Schedule and Lineup

Jump to Lineup of Dance Callers, Musicians, and Instructors

2020 Schedule TBD

We're hard at work putting together an exciting schedule of events. We'll continue to update this page as more information becomes available.

Until then, you can check out the schedules from previous years to get an idea of what you can expect.

Friday

4 pm - Check-in begins (but you can arrive earlier if you want to help set up)

6 pm - Welcome Dinner - meet your fellow dancers!

6 pm - 8 pm: Old time jam

8pm - Evening Square Dance!

Calling by LP Kelly; music by Big Possum Strinband

Saturday

Workshops galore all day long!

Learning to call
Dance workshops - square dancing, flatfooting, play party games, partner dancing, and more!
Music workshops - fiddle, banjo, and guitar workshops, plus jamming opportunities for all levels.
Singing workshops
Lunchtime roundtable discussions with other square dance organizers and enthusiasts

Need a break from workshops? How about:

Instrument petting zoo - strum a banjo, try out a fiddle, or pluck a few guitar strings
Lawn games - bocce, ladder ball, hula hoops, and other diversions
Enjoy the park and its natural beauty. Explore miles of hiking trails. a nearby lake, or just admire nature within the largest greenspace located within the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area.

Evening Square Dance!

Rotating and open mic calling; music by Furnace Mountain

Informal jams
Bonfire and s'mores

Sunday

8:30 - 10:15: Pancake breakfast

10:30 - 12:00: Farewell dance

12:00 - 1:30 pm: Please help us clean up!

Dance Callers, Musicians, and Instructors

LP Kelly

LP Kelly has been teaching and calling traditional dances throughout the
southern Appalachian mountains for over a decade. As one of the core
organizers of the Blacksburg Square Dance (one of the longest-running
traditional square dances in the country), he has had the opportunity both
to learn from the old masters and to mentor younger callers.

Kelly's calling resume includes public engagements at the Blacksburg
Square Dance, the Moss Art Center, Floydfest, the Floyd Country Store, the
Southern in Charlottesville, the Durham Rowdy Square, NC Squares, the
Hoppin' John festival, the DC Square Dance, the Baltimore Mobtown Square
Dance, as well as dozens of private events at weddings, parties, and late
night fiddler's conventions throughout the southern Appalachian mountains.

His teaching style is concise and efficient; his calling style is musical
and high-energy. Because if you're having a good time, you're doing it
right!

Becky Hill

Becky Hill is a percussive dancer, choreographer and square dance caller. She is currently seeking her MFA in Dance at the University of Maryland. She has studied with many percussive dance visionaries, organizes Helvetia Hoot, and was a U.S. State Department OneBeat Fellow in 2018. You can find her performing with the T-Mart Rounders, calling square dances and teaching throughout the country. www.rebeccahill.org

Big Possum Stringband (Friday Night Dance)

Big Possum Stringband is the 21st century’s answer to the question, “whatever happened to Appalachian music?” Formed in 2017, the Possums are young, excited, and passionate about the rich legacy of traditional music of the American South. Contest winners Tessa Dillon (fiddle) and Seth Swingle (banjo) are joined by multi-instrumentalist Evan Collins to make oldtime country music’s hottest new band. Fresh off their 1st place win at the 2018 Clifftop festival (generally regarded as the most prestigious contest in the genre), the Possums are bringing their mix of breakdowns, showpieces, ballads and rounder songs to audiences around the nation and the world. With three-part harmonies, electrifying fiddle breaks and a pounding square-dance beat, the Big Possum will have you stamping, yelling and dancing along.
https://www.bigpossumstringband.com/

Furnace Mountain (Saturday Night Dance)

Furnace Mountain consists of Aimee Curl on bass and vocals, Dave Van Deventer on fiddle and vocals, and Morgan Morrison on guitar, bouzouki, and vocals, Danny Knicely on mandolin and fiddle. The band creates music that is at times lively and raucous, with spirited fiddle melodies weaving in and around the powerful rhythms of the bass and bouzouki, and other times poignant and poetic, with sublime vocal harmonies beautifully interpreting some of the oldest songs ever written. Furnace Mountain Band has performed throughout the world, from the Yangtze River in China to the banks of the Shenandoah River, where they are the host band of Watermelon Park Festival, held on the site of one of the very first bluegrass festivals, in 1965. Furnace Mountain Band plays music from the American Appalachian traditions, as well as original compositions, and songs penned by their favorite song writing friends. https://furnacemountain.com/

Brad Kolodner

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/

Janine Smith

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.