2026 Dance Callers, Musician and Instructor Lineup
Dance Callers
Will Mentor
|
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!"
|
Charmaine Slaven
|
Hailing from Western Montana, influenced greatly by West Coast callers while living in Seattle for many years, and now based in Indianapolis, Charmaine Slaven has been teaching and calling participatory dances since 2006. Her enthusiasm for participatory dance is infectious, and she has an amazing ability to get all levels of dancers having fun on the dance floor. Primarily a caller of traditional Appalachian square dances, she has also been influenced by other styles of traditional dance that she's encountered through her work as a musician, program director at John C. Campbell Folk School, coordinator for the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, and work as the Director of Development for the Country Dance & Song Society.
|
Janine Smith
Camp Co-director
|
The Janine Smith experience is what you get when you cross a howdy-ma’am-BBQ-and-beans Honky Tonk with Zoom contra and sprinkle on some twinkly lights for sass. She’ll bring you a night of fun dances, from squares to contras, heck maybe a Singing Square, whether you’re sitting, standing, or somewhere in between. Her teaching is clear and to-the-point, though she has been known to goof around a bit. She’s one of the “Hot Square Babes”, a quintet of female callers who threw a monthly Square Dance Party in the DC area from 2004-2018, and a founding member of the DC Square Dance Collective.
|
Musicians
Steam Machine
Steam Machine is a midwest based old time/bluegrass music project fronted by award winning Minneapolis fiddler AJ Srubas and guitar player Rina Rossi. A shortlist of spectacular musicians perform with the band on banjo and bass. Originally formed in Minneapolis in 2017, Steam Machine brought to the national stage a midwest influenced string band aesthetic that didn’t draw such hard lines between bluegrass and old time music. Smooth powerful fiddling, driving three finger banjo, front-of-the-beat rhythm backup combined into a “suspiciously entertaining” sound.
Big Cricket
Big Cricket String Band brings irreverent Old Time Appalachian traditional music to the stage. A raucous, rollicking 5-piece string band from Baltimore, MD, Big Cricket leads with an upfront, double-fiddle sound and a driving rhythm section that knows no rules. High energy is a hallmark of
this young dance band that is quickly taking over the scene in the Mid-Atlantic. Featuring fiddlers Meghan Mette and Julius Bjornson, banjo player Josh Guy, guitarist William Brauneis and bassist Kai Knorr, the quintet brings a driving energy that livens dances and concert halls alike.
this young dance band that is quickly taking over the scene in the Mid-Atlantic. Featuring fiddlers Meghan Mette and Julius Bjornson, banjo player Josh Guy, guitarist William Brauneis and bassist Kai Knorr, the quintet brings a driving energy that livens dances and concert halls alike.
Brad Kolodner
Jam leader, Camp Co-Director
|
Hailed as a “defining voice in the contemporary banjo community,” 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. A six-time finalist in the banjo contest at the Appalachian String Band Festival (Clifftop), he is on one hand rooted in tradition and on the other fiercely innovative. Off the stage, he is an acclaimed teacher, award-winning radio broadcaster for Folk Alley and Bluegrass Country Radio, jam leader, festival organizer, community builder and ambassador for Old-Time and Bluegrass music.
|
Other Instigators
Emily Schubert
Crankie Visionary
|
Emily Schubert is an interdisciplinary artist, crankie maker, storyteller, and puppeteer based in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. She has been making crankies since 2015 and is a returning attendee of Dare to Be Square and an all around joy enthusiast. She has hosted and organized many a puppet slam and crankie festival and is excited to see what comes out of this grand experiment
|