Fiddlehead Frolic

When: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Where: Ithaca High School
Ithaca, NY
How Much: $30

Hands Four Dancers of Ithaca (HFDI) presents the First Annual Fiddlehead Frolic, a noon-to-midnight extravaganza of contras, squares, swing, waltzes, Scandinavian, and Cajun dances on Saturday, May 19, Ithaca High School, Ithaca, New York. The event will feature outstanding New England performers: Nightingale (Jeremiah McLane on piano and accordion; Keith Murphy on guitar, mandolin, foot percussion, and vocals; and Becky Tracy on soulful fiddle) and renowned caller Nils Fredland. This team of band and caller is unrivaled at pacing. They'll do challenging contras 4 to 5:50 pm and the big contra dance 9 to midnight, plus workshops.

Superb local musicians, callers, and instructors will also be in full bloom day and night. The Contradictions (Laurie Hart on fiddle, Rick Manning on fiddle and mandolin, Tom Hodgson on guitar, Dave Davies on bass and vocals, and Vikki Armstrong on mandolin), with callers Pamela Goddard, Vikki Armstrong, Nancy Spero, and Katy Heine, will induce contra mania. Kitchen Chair (Gail Blake on guitar and Jennifer Dotson on fiddle), with Laurie Hart, will sweep couples into waltzes, tangos, polkas, hambos, schottisches, and more. There will be workshops throughout the day for callers and instrumentalists, cross-step waltzing, and Cajun. This special celebration is made possible, in part, with grant support from the Community Arts Partnership.

Beginners are welcome (all dances are taught and the steps are simple; a workshop at 6:30 pm is designed for newcomers). There is no need to bring a partner, but please bring clean, soft-soled shoes to protect the floors. Ithaca College graduation is the same weekend, so restaurants and accommodations will be heavily booked. The annual Ithaca Plant Sale (not to be missed) is also May 19 at Ithaca High School, 9 am to 1 pm; parking may be crowded during the one-hour overlap, but ample afterward.

For more information, call 607.539.3174. For the full schedule and pdfs of the pre-registration form, go to hands4dancers.org.
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