{"events":[{"name":"Quiet Corner Contra Dance","details":"New Time: Dance 7:30-10:30pm [basics session 7:15 pm]\nThis is so wicked fun! We dance to the fiddle tunes of Ireland, Scotland, England, France, and Appalachia and we often switch partners after every dance so there is no need to bring a partner, and no experience is needed to have a fantastic time! So come enjoy the friendly camaraderie, dance to live music and see everyone’s smiling faces!!\nClothing & Footwear: Clothing is casual, layers are best for this invigorating exercise. Please wear non-street shoes that move easily on the floor (rubber soled sneaker are discouraged).\nFood: Some snacks offered at the break and contributions are welcome and needed!\nCaller: Jim Gregory. Jim of West Hartford, CT, works with bands from CT, MA, and NY. So most of the Northeast is within their accustomed range of travel. The private lessons are available more locally, from Central CT to Springfield, MA. When you contact us we can talk over rates and dates. \nLive Music: Kingfischer! An energetic Boston-based contra dance duo, consisting of Cecilia Vacanti (fiddle) and Jeff Kaufman (piano, mandolin, drums, synths). They fuse New England roots with a modern groove. They promise a versatile mix of supremely danceable tunes!\nAdmission: $12.00 per person OR students (with ID, please) are asked to pay $6. *Donations are greatly appreciated and encouraged!\nFree Parking: There is plenty of free parking right in front of the hall.\nRole Terms: “Ladies & Gents,” but all dancers are welcome to dance whichever role their heart desires.","links":["http://www.hcdance.org/quiet-corner-contra/","https://cdss.org/event/quiet-corner-contra-dance/"],"start":"2024-01-05T19:15:00-05:00","end":"2024-01-05T22:30:00-05:00","country":"USA","state":"CT","city":"Coventry","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Kingfisher"],"price":"$6-$12","organisation":"Hartford Community Dance","source":"events/usa/cdss.yaml"},{"name":"Snow Ball Dance Weekend","details":"We will be dancing January 26th, 27th and 28th in Gulfport, Florida to the music of two fabulous bands – Kingfisher, the eclectic duo of Cecilia Vacanti and Jeff Kaufman; and Nova, a neo-trad trio from New England featuring Kathleen Fownes, Everest Whitman, and Guillermo Sparrow-Pepin. Our callers will be Janine Smith and Will Mentor. \nRegistration opens October 15, and tickets are $120. After December 20, the price is $135.","links":["http://floridasnowball.tampabaycontra.com/","https://cdss.org/event/snow-ball-dance-weekend/"],"start":"2024-01-26T18:00:00-05:00","end":"2024-01-28T14:00:00-05:00","country":"USA","state":"FL","city":"Gulfport","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Kingfisher","Nova"],"callers":["Janine Smith","Will Mentor"],"price":"$120-$135","organisation":"Tampa Friends of Old Time Dance","source":"events/usa/cdss.yaml"},{"name":"Valley Contra Dance Double Dance","details":"Alex Deis-Lauby calling to Kingfisher\nSpecial Event: Afternoon Challenging Contras \nPotluck Supper 6-7:00\nBeginner lesson 7 PM\nEvening Dance 7:30-10:30 PM\n$15/ Students $7\nDance clothing exchange—bring gently used dance clothes and take something new home.","links":["https://valleycontradance.org/","https://cdss.org/event/valley-contra-dance-double-dance/"],"start":"2024-02-24T16:00:00-05:00","end":"2024-02-24T22:30:00-05:00","country":"USA","state":"PA","city":"Bethlehem","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Kingfisher"],"callers":["Alex Deis-Lauby"],"price":"$7-$15","organisation":"Valley Contra Dance Society","source":"events/usa/cdss.yaml"},{"name":"NEFFA","details":"13 parallel stages, Friday thru Sunday.","links":["https://www.neffa.org/festival-home/"],"start":"2024-04-19T19:00:00-04:00","end":"2024-04-21T17:30:00-04:00","country":"USA","state":"MA","city":"Marlborough","styles":["balfolk","contra","e-ceilidh","ecd","scd","scandi"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Live Wire","Kingfisher","Torrent","Good Company","Dogtown","Roaring Jelly","Cojiro","The Orphans","Open Band","Raise the Roof","The Dixie Butterhounds","The Midlings","Chimney Swift","Not Enough Fiddles","Rum & Onions","Wissahickon Express","Einstein's Little Homunculus","Les Bijoux Folque Orchestra","Zarkadelphia","Joy Factor"],"callers":["Alex Deis-Lauby","Rick Mohr","Ben Sachs-Hamilton","Bob Isaacs","Michael Karcher","Dereck Kalish","Carl Levine","Dylan Simpson","David Millstone","Sue Gola","Liesl Jandrey","Tamar Myers","Qwill Duvall","Jeremy Korr","Steve Zakon-Anderson","Donna Hunt","Greg Frock","Lisa Greenleaf","Cindy Larock","Hannah Chamberlain","Don Veino"],"organisation":"NEFFA","source":"events/usa/trycontra.yaml"},{"name":"5th Saturday Contra Dance","details":"The Bloomington Old Time Music and Dance group presents a special 5th Saturday contra dance with guest performers from Boston, Massachusetts: music by Kingfisher – Cecilia Vacanti (fiddle) and Jeff Kaufman (piano, mandolin, drums, synths), and calling by Harris Lapiroff. \nDance is 6:30-10:00 pm on Saturday, June 29, with a beginner lesson the first half hour in the air-conditioned gym at Harmony School, 909 E 2nd St in Bloomington, IN, 47401.  \nEntrance fee: General public: $10 for adults; $5 for kids. BOTMDG members: by donation. \nKingfisher plays both traditional and modern contra dance music, and has been hailed as one of the most versatile bands on the road today. Jeff Kaufman anchors the duo from the piano and mandolin, along with a number of instruments he created himself, giving Cecilia Vacanti the opportunity to wow you with intense fiddling renditions of tunes across the spectrum. Get a taste of the great music you’ll dance to. \nPlease visit Bloomington Contra for details.","links":["https://www.facebook.com/events/971352611325681/","https://cdss.org/event/5th-saturday-contra-dance-with-kingfisher/","https://bloomingtoncontra.org/"],"start":"2024-06-29T18:30:00-04:00","end":"2024-06-29T22:00:00-04:00","country":"USA","state":"IN","city":"Bloomington","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Kingfisher"],"callers":["Harris Lapiroff"],"price":"$5-$10","organisation":"Bloomington Old Time Music and Dance Group","source":"events/usa/cdss.yaml"},{"name":"Dancing Fish","links":["https://dancingfish.dance/event/sept-6-7-2024-kingfisher/"],"start":"2024-09-06T19:00:00-04:00","end":"2024-09-07T21:00:00-04:00","country":"USA","state":"FL","city":"Melrose","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Kingfisher","Playing with Fyre"],"callers":["Dereck Kalish","Terry Doyle"],"organisation":"Dancing Fish","source":"events/usa/trycontra.yaml"},{"name":"Brooklyn Contra Harvest Ball & Advanced Dance","details":"Join Brooklyn Contra to celebrate fall with back-to-back dances, featuring the calling of Julian Blechner and music from Kingfisher! We’ll be starting with Challenging Contras from 3:30-6:30, then returning after dinner break for a relaxing all-levels dance from 8-11pm (7:30 lesson). Meet us at Logan’s Run for afters, including food, drinks, great camaraderie, and casual blues dancing. \nJulian Blechner is a seasoned contra and set dance caller based in Western Massachusetts. Since 2011, he’s called dances of all sized, from big festival and camp stages, to dances of all sizes from Maine to the Mid-Atlantic. He has called for many years at the New England Folk Festival, was a headliner at Flurry Festival 2018, Old Songs Festival 2019, and performed at other dance festivals, special events, and weekends. He brings a cheerful, friendly attitude with clear, concise teaching and prompting. Julian has written dozens of dances, and combines this expertise with his love of dancing to provide a joyful flair to dances! \nKingfisher, the eclectic duo of Cecilia Vacanti and Jeff Kaufman, plays both traditional and modern contra dance music, and has been hailed as one of the most versatile up-and-coming dance bands on the road today. Already a mainstay in the Greater Boston area, they’ve performed to large, enthusiastic crowds on the West Coast, Eastern Seaboard, and throughout the Northeast. Jeff Kaufman, a multi-instrumentalist, anchors the duo from the piano, as well as mandolin and a number of innovative electronic instruments he created himself, providing the duo with bass and drum grooves — all of which gives Cecilia Vacanti opportunity to wow you with intense fiddling renditions of tunes across the spectrum, surprising even the most seasoned listener with a genre-bending playlist that is absolutely breathtaking. \n“The first time I heard Kingfisher I couldn’t see the stage at first. I was blown away when I got to the front of the room-expecting a 4 or 5 piece band, only to find out that sound-that BIG sound-was coming from just two, albeit two very talented musicians” -J.C, Fulton, NY. \nFrom the moment they hit the first note to the fade of the last chord, you’ll be mesmerized for the entire show! \nCost of entry:\nFree for Sustainer and Sponsor members, $9 for Supporter members and students, $15 for non-members, $25 for both dances","links":["https://www.brooklyncontra.org/dance-schedule/2021/11/21/a-contra-dance-for-all-bahbd-8cbtc-mfa4z-sa43g-55j8d-j5r8c-22sn8-3j86n-gj8ma-c57sj-crcah-p7nnd-dxk7x-p3f37-2h95l","https://cdss.org/event/brooklyn-contra-harvest-ball-advanced-dance/"],"start":"2024-10-19T15:30:00-04:00","end":"2024-10-19T23:00:00-04:00","country":"USA","state":"NY","city":"Brooklyn","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Kingfisher"],"callers":["Julian Blechner"],"price":"$18-$25","organisation":"Brooklyn Contra","source":"events/usa/cdss.yaml"},{"name":"Chattaboogie","links":["https://contranooga.us/"],"start":"2025-01-10T18:00:00-05:00","end":"2025-01-12T15:30:00-05:00","country":"USA","state":"TN","city":"Chattanooga","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Turnip the Beet","Kingfisher"],"callers":["Timothy Klein","Vicki Herndon"],"price":"$90-$145","organisation":"Chattanooga Traditional Dance Society","source":"events/usa/trycontra.yaml"},{"name":"Summer Soiree","links":["https://www.ashevillecontra.com/"],"start_date":"2025-06-13","end_date":"2025-06-15","country":"USA","state":"NC","city":"Asheville","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["The Mean Lids","Kingfisher"],"callers":["Steve Zakon-Anderson","Adina Gordon"],"organisation":"TryContra","source":"events/usa/trycontra.yaml"},{"name":"Dancing Fish","links":["https://dancingfish.dance/"],"start":"2025-07-04T18:00:00-04:00","end":"2025-07-06T15:00:00-04:00","country":"USA","state":"FL","city":"Melrose","styles":["contra"],"workshop":true,"social":true,"bands":["Kingfisher","Crossover"],"callers":["Luke Donforth","Bob Isaacs"],"price":"$30","organisation":"Dancing Fish","source":"events/usa/trycontra.yaml"}]}