A trip to Rehoboth (or the Ox Dance, revisited)

Last night, we traveled to Rehoboth, MA, to dance and play with the Rehoboth Jammers. The jammers meet each week to play, and once a month the jam turns into a potluck & dance. We had the chance to dance in many formations and experience a different caller for almost every dance. After an hour of all this moving around, we took out the fiddles and played along with the jammers to Keith Murphy's Evergreen waltz. Thanks to everyone who helped us keep that steady beat! Here we are dancing to the Ox Dance.



Favorite parts of the night, from students and parents:
"the ox dance, because it was funny and goofy"
"the dance where we kept changing partners"
"at first I was getting my rights and lefts confused, but it got easier after a while"
"playing our violins with them"
"they were good people"
"they helped us sound a lot better"

Elixir

On Friday, 4/16, Fiddle & Dance Project families and I hopped on a bus to visit with Community MusicWorks and experience a CMW workshop led by Elixir (these guys in the photo, plus Peter Barnes!). Nils (with the trombone) called and led us through some introductory dances with HUGE circles of students, parents, siblings, and teachers. We had a chance to hear Elixir's unique contradance sound and play along with them on the tune, "Reverend Brothers".
Here is what students had to say on the bus ride home:
"I liked the music because it made me happy"
"I liked the style of dancing -- it makes you comfortable with anybody."
"The piano was awesome."
And many more students "liked the dancing"! Looking forward to some more dancing next month.
I forgot to charge my camera battery for this one, but hopefully I'll get some other photos linked up here soon.

Tunes on Main St

The whole vibe was wonderfully positive throughout the evening of our Fiddle & Dance Project benefit night at the Village Restaurant. And musically, it was magical with the Gnomes (minus one),



French Roast (with a Cajun twist),



and the Bourbon Boys. Cathy and Michelle even stepped in for a 3-fiddle version of Red Haired Boy!



Over 40 people came over the course of the evening to support the work, listen (and dance) to the tunes, and enjoy delicious plantains! Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the night a success.

In April's Rhode Island Monthly

Check it out...in this month's RI Monthly magazine

Join us at the Village Restaurant on Pawtucket's Main Street on April 8th!

Thank you to Emily Ustach for creating this awesome poster!

6 new students

The past couple of weeks have been busy. 6 new students have joined Fiddle & Dance Project, from a 2nd grade student to a 10th grade student and everywhere in between.

There are big moments: the first time holding the violin, the first bow games, the first sound on the instrument... and at the same time, students who have been learning to fiddle since October are feeling what it's like to be the ones with lots of knowledge to share.

I've also been playing for more and more contra dances with the Cicadas and with the Whatnots! Here I am with the Cicadas, checking the sound at the dance in Hampton, CT last Saturday.

A Room full of Spoons

I happened to pass by the room where Mark Rust was teaching the Play the Spoons workshop at this year's Dance Flurry in Saratoga, NY and it was packed. This is from the end of the workshop. Props to all the new spoons-players! Just goes to show that everyone wants to play the spoons when given the chance...