Eugene Folklore Society
eugenefolklore.org
JANUARY
CONTRA CALENDAR
January 2 Corvallis
Broken Top playing
Michael Karcher calling
note LOCATION:
Chintimini Senior Center
2601 NW Tyler Ave, Corvallis
7:30 pm teaching
8:00 pm dance
January 2 Portland
New Year’s Launch Party
Gallimaufry playing
Erik Weberg and
Noah Grunzweig calling
Norse Hall
7:30 pm teaching
8:00 pm – 1:00 am dance
Details in Folk Calendar
January 9 Eugene
Hand4 playing
Karen Marshall calling
7:00 pm teaching
7:30 pm dance
January 16 Corvallis
The Nettles playing
William Watson calling
7:30 pm teaching
8:00 pm dance
January 23 Eugene
Mullitgatawny and
Kathy’s Clowns playing
Andrea Nettleton calling
7:00 pm teaching
7:30 pm dance
EFS contra dances are held at:
Dunn School
3411 Willamette St, EUGENE
CFS contra dances are held at:
First Congregational Church
4515 West Hills Rd, CORVALLIS
exception noted above
EUGENE FOLKLORE
SOCIETY
PO Box 1645
Eugene OR 97440
eugenefolklore.org
January 2016
Volume 39 Number 5
January Contra Dances
Held at Dunn School, 3411 Willamette St. Lesson 7:00 pm Dance begins at 7:30 pm
January 9th Hands4 playing Karen Marshall calling
Since 2004, Hands4 has delivered its high energy music to dance halls throughout the
Pacific Northwest. Their unique blend of music combines seldom-heard traditional tunes with
originals by band members and others. Hands4 consists of Fran Tewksbury on flute,
whistle, percussion, Keith Moe on fiddle and mandolin, Carl Thor on piano, and Rich Goss
on percussion. With their carefully-constructed tune sets, their diverse instrumentation, and
their well-crafted harmonies and arrangements, Hands4 brings a fresh flavor and excitement
to the dance hall wherever they play.
Karen Marshall started calling contra dances in 2008 for the Bellingham dance community
and since then has called dances from Vancouver BC to Olympia. She's known for her
energy on the dance floor and likes to call contra dances with the same enthusiasm and joy.
Potluck 5:30 pm: Jacque, 200 East 39th Ave, 541-302-2628
January 23rd
Tribute to Kathy Blago
Mulligatawny & Kathy’s Clowns playing Andrea Nettleton calling
Mulligatawny: a spicy concoction of Anglo-Indian cooking. Mulligatawny, the band, mashes
up cultures so a Scottish tune might bump up against one from Appalachia or a Cree IndianFrench blend. Ranging from the sweet to a raucous edge, Mulligatawny keeps things lively
for the dancers. Fiddler Linda Danielson is well known for her fine Scottish fiddling. As a
dance musician she plays for contras, English and Scottish country, Irish ceilidhs, and homegrown squares. Art and Cecily Morris (string bass and piano) were stalwarts in the contra
dance scene in Juneau, Alaska as both musicians and dancers. Now in Oregon, their band,
Mad Robin, has delighted dancers from Seattle to Coos Bay. Kevin Rothaar creates a
variety of textures and intensities on mandolin, banjo, and percussion and throws in flavors of
Motown, reggae, blues, and rock 'n' roll, as well as Celtic music.
Kathy's Clowns serves up southern Old-Time dance tunes for part this special Kathy Blago
dance. The band includes four musicians who were close friends of Kathy and who played at
contra dances way back when. And they sure know how to fire up dancers! One hot fiddler
is Sam Jones, a multi-instrumentalist and singer of traditional tunes and songs. Judy Scher,
another ‘old timer’, pitches in with her bodacious banjo playing – essential to any old time
band. Lucky for us, Carol Skarstad took her cello skills down the muddy, one-way dirt road
of old time music and now provides bass lines and beautiful bowing. Spence Hollinger has
been playing guitar forever. A Rock and Roller at heart, he brings an abundance of energy to
the band. After flunking out and wandering the country, Rich Klopfer, discovered the fiddle
and has been off the streets ever since -- mostly. He says "Learning the polka from Kathy
really set me straight."
Andrea Nettleton, from Atlanta, Georgia is a beloved and respected caller who exudes
warmth, generosity, and a sense of fun. She is renowned as a brilliant contra and square
dance choreographer, dreaming up creative dances that have a very satisfying flow. Andrea
will be including a special contra dance, called “Kathy’s Quilt,” which she wrote at our
request, to commemorate Kathy Blago's contribution to EFS.
Eugene Folklore Society
Page 2 of 4
November 19th Contra Dance
Perpetual e-motion playing
George Marshall calli n g
Perpetual e-Motion’s music is best described as captivating, passionate, propulsive and
progressive, perched at the convergence of traditional and electronic dance music. This Mainebased duo integrates technical and sonic innovations with old school traditions to create an
enormous sound that’s full of momentum and groove. Ed Howe plays a 5-string NS Design
electric violin – layering and orchestrating a variety of sounds by operating electronic
equipment with his feet. John Coté plays a Godin acoustic electric guitar connected into a
synthesizer module (controlled by his feet) to add a wide palette of sounds to the music He also
plays the didgeridoo and foot percussion. They are highly regarded throughout New England for
their ability to provide hours of driving, pulsating music for contra dances, which rely on
traditional dance tunes as a backdrop. Let’s welcome them back to Oregon!
George Marshall (Massachusetts) calls again! (see above)
Potluck: 5:30pm host: Jacque, 200 East 39th St., Eugene 541-302-2628
CASCADE CONTRAS DANCE CAMP April 9-11, 2016 with Cis Hinkle & Lindsey Miller Dono
We are all looking forward to Cascade Contras 2016 dance weekend. Our callers are Cis Hinkle and Lindsey Miller
Dono, two amazing and lovely women who will share their joy and love of dancing with us all.
Cis has been calling since 1985 and is a skilled caller with a masterful selection of
dances. She calls herself a recovering Software Engineer, and after I pressed for more
she said that she is kind, funny, competent, accessorized. Cis claims that her life is
pretty boring nowadays but that she used to hitchhike around the country with her dog.
Cis Hinkle
Lindsey Miller Dono
Lindsey has been dancing for more than twenty years
and incorporates her love of waltz, blues and swing into
the oft requested “advanced contra flourishes”
workshop. When I first asked Lindsey to describe
herself, she reacted with “Oy! ” But then, after getting
some help from her Facebook community, said that she
is articulate, enthusiastic, poised, and insightful.
HONORING KATHY BLAGO
The contra dance on January 23rd will Honor Kathy Blago’s life and bequest to EFS, with caller Andrea Nettleton who
has composed a dance entitled "Kathy's Quilt," and music by the Kathy’s Clowns (centered around musicians who
played when Kathy danced) and Mulligatawny, a new local band whose sets include original tunes to go with Andrea's
new choreography.
EFS is one lucky organization. For a good number of years we've been able to bring top contra dance bands and callers
from all over the country, without worrying even when dance admissions rarely covered the costs.
So how did this happen? It's a story of joy and loss and generosity in the form of a bequest from an EFS member. To
some of us she's a vivid memory. But newer members may never have heard of Kathy Blago--joyfully enthusiastic
contra dancer, EFS from its beginning to her death in August, 2003.
Kathy's interests ranged widely. Besides contra dancing, she taught swimming anywhere there was deep enough water
and someone who wanted to learn. She had a degree from Oregon Technical Institute and worked as a technical writer.
She was an original member of a round-singing group that still meets. A women's group spun off from the round singers,
and with these friends Kathy organized friendship quilt projects, where each person would contribute a block to a quilt
that might become a gift for a new baby, for someone who was moving away, or for a birthday. Girl Scouting held a
place in her heart. She participated in international folk dancing back before contra came to Eugene.
She was an enthusiastic, sometimes wild and muscular contra dancer. But in 1998, already debilitated by vasculitis, she
suffered a stroke. She used a wheel chair after that, and among her care givers and visitors were EFS friends. After her
death, EFS was surprised and touched to learn of her gift.
The board takes a pro-active approach to managing and safeguarding this resource which with care and reasonable
luck can support and underpin EFS projects for years to come. Save that evening--it's bound to be a great dance and
an appreciation of a member's generosity.
Song Circle on January 6th, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The next EFS Song Circle will be on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, 7:00-9:00 pm, at the home of Kris, 1063 Randall St..
For directions call 541-357-1857. Bring your copy of the Rise Up Singing songbook, and the new Rise Again songbook
if you have one. We go around the circle and each person chooses a song. Great fun! Musicians of any level with a
guitar, ukulele or banjo always welcome, even beginners. For info about our song circle, call Carol at 541-556-8241.
Eugene Folklore Society
EFS Concerts
Details in Folk Calendar
January 10: With passionate
melodies and angelic
harmonies, Laura Kemp and
Luna Marcus bring a unique
twist to modern day devotional
music and kirtan. Their fresh
interpretations of traditional
bhajans as well as their original
chants are sung primarily in
Sanskrit and performed in a
classic call and response
style,and backed by harmonium
and guitar.
January 15: Pretty Gritty’s
Soulful Americana have been
turning heads in the music
world. Sarah Wolff brings the
‘pretty’ while Blaine Heinonen
brings the ‘gritty’ combining for
an engaging alt-country duo with
seducing harmonies and
addicting acoustics. They have
earned a reputation as a mustsee musical act.
January 22: Danny Schmidt is
a force of nature. His songs are
a flood of poetry, mythology, folk
wisdom, and surprise. This
preeminent songsmith draws
comparisons to Cohen, Dylan
and Van Zandt. In perfomance,
with just his voice, his words,
and his dazzling guitar
technique, Danny is an authentic
timeless troubadour.
January 24: Peter Case is an
American singer-songwriter and
guitarist, who has had a wideranging career ranging from new
wave music to folk rock to solo
acoustic performance. Three
time Grammy nominee, Peter
Case’s work sets the bar for
authenticity, passion and
imagination and spans a number
of genres, including folk, blues,
and rock.
Page 3 of 4
January Folk Calendar
• Jan 2 – Portland New Year’s Launch Party Contra Dance. Gallimaufry playing, Erik Weberg &
Noah Grunzweig calling. Norse Hall 111 NE 11th St., Portland. Main ballroom. 8:00 pm - 1:00 am.
$15 general, $12 PCDC members, $9 students & seniors.. Admission includes ballroom/Latin
upstairs, blues downstairs.
• Jan 8 – Two Rivers Morris. 7:30 pm. The Atrium (10th & Olive). Free. (Opening for No Shame
Eugene during the First Friday Art Walk)
• Jan 10 – EFS house concert: Nārāyaṇī. 7:30 pm. 755 River Rd. $5-$15 sliding scale at door. $10
suggested. www.laurakemp.com Reservations [email protected]. Parking one block away on either
side
• Jan. 13-17 – Portland Old-Time Music Gathering.Tiffany Center,PDX. bubbaguitar.com/gathering/
• Jan 15 – EFS house concert: Pretty Gritty (Soulful Americana). 8:00 pm. 755 River Rd. $8-$12
sliding. Tickets at door only. prettygrittymusic.com. RSVP requested at: [email protected]. Parking
one block away on either side.
• Jan 15 – Moveable Feet Community and Family Dance. 7:00-9:00 pm. Creswell Community
Center. 99 S 1st St., Creswell. Free. http://moveablefeet.weebly.com or 541-895-2254. Sponsored
by the Creswell Library
• Jan 16 – Burns Scottish Dance. 7:00 pm. Santa Clara Grange, 295 Azalea Dr. Eugene. Pre-dance
workshop: 3:00 – 5:00 pm. Register by check or by email notification -- Dancers: $20 by 12/31/15
deadline or $25 after that. Spectators: $5. 1. Mail check payable to Kalindi Devi-Dasi (2873 Quiet Ln,
Eugene, OR 97404) or 2. Email (will pay at the door) [email protected]. Indicate if attending the
pre-dance workshop. Info: l Robert or Leone: 541-935-6051.
• Jan. 16-17 – Florence Winter Music Festival, Florence OR with co-headliners Jonathan Edwards
and Shook Twins. Traditional folk, bluegrass and Americana. winterfolkfestival.org
• Jan 22 – EFS house concert: Danny Schmidt. 8:00 pm. 755 River Rd. $12-$15 sliding.
dannyschmidt.com. Info & reservations: [email protected]. Parking one block away on either side.
• Jan 23 – Burns Night Dinner & Ceilidh Dance. Scottish & Celtic music and dance, traditional
Burns Night supper & more. 5:00 pm 9:00 pm. Advance ticket sales ONLY. No tickets at door.
burnsnighteugene.com
• Jan. 23-24 – Veselo Balkan Dance Weekend with Michael Ginsburg . Workshops. Saturday night
dance party music by KEF with Mark Levy & Carol Silverman. Vet’s Building 1626 Willamette St. $$
workshops/dance. Spectators free. Linda Ketchum 541-726-7548 [email protected] Daniel Downes
541-683-3688 [email protected]. Shirley Reeves 541-683-6197 [email protected]
• Jan 24 – EFS house concert: Peter Case 7:30 pm. 755 River Rd. $20. www.petercase.com. Info &
reservations: [email protected]. Parking one block away on either side.
• Jan. 30 – Midwinter Ball (English & Scottish Country Dancing). Live music: Linda Danielson
(fiddle) & Cecily Morris (keyboard). Dance 7:30 pm 11:00 pm. Afternoon Review: 1:00 pm 4:00 pm.
V.A. Auditorium in Roseburg OR. heatherandrose.org/activities/roseburg_ball.shtml
EFS Welcoming Statement
EFS values equality and mutual respect. We appreciate the diversity of gender,
age, race, ethnicity, national origin, range of abilities, sexual orientation, gender
identity, and gender expression. We actively cultivate a climate of purposeful
inclusion of all.
EFS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015-2016
President Rich Klopfer
541-521-0596
Secretary Linda Danielson
541-345-8156
Treasurer Larry Hill
541-520-5259
Dance Coord. Carol Skarstad
541-556-8241
Dir. at Large Kris Topaz [email protected]
OTHER VOLUNTEERS
Dance Programmer Sally Jenkins
[email protected]
Memberships
Newsletter Editor
Mailings
Publicity
Calendar
Potluck Coord.
Webmaster
Larry Hill
Kay Rumsey
John Bronson
Rich Klopfer
541-520-5259
541-485-2128
269-254-2587
541-521-0596
[email protected]
Art Morris
541-525-1116
Julia O’Reilly [email protected]
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
EUGENE OR
PERMIT NO. 706
Eugene Folklore Society
PO BOX 1645
Eugene OR 97440
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Morris Dancing & Performance
Come to First Friday Art Walk - January, 8th Two Rivers Morris will be the opening a for No Shame Eugene 7:30 at
the Atrium 10th and Olive. Interested in dancing Morris or playing your instrument? We practice every Thursday from
6:15 -8:15 at the Atrium call or text 541-686-6117. Don't forget to like us on Facebook.
EFS Board Meeting
The next EFS Board meeting is Sunday, January 10, 4:00 p.m. at Carol's house, 3395 Kincaid St. Eugene. EFS
members are encouraged to attend.
Eugene Folklore Society MEMBERSHIP: Join or Renew
Members get a $2 discount at regular EFS contra dances as well as voting privileges
Name(s): _______________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________
City: ____________________________________ State: _____ Zip: ________________
Telephone: ____________________ Email: ___________________________________
 Individual = $15.00  Family (2 adults at same address) = $25.00
 New member
 Renewing member
Mail with check to: EFS, PO Box 1645, Eugene OR 97440 OR submit at a contra dance