MAY MADNESS ~ Talent
The Groovemongers have been thrilling contra dancers for over 14 years with a world beat approach to dance music. Countless tours, festival weekends and dance camps world-wide have forged an ensemble that is equally at home with crafted musical arrangements as with jam band improv.
Pioneers of groove contra, the band works with callers to create a great dance experience, expertly matching tunes to dances and drawing from a breathtaking variety of styles and rhythms. From Celtic to Calypso, Southern to Salsa, Old England to New England, Motown to Cape Town, plus a liberal dose of American Rock 'n' Roll, the Groovemongers' memorable tunes and driving rhythms fuse into a spicy mix that is irresistibly danceable.
The Groovemongers are C.W.Abbott, Jane Knoeck, Rebecca McCallum and Mark Hellenberg.
The Great Bear Trio is a contra dance band consisting of brothers Andrew VanNorstrand (fiddle, guitar bouzouki) and Noah VanNorstrand (fiddle, mandolin, feet) and their mother Kim Yerton (piano). They play a unique, high-energy blend of traditional and original material and regularly tour all over North America.
Elixir is a high energy dance band and caller combination that blends superb calling, driving fiddle and guitar playing, and the rich texture and rhythmic excitement of a full horn section. Elixir performs tightly crafted music drawing on a wide range of styles and evoking a variety of moods. Elegant melodies evolve into raucous dixieland horn riffs; transcendent harmonies, playful improvisations, and rock, swing and reggae-inspired rhythms weave in and out of traditional and original Irish, French Canadian and New England tunes. Elixir has a repertoire that includes music for contra, square, English and swing dancing; waltzing; and couples dancing.Elixir is Nils Fredland on trombone and vocals, Ethan Hazzard-Watkins on fiddle, Jesse Hazzard-Watkins on trumpet and flugelhorn, Anna Patton on clarinet and vocals, and Owen Morrison on guitar and foot percussion.
Will Mentor
Sarah VanNorstrand began dancing in her early teens and has been in love with contras and squares ever since. She calls regularly at dance events in New York state as well as across the country, often with her husband, Andrew VanNorstrand of the Great Bear Trio. Her style is notable for her clear, precise choice of words, brisk walk-throughs and overall energy. Sarah's priority is to make sure that everyone is having as much fun on the dance floor as she is having on stage!
Alan Roberts has been playing traditional fiddle tunes since the early 1970s and dancing contras and squares since moving to Seattle in 1987. In 2000 he bought his first sound system for use with his contra band and was soon hooked into the brave new world of sound reinforcement. Rapidly he moved on to providing sound for local dances, dance camps and weekends. Alan has a well deserved reputation with organizers, dancers and well-known contra dance bands!! He especially loves working at dance camps and puts everything he has into making the sound the least of everyone's worries. Alan provided the sound for May Madness 2011 and AZ We Dance is thrilled to have him back again!
Prof Erik Erhardt (NM) understands the subtleties of making dancing satisfying and joyful. In his engaging and entertaining manner, Erik teaches sequences of moves that can be used as is or broken down and combined in many ways. His teaching is encouraging, clear, and detailed. He believes that dancing is not about fancy moves (though, you'll learn some), but more importantly about connecting with your partner, the music, and the flowing community on the floor.
Erik Erhardt ~ Waltz
John Chittum and Dori Lehner ~ Hambo
John and Dori dance, teach, and perform Hambo and many other Scandinavian dances regularly in the Southern California area. Besides teaching Scandinavian dance classes in Ventura/Santa Barbara and weekly in Los Angeles, they have shared their love of this dance and music with contra dancers, both at local Los Angeles dances, and also at away contra dance weekends. If you've ever watched people dancing Hambo at the break and wanted to learn it, or if you've tried it and would like some further tips, please join them for a fun workshop.
Steve Conrad ~ East Coast Swing
Steve Conrad has been fortunate to learn from some of the greatest and is now himself one of the most experienced Lindy Hop/Swing Dance teachers in the U.S. He founded the Arizona Lindy Hop Society in 1996 and has been involved with the development of the swing scene in Arizona ever since. Steve has also traveled worldwide to teach, DJ, or to be the Master of Ceremonies. Currently Steve runs the largest swing night in Arizona, every Tuesday night at the Fat Cat Ballroom - with crowds of up to 300 dancers!