backwoods sound of West Virginia with clever Country Rock to create music that could have been birthed in a basement by the illegitimate sons of The Band.
• Strings and Things plays in northeast Ohio. Change of URL (February 18, 2008)
• Suite Contraband plays primarily Irish and old-time contradance music, more in the New England style rather than the southern old-time style. They are noted for their interesting arrangements and pulse-pushing, dance-enhancing sound. They are based in West Virginia.
• Tanglemere, from Grand Forks, Michigan, is a group of players with a diverse background and a love for Celtic and traditional music. This group takes traditional songs and tunes, pairs them with modern energy, creating a toe tapping, frolicking good time. New entry (November 15, 2007)
• ThisBigStringBand is an old-time trio with banjo, guitars, and fiddle featuring David Algeo Smith, Steve Noel on 5-string banjo and Jim Marks on tenor and 6-string guitars and is based in Illinois.
• The Tickwood Stringband is an old-time string band based in Ottertail County, Minnesota which has been playing music for dances and concerts around the region for over four years. New entry (February 17, 2008)
• The Timbre Wolves, based in Columbus, Ohio, are a five-member acoustic band playing "old-time", celtic, a little bluegrass, and a spot of jazz.
• The Top Drawer String Band featuring Brian Bishop (fiddle), Laura Stein (piano), and Joel Mabusis (guitar, banjo, fiddle), is based in Michigan.
• From Ohio, the Turkeys in The Straw feature Barry Chern, Marian Funk, Jeanne Budde, Mike Allen, Bruce Dadisman, and Andrea Ardito. Harold Cheyney provides the information.
• The Tuscan String Band features Elizabeth Lamberti on fiddle, Jim Becker on fiddle, banjo and guitar and Jessica Ziegler on fiddle and banjo and plays at dances in Illinois.
• Twas Brillig and the Mazel-Toves has a plethora of instruments to paint a complex musical picture, the group is well versed in contra dance, international dance, and klezmer dance music. The band is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. New entry (February 17, 2008)
• Twechar, an Ohio-based duo is Christine Gorbach and Gary Lee Nelson who sing ballads and aires in the Celtic tradition and are also known for their "waltzing through breakfast" set for dancers who rise early at various dance weekends.
• Doug Van Gundy, from Elkins, West Virginia, plays old-time music on the fiddle for concerts and dances.
• The Volo Bogtrotters hail from the Chicago, Illinois area.

Callers

• Harold Cheyney provides information about the callers at the Big Scioty dances in Columbus.
• Bob McKimm has a page on callers in Ohio.
• The Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance has information about a number of callers in Michigan.
• Tom Allen calls contras and squares in the Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan area, along with Toledo, Ohio. (e-mail only)
• Kathy Anderson (e-mail only) is back in Ohio and is a regular caller there and elsewhere. You can obtain more information about her on the Big Scioty callers page and the Bay Area page.
• Tom Anderson calls at dances in Illinois. (e-mail only)
• Karen Andrews calls in the Goshen, Indiana area. (e-mail only)
• Peter Baker has called in Michigan and others states and in Denmark and Austria. He leads dances in schools, churches and other public gatherings.
• Steve Bennett is a caller from Lexington, Kentucky who has called since 1995 in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.
• Chris Bischoff is a caller from Taylorsville, Kentucky who also is a storyteller, banjo picker and lawn mower repairman.
• Mike Boerschig calls from Cincinnati, Ohio and lists the elements of five of his dances on this page.
• Erna-Lynne Bogue calls in Michigan. (e-mail only)
• Jim Brooks is a caller in the St. Paul, Minnesota area. (e-mail only)
• Mike Clark started calling in 1990 in Kalamazoo and has since then branched out to other dance series in southern Michigan and Indiana. Change of from e-mail to URL (February 17, 2008)
• Phil Coleman calls in the Indianapolis, Indiana area. (e-mail only)
• Paul Collins is a caller of traditional American square and contra dances and an instructor of ethnic folk dance in the Chicago, Illinois area.
• Eric Conrad calls at dances across Ohio.
• Caller Jan Coray is based in Holland, Michigan. New entry (April 26, 2008)
• Roger Diggle is a caller from Madison, Wisconsin who can call a dance and accompany himself by whistling. He also plays guitar. (e-mail only)
• Lou Dow called at the Indianapolis, Indiana dance on January 22, 2008.
• Bob Duffy called at the Indianapolis, Indiana dance on February 26, 2008.
• Barry Dupen is a contra dance composer and caller from Columbia City, Indiana (near Fort Wayne). (e-mail only)
• Karen Durham calls throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. She specializes in historic re-enactments and special event dances, with a focus on getting beginners up and having fun.
• Michigan caller Susan English fell in love with international folk dance in the 1960s and taught her first dance class on a rooftop in China in 1980. Discovering contras and competitive swing dance in Washington, DC, Susan has called monthly contra dances since 1990.
• David Ernst calls at dances in Indiana. (e-mail only)
• Mary Keith Cornett Eustis is from Lexington, Kentucky calls mainly in Ohio and Kentucky although she has called from Michigan to Maine.
• Mike Finucane calls from Elizabeth, Kentucky. (e-mail only)
• John Freeman is a Michigan caller who calls contra and square dances, family dances, school dances, and Civil War balls. He also leads caller workshops and music and dance workshops for teachers and students. (e-mail only)
• Margaret Glenn called at the dance in Lakewood, Ohio on January 5, 2008 and lives in the Cleveland, Ohio area.
• Steve Gold calls from the Detroit, Michigan area. (e-mail only)
• Judy Goldsmith is a caller from Kentucky along with being an avid bicyclist and Morris dancer.
• Keith Harding (e-mail only) calls from Lexington, Kentucky.
• Jerry Hickman is based in Midland, Michigan. (e-mail only)
• Becky Hill, is based in Ohio and is the author Twirling Dervish books and is well known for calling frequently at workshops and dance camps, and is an experienced caller of intergenerational dances and programs for special needs populations. Change of URL (February 18, 2008)
• Along with calling, Pat Hoekje is one of the organizers for the Bayside Travellers Country Dance Society in Michigan. (e-mail only) New entry (April 26, 2008)
• Bob Howell calls in the Ohio area. He is also one of the co-authors of Dancing for Busy People. (e-mail only for Bob, the book has a website)
• Sue Hulsether calls contras, squares, family dances, and school events Minnesota and Wisconsin along with being an Artist in Residence for schools with traditional American dance and music. Change from e-mail to URL (February 17, 2008)
• Carol Jacobs has been calling in the Ann Arbor area since 2002, and has been an avid contra dancer since 1980. She also calls Family dances and English country dances. (e-mail only)
• Frank Jenkins is a caller from Berea, Kentucky. (e-mail only)
• Besides his nifty contra pages including a clickable map, Dwayne Johnson is a caller in Kentucky and has called for more than 20 years.
• Dot Kent of Grayslake, Illinois, called at the Urbandale, Iowa dance on September 1, 2007 and calls at other dances in the region.
• Richard King calls from Lexington, Kentucky (e-mail only).
• David Kirchner is a caller who lives near St. Paul, Minnesota and has been calling contra dances and square dances since about 1992.
• Cassie Knight, from Madison, Wisconsin, is known for calling contras and Scandinavian dances. (e-mail only)
• Van Knowles is a caller from Lexington, Kentucky (e-mail only).
• Carol Kopp calls at a number of the North East Ohio Community dances and is into he third decade of calling dances.
• Over the past 15 years John Legge has enthusiastically embraced several dance styles, including contra, English country, international, Scandinavian, modern Western squares, two-step, and country-western line dance in and around Grand Rapids, Michigan. (e-mail only) New entry (April 26, 2008)
• Julie Levy-Weston lives in Lansing, Michigan, started contra dancing in 1992, and started calling in 1997. She favors dances that flow and tries to teach carefully and concisely.
• Tamara Lowenthal called at the Bloomington, Indiana dance on February 13, 2008.
• Drake Meadow is a caller and dance organizer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (e-mail only) New entry (April 26, 2008)
• Greg Meisner is a cantra dance caller and Morris dancer from the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. (e-mail only) New entry (April 26, 2008)
• Henry Morgenstein calls, writes essays about contra dancing, and organizes contra dance trips and camps in the United States and England. In the United States, he is based in Michigan.
• Michigan caller Glen Morningstar calls dances for beginning to advanced dancers in a range of settings from school artist-in-residence to Saturday Night Contra & Square Dances to wedding receptions to scout camps to traditional dance camps across the USA, Europe & Scandinavia. Change from e-mail to URL (February 18, 2008)
• Lindsay Morris (e-mail only) calls in the Lexington, Kentucky area.
• Susan Moffet is a caller in Kentucky. (e-mail only)
• Danika Murray began calling in the spring of 2001 and in these past few years she has traveled to call dances throughout Michigan (including Clawson, Ann Arbor, Traverse City), to Indiana, Illinois and even Barcelona, Spain. (e-mail only)
• Carol Ormand is a caller in Wisconsin, and has been calling dances since the spring of 1990, and has called at dances, weekends, and festivals all over the United States (and once in Denmark!). She includes some dance compositions on her page.
• Lisa Ornstein is a caller from Chicago. She organizes dances, hosts the Celebration Dance Weekend in Indianapolis and a dance jam series in Chicago. (e-mail only)
• Roween Panning calls in Michigan. (e-mail only)
• Steve Pike, from Madison, Wisconsin, called at the Delafield, Wisconsin dance on March 1, 2008.
• Joseph J. Pimentel, Jr. calls at dances in Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania and other venues.
• Edna Poore is a caller in Lansing, Michigan. (e-mail only)
• Bill Pope calls in Ohio and nearby states and shares with the beginning dancers his enthusiasm for contra, and programs dance evenings that balance more forgiving dances with some of the more challenging ones.
• Kate Power has been a contra dance caller in Columbus, Ohio since 2003 and is available for everything from dances to family reunions.
• Barbara Ramlow calls in the Lexington, Kentucky area. (e-mail only)
• Cary Ravitz is a caller from Lexington, Kentucky who along with writing the essays Notes on Calling Contra Dances and Notes on Choreography for Duple Minor Improper Contra Dances keeps an extensive links about contra dancing.
• Mark Richardson is a caller from Bloomington, Indiana. (e-mail only)
• Ruth Riegel-Lamborghini called at the Urbana, Illinois dance on July 11, 2008.
• Charles Roth calls in Michigan and has an unusual two-sided set of dance cards.
• Dave Seboit calls in Michigan and Indiana and is based in Ann Arbor. (e-mail only) New entry (April 19, 2008)
• Jonathan Sivier is a caller from the Urbana, Illinois area who has been involved in traditional dance since 1987 and have been leading dances since 1992.
• Marilee Standifer calls in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Along with a fair amount of web page work for dances in Michigan, Bob Stein also calls dances.
• From Carbondale, Illinois, Joe Surdyk calls in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri on a regular basis. (e-mail only)
• Kath Tallichet is based in Louisville, Kentucky and calls there and in Illinois. (e-mail only)
• John Teskey calls at the Indianapolis, Indiana dance on March 4, 2008.
• Don Theyken has been calling dances here in Ann Arbor since the early eighties and is now calling contra dances on the second Saturday of the month at the Webster Church Community Building near Dexter MI.
• Martha Tyner is based in Stanford, Illinois and called at the Urbana, Illinois dance on December 1, 2007.
• Darlene Underwood is a caller from Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Tom van Deusen calls at dance camps, community dances, weddings, private parties, and other events for adults or children in and around Michigan.
• Martha Vander Kolk is a dance caller from Ypsilanti, Michigan. (e-mail only) New entry (April 26, 2008)
• Sandy Vielmo calls from Michigan. (e-mail only)
• Alan Vlach has been dancing since 2000 and began calling in 2002 in Michigan. (e-mail only)
• Robin Warner calls in Michigan. (e-mail only)
• Paul Watkins, from Chicago, Illinois, calls in Chicago and the Fermilab Folk Club just outside of Chicago on a regular basis. (e-mail only for contact)
• Marlin Whitaker from Ann Arbor, Michigan calls at dances in the Great Lakes states. (e-mail only)
• While the list of his dances is gone, you can still e-mail Eric Zorn.

Organizations

• The Chicago Barn Dance Company is a not-for-profit association of people with a common interest in New England Contra dance, traditional square dance and American old-time music.
• The University of Chicago Folklore Society sponsors a Folk Festival in early February each year which includes a small amount of contra dancing.
• The Folk Dance Council of Chicago is an organization composed of folk dance enthusiasts who want to help support folk dance activities in and around Chicago and preserve and promote dance cultures and traditions from around the world.
• The Fox Valley Folklore Society sponsors more than 100 folklife events every year in Chicago's western suburbs, including concerts, sing arounds, old-time community barn dances, storytelling gatherings, open mikes, and Illinois' largest folk festival. Their listings include a large calendar of events.
• The Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia is dedicated to making traditional music, crafts, dancing and folklore available to visitors and residents alike.
• The Northwest Ohio Traditional Music and Dance (NOTMAD) does more than hold contra dances.
• The Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance (AACTMAD) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of folk music and dance. They sponsor "traditional" music and dance events in the greater Ann Arbor, Michigan area, including contra-dances, English Country dances, and small-scale folk music concerts.
• The Ten Pound Fiddle is proud to present concerts, dances and community events in the folk tradition in the Lansing, Michigan area. The pages are sponsored by the Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse in East Lansing, Michigan, and are maintained by Warren Armstrong.
• The Northeast Ohio Folk & Traditional Music & Dance Society has a site called Folknet which has information about folk and traditional music, dance and related arts throughout Northeast Ohio. Folknet is a not-for-profit educational organization that exists to nurture the development and expansion of a vibrant folk and traditional arts community of performers, organizations and advocates.
• The Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota provides opportunities to participate in the joys of dance and music from around the world. Brian Haskell created the template for the page and Lydia McAnerney supports it.
• The Folklore Society of Midland, Michigan is comprised of folk artists dedicated to promoting traditional music, dance, and folklore and hosts a variety of events throughout the year. John and Sharon Skaryd maintain the page.
• The Grand River Folk Arts Society provides the Grand Rapids area with the best in contemporary Folk Music & Dance.

http://www.contradancelinks.com/greatlakes.html
Produced by Charlie Seelig
Last updated on May 5, 2008