Join us Tuesday, March 8th, Mardi Gras, for a special “Fat Tuesday” party dance, called by Jonathan Sivier, music by Banjar! (Claire Johnson and Ben Liddy). Beads, green & purple, masks, sparkly, flashy clothes, & anything too bizarre for Halloween are all called for tonight!
Here’s a video of Banjar! in a tamer environment:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHo94WPIUj8
If you could dance for hours, and hours, you may want to “gypsy” over to Urbana for Marchfest on the 18-20th, or Cincinnati for Pigtown Fling on March 25 – 27th.
Each is just about 2 hours away; you’ll recognize friends there!
Early March is one of those times of year when we don’t know what the weather will be like! Snow? Rain? A lovely, sunny & relatively warm day?
Our first dance of March (3/1/11) is also one of those times we don’t know what we’ll get. We do know Ken Gall is calling, but with Open Band, well, we could have 5 banjos or none, a marching band’s worth of percussion or none, maybe a harp!
Come find out!
Tuesday, February 22nd we’ve got a new band!
Come hear Iron Curtain Meltdown musicians Dianna and Sam with Indy’s newest folk musician Robyn Ron as they play toe taping energized Irish music. Combining fiddle, accordion, foot percussion, and piano, these ladies will keep you twirling up an Irish storm!
Here’s a DRAFT of Ken Gall’s caller’s workshop handout. It contains some formatting glitches that are NOT his, but created when moving files between multiple computer programs made by competing companies (& Kathryn, who said she’d post it can’t finish cleanup right now due to other commitments). Cleanup work on things like tabs will be done, and more sites, videos, etc. linked to but the basic content is available for those who attended the session.
Here’s what passersby (not that there are lots of then at 9:30 on a winter night) can hear outside Earth House.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsL8pEG-MZ8
Got video (or audio or photos) of our group? Email IndyContra@gmail.com if we can make copies for YouTube and other places.
February 15th is a full evening, starting with a workshop for people who want to learn how to call, at 6:30 p.m., led by Ken Gall. At 8 we start dancing to music by LEDfoot (Leslie, Erik, and Dave), & calling by David Ernst, with a break in the middle of the evening’s dance for the annual membership meeting & elections for new board members.
Running for board are Ian Fulford, Vickie Gruner, Donna Kenney Barry Levitt (current treasurer, for re-election), Jamie Shepherd, and Vickie Stohl.
2011’s Beach Party festivities start Saturday February 5th at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at Chatham Tap, then continue with setup & socializing at Earth House (help with decorations or the snack table, or just warm up with coffee, soup, or pizza in the Earth House Cafe). Dancing to music by the Mean Lids and calling by Darlene Underwood is 8 – 11 p.m., and there’s an after dance party hosted by the Beckers (directions available at the dance). Come decked out in your most festive towel, Hawaiian shirt, or other theme clothes & you might win a prize.
ENTER Earth House on the East side of the building, not on East St.
Indianapolis (and half the midwest) is under a weather emergency, with a forecast of ice on top of ice, and an official, mayoral order “limiting travel only to essential needs, such as going to and from work and emergency situations.” Contra isn’t “essential.”
While the 02/01/2011 dance is canceled, we have Beach Party on Saturday, 02/05/2011, at 8 p.m., with everyone also invited to Chatham Tap for dinner at 5:30. (For dinner, RSVP to IndyContra@gmail.com if possible.)
Tuesday, the very first day of February 2011, Ken Gall calls to Open Band. Nope, “Open Band” is not the name of a specific group of people. It’s anybody & everybody who plucks, strums, taps, blows, tweets, whacks, or hums to make music for dancing. If that’s you this week, please arrive about 7:30 to get set up & warmed up.
Snow & sleet are forecast, so if the media reports that Indianapolis Public Schools cancel their evening events, we’ll cancel the dance, and Open Band will happen in just a few weeks. The next dance opportunity is Beach Party, Saturday 2/5.