2019 Callers / Bands / Teachers

Will Mentor - Caller

Will Mentor is a square dance and contra caller from Northern Vermont known for his clear teaching, upbeat wit, and relaxed stage presence. He loves to choreograph evenings with a variety of dances and tempos that at times surprise and always delight, all the while keeping intact his guiding principle as a caller: "It's about the dancers!"

Megan Downes - Caller and Dance Instructor

Megan Downes grew up dancing in New York City's traditional Irish music community before moving south to work with one of the best bluegrass bands in the country as a principal dancer with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, directed by Eileen Carson and Mark Schatz, with Jon Glik, Danny Knicely, Matt Olwell and Kristin Andreassen. Megan is now the Artistic Director of New York's City Stompers, calling squares and teaching old-time flatfooting. You may have danced with her over the years at the Augusta Heritage Center, Watermelon Park or Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing.
http://www.megandownes.com/

Black Twig Pickers - (Friday Dance)

The Black Twig Pickers are a group defined by their forward thinking approach to a type of music most often associated with times gone by. Over the course of eight full-length records, including collaborative releases with Jack Rose and Charlie Parr, a split LP with Glenn Jones, and numerous EPs and singles, the group has established itself as a collection of dedicated practitioners of old time music re-cast and shaped by their appreciation of modern improvisation, drone, and punk. While not at odds with the experimental scene that has fostered them or the old time circles they travel in, The Black Twig Pickers thrive in the in-betweenness of those two worlds, proving that the exploration of the outmost bounds of sound and the exploration of decades old tradition and community aren’t as different as one might think. Band Website
Isak Howell -- guitar, mouth harp, vocals
Mike Gangloff -- fiddle, banjo, vocals
Nathan Bowles -- banjo, washboard, bones, fiddlesticks, banjosticks, vocals Sally Anne Morgan -- fiddle, hambone, vocals

Tui - (Saturday Dance)

Jake Blount and Libby Weitnauer joined forces to become Tui in mid-2018. They draw inspiration equally from rare archival recordings and the music of their peers, and both have extensive experiences with other genres of music; Blount spent years as a funk and metal guitarist, and Weitnauer has an M.A. in classical violin performances from NYU. Tui's diverse influences enable them to create music that is innovative and technically demanding, yet accessible and affecting as only old songs can be. In addition to performances in the United States, they have toured internationally in Australia and New Zealand, and plan to release an album together in the spring of 2019. Band Website
Jake Blount -- banjo, fiddle
Libby Weitnauer -- fiddle
A'yen Tran -- guitar
Eli Broxham -- bass

Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno

Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno are tapping into the deepest parts of American music, taking old songs that have seldom been heard and presenting them next to their own timeless and visceral originals. When they are not performing as duo, they’re often found sitting knee to knee, playing under the canopy of trees at fiddle festivals across the country, such as the gathering where they met in June of 2016. Across any campground, or concert venue, the echos of their vibrant and magnetic harmonies ring out. Band Website

Janine Smith
Workshop Leader (Open Mic Calling Practice)

Janine Smith calls square, contra, ceilidh, and family dances in the Washington, DC area. She shares her humorous (OK, sometimes goofy) style and infectious love of music and dance with dancers from Glen Echo, MD to Seattle, WA, and specializes in singing squares. She is one of the Hot Square Babes, a quintet of female square dance callers who throw an occasional square dance party in College Park, MD. She is a founding member of the DC Square Dance Collective.

Brad Kolodner
Musician and Workshop Leader (Clawhammer Banjo)

Baltimore-based clawhammer banjoist Brad Kolodner represents the next generation of Old-Time musicians pushing the boundaries of the tradition into uncharted territory. Regarded for his delicate touch, expressive style, and original compositions, Kolodner has rapidly gained national attention for his unique approach to the banjo at just 28 years of age. Awarded the 2016 IBMA Momentum Award for Industry Involvement, Kolodner is helping to lead the charge as a performer, teacher, DJ for WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, jam leader, community builder and ambassador for Old-Time music. He regularly performs across the country in a duo with his father Ken Kolodner, a world renowned hammered dulcimer player and with the acoustic roots quartet Charm City Junction.
http://www.bradkolodner.com/