Adina Gordon has served on committees and boards for the Country Dance and Song Society, Queen City Contras in Burlington, Vermont, and the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend. She calls English country dances, squares, and contras.
Emily Addison has it in her mission to make Ottawa more Vermont. What does that mean? More contra dancing for one! She enjoys a bit of calling and leads the local community band, but most of all loves organizing and building heartfelt community that is so ingrained in contra. She loves black dance shoes!
Nancy Turner is a non-profit grant writer who began to learn the craft as a volunteer Board member. Currently, Nancy supports the Montpelier Vermont Grange Hall and its dance community through grant writing.
David Millstone started contra dancing in the early 1970s and has been calling nearly that long–contras and squares, dances in odd formations, English country dances and one night stands. He is currently president of Country Dance and Song Society. Shoes? He prefers dance sneakers for contras, Capezio jass shoes for ECD.
Danielle Boudreau is a dancer, caller, and closet singer from southern Vermont. When she is not organizing dance events she is preparing for graduate school in midwifery and volunteering as a doula. She dances in Capezio jazz shoes, usually with duct-tape on the holes.
Luke Donforth is a caller, choreographer, organizer, and dancer (who wears simple character shoes). He is based in Burlington, Vermont, where he helps run the Mad Robin Callers Collective. He travels extensively (over a quarter of the states so far, plus internationally) to share the joy of community dance.
Maxine Louie is a late bloomer to the dance world. She loves contra, Irish set dancing and English country dancing, and is a founding member of Toronto English Country Dance Assembly, a dance gypsy, and a retired physiotherapist.
Sophia Donforth is a singer, dancer, host-er of potlucks and community organizer. She started contra dancing in college in Ithaca, New York. and int he years since has danced in at least twelve states. A founding member of the Mad Robin Caller’s Collective, she lives with her husband and 9-month-old daughter in Burlington, Vermont, and serves on the board of both local contra dances. She used to dance barefoot, until a waltzing accident. Now she prefers to keep her toes covered.
Chrissy Fowler first contra danced at a cousin’s recommendation and has since danced with her siblings, parents, son, and various cousins, aunts and uncles. For footwear, Chrissy cherishes her Belfast Flying Shoes (a.k.a. the thriving Maine dance series she founder with her brother and sister-in-law, and her child’s godmother.) Belfast’s vibrant contra scene engages dances of all ages, many of whom bring the whole fandamily.
Cedar Stanistreet is actively involved in dance communities as a musician, dancer, and organizer. He currently plays for dances with Nor’easter, Cardinal Direction, and the Agnostic Fiddle Insurgency, and helps organize the Brattleboro Dawn Dance as well as the Swinging Star 2nd Friday series in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Abigail Hobart is a final-semester student at Hampshire College, in Amherst Massachusetts, where she studies folk music, ethnomusicology, and community. An avid contra dancer / dance organizer, she is currently in the process of producing her first folk festival, and is loving every second of it!
Michael Kerman is currently president of Toronto Country Dancers. He joined this group and started to dance about seven years ago. For the first few years he silently watched the leadership of TCD was happy to dance and volunteer occasionally. Then with some prodding he joined the board. Michael has traveled extensively for contra dancing. He has a bag packed and ready to go. He has great admiration for the Ottawa dance community too! When and if he grows up he would like to be a Dance Gypsy. (As a child he told his parents he wanted to be a butterfly.)
An alumnus of many bands including Ecosse, Matapat, Tüq, Jiig, Glen Road, Shindigo and The Shiners, Greg Brown is originally from Newfoundland, and cut his musical teeth on the tunes of Rufus Guinchard and Emile Benoit under the guidance of current Newfoundland fiddle great Christina Smith. Since moving to the capital region, he makes his living as a professional musician, music teacher, and sound engineer with his company, Prentice Boy Music.
Chris Deephouse has dance at least weekly for over 20 years. He enjoys waltz, swing, tango, vintage, Cajun, zydeco, contact improv, English country dance, Irish sets, contra dancing and more. Since 2001 he has danced around the country with his wife, caller Donna Hunt. Off the dance floor, he leads software teams and serves as treasurer for non-profit organizations.
Linda Henry has been organizing and playing piano for contra dances from North Carolina to New English for 30+ years. She currently co-organized the Fiddlers Green Contra Dance in Amherst Massachusetts and especially enjoys encouraging sit-in musicians. As the CDSS Outreach Manager, Linda offers grants, scholarships and support for conferences like POTD2 across the continent.
Jaige Trudel is a full-time professional musician, performing and giving workshops internationally. She is also a co-producer of the Ooh La La dance weekend. Currently training to teach the Alexander Technique, she has a particular interest in offering assistance to musicians, dancers and artists. She enjoys organic gardening and giving astrological readings.
Adam Broome is a touring musician and co-director of Ooh La La Dance Weekend, now in its ninth year. He served as vice-president of the Downeast Country Dance Festival for four years. Born and raised in rural England, he now resides in the Townships of Quebec with his wife and musical partner, Jaige Trudel.
A. Rima Dael is a mom, wife, arts advocate, and 20-year nonprofit professional. She is the executive director of the Country Dance and Song Society since 2012. Rima learned English country dance through cotillion in Hong Kong and contra dancing at summer camp in New Hampshire. Her home dance is the Fiddler’s Green Contra Dance in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Patty Giavara is a member of the Contra Dance Umbrella, the volunteer group that organizes the Montpelier, Vermont contra dance seris, and is the president of the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall. Patty is an engineer and consultant specializing in helping manufacturers and other organizations innovate and grow.
