Recent News

Contra Dance Benefit and Silent Auction!

The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society welcomes Asheville band “Spring Chickens” and caller Fred Park to the next contra
On Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. This event will combine a contra dance and a silent auction in order to continue to raise funds for the new dance floor to be installed at the Visitors Center starting May 25th.

This special afternoon dance will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a workshop for beginners to be held at 1:00pm. Admission to the dance is $7, $5 for HJDS members and $4 for students. Since this is a benefit dance, attendees and patrons of the silent auction can make cash contribution of any size beyond regular admission in support of the drive to raise funds for the new dance floor. Event organizer, David Wiley, states that the fund raising goal is within reach. “We have over $11,000 in commitments with only $4,000 to go. Our organization is all volunteer and non-profit. We are providing this gift to the community and need everyone’s support”. If someone wishes to donate to the silent auction, please contact Wiley at 423-534-8879. Donations for the floor can be made to the Town of Jonesborough and thus are tax deductible.

The beginner’s workshop gives the experienced dancers and first timers
a chance to warm up together. The caller explains many of the calls
such as balance and swing, star left and star right, ladies chain across,
Do-si-do, courtesy turn, allemande and hey for four. Many of these
calls would be familiar to anyone who square danced. The contra
dance employs a longwise set and allows couples to progress up
and down the line to dance with all other couples.

The Spring Chickens known mostly for their hard driving rhythmic old time repertoire will crossover to add contra dance tunes for our dance. The Spring Chickens are lead by regional potters Rob and Beth Mangum from Weaverville, NC., on fiddle and guitar. The remaining members of their group are McLean Bissell on bass, Art Schuster on mandolin and special guest, Roy Andrade on banjo.

Fred Park was once the "bad boy" of the American Country Dance and Song Society for trying such shenanigans as mixing blues and gospel
Music with traditional melodies from Scotland and New England.
He later rose above the roar of the old guard to become a recognized teacher of the highest order.

Many callers and dance leaders have taken to heart his gentle
and patient humor when working with novice or advanced dancers.
His country dance choreography is lean and exquisite in the form of
circles, contras, squares, small set dances and waltzes. "If it’s not a
dance that I personally enjoy dancing I don't teach it!" Fred has been
on staff at most every dance festival in America and several in Canada, Scotland and France.

Fred's involvement in traditional dance predates the recent wave of
interest in contra dance while he is a noted organizer of traditional
arts events including festivals, community dances and teaching or
performing traditional arts in school programs, nursing homes and
prisons nation wide and abroad.

Event organizer, David Wiley, believes that our community building
efforts are paying off. “Our attendance is continually on the rise. We have a core group of regulars, but see many new dancers at every
event”. “We combine traditional live music and dances that anyone can
do” adds Wiley. The dances are held two times per month in the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center. All the dances are taught by
the caller. You don’t have to bring a partner.

For more information, contact David Wiley, event organizer at 423-913-3246 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org.

Contra Dance and Waltz Workshop!

The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will hold another contra dance and waltz workshop on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. The dance will run from 7:30-10:30 pm. The waltz workshop will be offered from 6:00-7:00pm. Admission to the dance is $7, HJDS Members $5 and Students $4. The waltz workshop is $3.

A class for beginner contra dancers will be held from 7:00-7:30 pm. Beginners and experienced dancers alike are encouraged to join together in the class. “The class for beginners is just a way to get out of the contra dance starting blocks” offers David Wiley, event organizer. “To enjoy a dance, one must get out on the floor and dance. Those of us who have danced for a while remember how awkward it felt at first”, adds Wiley. It can be a struggle to coordinate hands and feet to the music and manage a few seconds to respond to a patient partner; not to mention the parade of neighbors in your set. Then there are dozens of uncomfortable moments along the line where one zigs while the rest of the world zags. But, by cooperating with each dancer that comes our way, giving or taking guidance as we go, we all eventually enjoy that surrender to the music and motion that captivates our souls and brings us back again and again.

In the class and the dance, it’s the responsibility of good dancers to make better dancers of the people they dance with. And not just their partners. Our good dancers help the people they come in contact with to move on to the next figure with ease and grace. Gentle pressure clearly tells the person where they are going next. If they didn’t know where to go, it will help them figure out the dance. If they did know, they will recognize it as good dancing. The good dancers also appropriately teach the dancers he encounters who are lost. “We all get lost on the dance floor and have this look of desperation” adds Wiley. “So we try to gently and firmly shove the dancers in the right direction with encouraging words. It’s all about teamwork”.

Performing for the dance will be the Reel Magnolias from Asheville. The band includes June Advincula on keyboards, Jane Weaver on fiddle and Suzanne Hosch on Flute. The caller and teacher for the evening will be Hank Morris from Black Mountain, NC.

The waltz workshop will be led by special guest instructors Mary Jellicourse and John Rucker from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They will be teaching the familiar rotating country waltz.

Hank Morris has been an active part of the very thriving Asheville and Charlotte dance communities for twenty three years. He grew up in Alabama and graduated from Auburn University. He is a dancing and outdoor enthusiast as well. In an effort to give back to the dance community, fifteen years ago, he started calling dance and festivals in the Southeast. Hank Morris makes the dances fun for both the beginner and the experienced dancers.

Our Dance Floor Fund Raising Project is moving along on schedule with donations now exceeding $10,000. “We are two-thirds of the way to our goal and plan to begin installation on May 26th with a large group of volunteers supervised by contractor Marvin Ashburn and Don Connor of Mullican Flooring”, states David Wiley, event organizer. Tax deductible donations can be made by making a check payable to the Town of Jonesborough Dance Floor Fund and mailed to P.O. Box 651, Jonesborough, TN 37659.

Tentative plans for a benefit dance and silent auction are being made for Saturday, May 17, 2008. The details will be released soon.


For more information, contact event organizer, David Wiley or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org

Contra Dance and CD Release Party in Jonesborough!

The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will present another contra dance on Saturday April 19, 2008 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. Performing for the event will be the Contrarians from Charleston, West Virginia. Calling for the dance will be the ever popular Beth Molaro from Asheville. The contra dance will run from 7:30-10:30pm with a country waltz break at 9:00pm. Admission to the dance is $7, HJDS Members $5 and students $4. A full hour contra dance workshop will be held from 6:30-7:30pm led by Warren & Terry Doyle.

HJDS is in the middle of fund raising for the planned installation of a sprung dance floor in the Visitors Center. Event organizer and HJDS President, David Wiley, reports that everything is on schedule to start on Monday May 26th. “We are now over half way towards our financial goal of $15,000”. The funds will purchase all of the sub floor materials and other supplies. A tax deductible donation from anyone in the community will help us present this enhancement to the Town of Jonesborough. The Mullican Flooring Company and Ashburn Hardwood Flooring are the major contributors so far.

Beth Molaro will teach each dance before it is actually done to music. The walk through before the dance gives everyone an idea of what to expect so all the movements can be easily executed. Once the dancers appear to have mastered the dance, Beth may stop calling and let the dancers enjoy the movement with music alone. Beth will likely mix in some Appalachian square dances with the contra dances. All in all, there will be lots of fun to be had on the dance floor.

A four-piece band, the Contrarians play contra dance and square dance music on fiddles, guitar, mandolin, piano, upright bass and a bluesy trumpet. The band is made up of Paul Epstein on fiddle, Will Carter on stand-up bass, Gary Reynolds on guitar, trumpet, piano, and John Longwell on mandolin, tenor banjo and fiddle.

Paul Epstein has been playing, writing and performing for over 30 years. His songs cover many styles and topics. He has written and recorded three solo CD’s. “Strawberry Lass” is all original fiddle tunes in Celtic and Appalachian stylings. “Lesson Life Taught Me” are all original songs in folk/blues/country/swing formats with backing by members of WV Public Radio’s Mountain Stage Band.

Having refined their sound for the last eight years, the Contrarians have produced their first self-titled CD, The Contrarians. No expense was spared in producing this CD as it was recorded and mixed by Bob Webb in Charleston, WV. After spending a few minutes listening to this CD, you can hear why the Contrarians are in demand for contra dances from Washington, D.C, to Cleveland, Lexington, KY, and now Jonesborough.

To celebrate their excellent work, all dancers and members of the public are invited to the post-dance CD release party at the Cranberry Thistle, 107 Main Street in Jonesborough. All musicians are encouraged to come and jam with the band that will surely go on past the midnight hour.

As for the dance, everyone across the country will tell you that our caller, Beth Molaro, is GREAT! When she calls, the dance is always a party! Her enthusiasm is contagious and she makes any dance more energetic and exciting. She is truly a dance caller dedicated to the art of traditional American dancing and good fun.

Beth lives in Asheville surrounded by the mountains of western North Carolina with her daughter, Rebecca Grace, where they are an active part of the thriving dance community. Often on the road calling dances all over the place, her clear calling and skilled dance selection have made her one of the country’s most popular and widely traveled callers.

Since 1994, Beth has called hundreds of dances from coast to coast as well as in Denmark and Canada. Beth is in demand as a caller and teacher for weddings, family reunions, community dances, dance weeks, weekends and folk festivals all over the country.

Beth’s vocal style is unique in the dance world. Her ability to sing the calls makes for an exciting blend of music and calls which she accomplishes with both clarity and musical integrity. You will hear elements of blues and jazz in her voice as she sings you from one figure to the next, weaving together various elements of the dance, music, and dancers into a positively charged room of inspired enthusiasm.

Beth calls high energy, turbocharged Appalachian squares and smooth flowing contras. She is known for her quick, no-nonsense walk throughs and effective teaching for both the beginner and the most seasoned dancers. Beth’s dances are always a guaranteed whoop and a holler good time. Dancers are sure to leave with a feel-good dancing high.

For more information, please contact event organizer, David Wiley, at 423-913-3246 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org. Contributions to the dance floor fund can be mailed to P.O. Box 651, Jonesborough, TN, 37659. Checks should be made out to the Town of Jonesborough (dance floor).

March 21, 2008

Contra Dance and Waltz Workshop in Jonesborough!

The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will hold another contra dance and waltz workshop on Saturday April 5, 2008 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. The waltz workshop led by teacher/caller Gaye Fifer from Charlottesville, Virginia, will be offered from 6-7pm and cost $3. Performing for the dance will be an emerging three-piece band from Boone, North Carolina called Hay for Three. The contra dance will run from 7:30-10:30pm with a waltz break at 9:00pm. Admission to the dance is $7, HJDS Members $5 and students $4. A family with all their children gains admission for one price of $15. A contra dance class for newcomers will be held from 7-7:30pm.

At the contra dance, you will be part of a living tradition passed on by the experienced dancers helping the newcomers. The dancers, the musicians, and caller aim for an evening of low-pressure, often energetic, camaraderie. Come alone or with others. We suggest changing partners every dance, although dates who attend together and significant others might dance with each other more than once. Sometimes you choose a partner and sometimes you get chosen. It's acceptable for women to ask men to dance.

Contra dancing is an evening of fun, featuring dancing in "sets" of about a dozen couples. You interact with your partner and everyone else in the set too as you dance with easy walking steps to energetic music. A caller, working with a group of live musicians, guides new and experienced dancers through a variety of dances.

The caller teaches each dance before it is actually done to the music. This walk through gives everyone an idea of what to expect so the movements can be easily executed. The caller calls the dances as they are being performed to the music, so dancers are able to execute each movement to the music. Once the dancers appear to have mastered a dance, the caller may stop calling, leaving the dancers to enjoy the movement with music alone.

On the heels of having a proposal to install a professional quality dance floor in the Visitors Center approved by the Jonesborough Mayor and Board of Aldermen, the Historic Jonesborough Dance Society now embarks on a major capital fund raising project to pay for some of the flooring and all of the sub floor materials and miscellaneous supplies to complete the work. Installation is planned for a two week period beginning May 26, 2008. “We are all very excited about having a suitable surface to dance on” offers HJDS President, David Wiley. “The new floor will beautify the auditorium and make the room a more versatile space for dance, exercise, receptions, meetings and concerts. With the support of Mullican Flooring of Johnson City and Ashburn Hardwood Flooring Contractors, our combined gift to the community will have a lasting positive impact” adds Wiley. HJDS will accept cash donations from anyone in the community who supports the community contra dance program now in its third year of existence. A tax deductible contribution letter will be mailed to all donors.

Hay for Three, an old-time dance band from Boone, NC, features the parlor-style string band sound of piano, banjo and fiddle.

Georgie Donovan plays driving piano suited equally for traditional southern dance styles and the newly imported New England contra dances. On banjo is Patrick Heavner, a 21 year old native of Morganton, NC, who expands the traditional southern claw hammer repertoire to include jigs and newly composed dance tunes. And M Mueller, a fiddle player for dances in the southern highlands for the past twenty years, rounds out the band’s sound with expressive playing that takes the old favorite tunes to new levels. Joining the band for their April tour on guitar is Leon Bumanglag, a longtime musical friend and band mate from Santa Cruz, CA.

This combination of instruments, popular where railroads and good flat-top roads provided access for piano deliveries to churches and rare homes in the southern highlands, was never recorded by the mobile studios of the 1920’s and 30’s, but is documented nonetheless. Also called the “ice cream social” sound because it was used on those rare cases where secular music could be played on the church piano for social gatherings, the music drives hard from the piano, with banjo taking frequent claw hammer-style leads, and the fiddle singing out like sister.

Gaye Fifer comes to the area from Charlottesville, Virginia to call our dance, but also gets to visit her mother in Knoxville. Not only an excellent contra dance caller, but Gaye Fifer is also an acclaimed waltz instructor popular at many dance weekends in the Eastern U.S. In the waltz program, Gaye teaches moves with an emphasis on leading and following—connecting with your partner and the music. Many of the workshops that HJDS has conducted have been on the beginner level. On this occasion, however, an intermediate level waltz lesson will be offered. In the contra dance program, Gaye will delight you with her clear walk throughs and smooth flowing dances. Be prepared to be challenged as the night goes on. Her pleasant style and graceful teaching put dancers at ease and set the stage for a great evening.

For more information, please contact event organizer, David Wiley, at 423-913-3246 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org. Contributions to the dance floor fund can be mailed to P.O. Box 651, Jonesborough, TN, 37659. Checks should be made out to the Town of Jonesborough (dance floor).

Contra Dance Storm Brewing in Jonesborough!

The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society (HJDS) will hold a special Irish style contra dance on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. The brewing storm will feature concentrated showers of songs that will pour out of the up and coming band, Appalachian Storm, from Asheville, NC. The music meteorologists predict a steady flow of old-time and Irish jigs and reels with scattered Cajun and original tunes. An added attraction to the evening will be an Irish Set Dance Workshop starting at 6:00pm, led by Dave Polechko, one of the Storm musicians. The ever popular caller Diane Silver will lead the contra dance, beginning with a 30 minute class for beginners and experienced dancers alike at 7:00pm. The contra dance will follow from 7:30-10:30pm with a country waltz break at 9:00pm.

For the Irish culinary experts of the world, we are also hosting an Irish Green Potluck Dinner at 6:00pm. All are encouraged to not only wear green themselves, but to contribute green to the potluck—let your imagine run wild—green salad with green goddess dressing, green pea salad, green tea, parsleyed potato salad, green olive tapenade, green deviled eggs, guacamole, pickle and green olive mix, green rice……. (all natural colors, please).

No partner is necessary. All dances are taught by the caller. Every contra dance sponsored by HJDS is smoke and alcohol free. Admission to the dance is $7, HJDS members $5 and students are $4. The Irish Set Dance Workshop is free.

Contra dance is one of the best ways to interest and initiate people into folk dance. Interest in dance in general is widespread in the Tri-Cities region because of programs aired on public television and the very popular TV hit, “Dancing with the Stars.” For most everyone who tries, contra dance is simple and easy to learn. If you have a good caller, they’ll start the evening with dances with simple but fundamental formations that emphasize a few basic rules which include listening to the music and following the steps that are taught. After a couple of walk throughs, you just dive into the dance. “We have been drawing many beginners lately of all ages,” states event organizer, David Wiley, “It’s a real challenge for the caller, but they manage to make the dance happen very quickly. This further illustrates how contra dance converts just about anyone to a folk dancer in short order.”

Appalachian Storm specializes in Appalachian, Irish traditional and contemporary dance tunes. The band consists of David Hayes on guitar, Dave Polechko on banjo and fiddle, Kris Wallace on mandolin and fiddle, and Terrell Jones on the stand-up acoustic bass.

David Hayes loves to play music. Beginning with piano at age six, switching to trumpet, flute, then on to guitar, harmonica, eventually dabbling in fiddle, banjo, mandolin and various percussives. A long time finger picker, he now focuses his musical energy on traditional and contemporary Celtic and old-time accompaniment. A lifelong fear of dancing was finally overcome after several years of cajoling by friends—and David discovered contra. So, whilst pursuing his newfound dance addiction he became steeped in this wonderful genre of music that comes with it. Now he's hooked on playing and dancing and is busy working out ways to do both at the same time. When not dancing or playing, he catches babies, ("still the most awesome thing I've ever done - each and every time"), loves growing anything he can get to grow, and is obsessed with propagating his beloved fig tree. He also enjoys sailing, canoeing, hiking, traveling way off the beaten path, tries to be active in Veterans for Peace, and is moving slowly toward a low impact, off the grid lifestyle and bankruptcy.

Terrell Jones is an Asheville native who played electric bass for the rock band Freefall in the Raleigh, NC area during the early 80’s before spending 2 ½ years overseas, mostly in Africa. Moving back to the mountains in the late 90’s rekindled his old time, bluegrass and Celtic musical roots. The transition led him to the contra dance scene where he joined Appalachian Storm as bass player. Terrell and wife Sara gave birth to their first child, Violet, on February 28, 2008. He works for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Engineering.

Kris Wallace inherited her love of music from her mother, Kathy. Kathy encouraged Kris to start violin and piano lessons at a very young age. As young children go, Kris opted for the fun of getting dirty in the creek beds rather than struggling over a squeaky violin. Looking back, Kris now wishes she had stuck with the discipline and the practice as she later watched with envy many Irish and old time fiddlers. After years in the business world doing computer programming, she changed gears to spend more time on the Appalachian Trail and playing music. Now an accomplished fiddler and mandolin player for Appalachian Storm, she also continues to work as a rural mail carrier.

Dave Polechko is the veteran contra dance musician in the group. He toured throughout the United States when playing with the band High Society. Enjoying dancing as much as playing, he also ran a dance camp called Angel’s Crossing while living in West Virginia. Born in Pittsburg, PA, he has called Asheville home for the past two years where he works as a handyman. His musical roots go back to Irish and French Canadian styles. In recent years, his interests have turned to old-time and Cajun.

Caller Diane Silver has played a big part in the reintroduction of contra dance to this area. Diane participated in the very first workshops that were held in late 2005 before HJDS offered its first open dance on January 6, 2006. During the past two years HJDS has had the pleasure of having Diane call and teach many times to the delight of all who attended. Diane called the Jonesborough Days “Day of Dance” and participated in our first Contrathon 12-hour dance. She has been a die-hard contra dancer, swing dancer, and kitchen-flat footer for over ten years. With a penchant for hot modern contras and a few active squares, she loves sharing high energy dancing that allows everyone to “play” with the band. Highly acclaimed for her clear, efficient teaching and calling, creative medleys, great positive energy, and spirit of community building, Diane provides a sizzling evening of dance in a friendly, welcoming tone. Diane’s motto: “I can’t believe this much fun is legal!” She leads a monthly family dance at Calvary Episcopal Church in nearby Fletcher, NC.

For more information, contact event organizer, David Wiley at 423-913-3246 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org