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11/1/2008 Update: Contra Carnivale 2009 is full. If you want to come, please go ahead and send in your form and check. We will keep waiting lists for couples, single women, and single men.
In previous years, a lot of spaces opened up due to last-minute cancellations. So - register, keep the weekend open and your fingers crossed, and stay flexible enough to come to SLO on short notice. We won't deposit your check unless/until you are accepted.
January 16-18, 2009 |
San Luis Obispo, California |
Crowfoot - The Groovemongers
Notorious
Nils Fredland - Rick Mohr
Susan Petrick
with Erik Hoffman leading music jams
& Michael Gutin providing music during breaks
Please join us for our 4th annual
Contra Carnivale, a contra dance event in San Luis Obispo over Martin Luther King weekend.
Since it coincides with the beginning of the season, we’ll decorate in a Mardi Gras theme and
encourage “Mardi Gras festive” attire - especially for the Saturday evening dance! Bring your
sequins and feathers and we’ll supply beads for everybody!
Centrally located near the coast mid way between the San Franciso Bay area and Los
Angeles, San Luis Obispo is a great place to
visit. We’ll fill your afternoons and evenings with high-energy contra dancing, but you’ll
have Saturday and Sunday mornings to sleep in or do a little exploring and adventuring on your
own.
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Friday:
8:00 - 11:30 The Groovemongers
Saturday:
10:00 - 10:45 Morning waltz warmup with Crowfoot
11:00 - 1:30 The Groovemongers
2:00 - 4:30
Crowfoot
4:30 - 7:00 Dinner on your own
7:00 - 9:15 Crowfoot
9:30 - 11:30 Notorious
Sunday:
10:00 Complimentary brunch at the hall
10:30 - 11:30 Notorious Concert
11:30 - 2:00 Crowfoot
2:30 - 4:30 Notorious
4:30 - 7:00 Dinner on your own
7:00 - 10:30 The Groovemongers
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Crowfoot, Adam Broome
(guitar, cittern, vocals), Jaige Trudel (fiddle, cello, vocals), and Nicholas Williams (flutes, accordion, piano, vocals),
weaves musical influences from England, Ireland, Quebec, and the Appalachian Mountains into a captivating
fusion that delights dancers and listeners alike. Into this meeting ground of traditions, they incorporate
their own distinctive original compositions and songs. Having cut their teeth on the contra dance circuit,
Crowfoot has gained a reputation for their trancelike grooves, subtle interplay, and unstoppable energy.
For 3 years they have been playing for dances across the US and Canada, drawing a youthful following
and foot-stomping praise wherever they go.
The Groovemongers, C.W. Abbott (mandolin, guitar), Jane Knoeck (piano, accordion), Rebecca McCallum
(fiddle), and Mark Hellenberg (percussion) are a northern-style band with a world view of music who play Contradances with rhythm, flair, and drive.
Notorious, Eden MacAdam-Somer (fiddle, vocals), Larry Unger
(guitar, banjo), Sam Bartlett (mandolin, jaw harp), and Mark Hellenberg (percussion, banjo uke),
has been lauded as "sparkling" and "exhilarating.” Notorious
presents a thrilling musical experience in genres that span many continents and that lights up the hall with
rhythm and sonority. Their performances are always new and exciting, featuring traditional American, Celtic,
and Eastern-European tunes and songs, swing, blues, classical music and the group’s original compositions.
Nils Fredland Nils Fredland has been making music, leading dances, and bringing people together for 20 years
as a teacher; singer; instrumentalist; contra, square, and community dance leader; and workshop leader.
He shares his skill, charisma, grace and goofiness with contra dancers coast to coast every weekend.
Nils is known for his technical skill, disarming friendliness, comfortable stage presence, and soothing voice. "Nils teaches with clarity and calls with an
enthusiasm that is totally contagious...he has achieved that wonderful balance so elusive to most callers.
He calls masterfully and still remembers to bring his soul to each and every one of his dances."
Rick Mohr has been calling and composing contra dances for 20+ years,
pleasing dancers of all levels across New England and North America.
Dancers praise Rick's top-notch dance repertoire, crystal-clear calling,
warmth, and humor, and many of his dance compositions have become coast-to-coast favorites. Rick also plays
dance music on fiddle and button accordion, leads harmony singing, and
teaches Morris and rapper dancing.
Susan Petrick has been calling contra dances for 8 years. Her greatest pleasure is to program interesting, varied dances with great flow,
and to teach them clearly and concisely. She has had the good fortune to work with wonderful bands and to travel and call in the Midwest
and the East Coast in addition to up and down the West Coast.
Erik Hoffman is an accomplished musician
who plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bodhran, and just about anything else he gets his hands
on. Erik loves the spirit and joy that is passed along with traditional music and dance and
loves to share his enthusiasm. Bring your instruments and plan to participate in musical jam sessions with Erik each afternoon.
Erik also calls contra dances and currently helps organize the Wednesday dance series in Berkeley.
The accordion music of Michael Gutin can best be described as “eccentric eclectic.” This year, he will play
couple-dance tunes during the breaks between bands for those of you who just can't get enough dancing.
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Several nearby motels are holding rooms for Contra Carnivale attendees. To reserve a room at our discounted rate, mention that you are attending Contra Carnivale when you call with your credit card:
TRAVELODGE, 1825 Monterey Street: (800)578-7878 or (805)543-5110 [$62-67]
DAYS INN, 2050 Garfield Street: (800)544-7250 or (805)549-9911 [$63]
VILLA MOTEL, 1670 Monterey Street: (805)543-8071 [$65-74]
LOS PADRES MOTEL, 1575 Monterey Street: (800)543-5097 [$60-65]
Also relatively inexpensive and within a 5-minute walk of the hall:
SUPER 8 1951 Monterey Street: 805-544-6888
There are several other motels nearby too. Here's a comprehensive listing.
A somewhat less expensive alternative is HOSTEL OBISPO, which is about a mile from the hall. The proprietor is a local contra dancer and she would love to fill the hostel with Carnivale attendees that weekend!
Camping is available at several
County parks and State parks
in the area. Reservations are required.
Notorious will serenade us during a complimentary Sunday Brunch at the hall where you'll have an opportunity to socialize with other Carnivale attendees while you prepare for
another day of fabulous contra dancing.
No other meals are included as part of Contra Carnivale, but there are a great many good restaurants
in the area. We will have information about them available at the event. Abundant beverages and snacks
will be provided throughout the weekend.
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Click here to download a pdf application.
Pre-registration is required and applications will be accepted in the order they are received
with consideration given to gender balance. Acceptances (or waiting list notifications) will be
sent by email shortly after receipt of your application. After 12/15/2008, refunds for cancellations
will be contingent upon our ability to fill your spot. We will charge a $15 administrative fee on all
cancellations. Registrations are not transferable.
To register, send application and $125 per registrant (check payable to CCCDS) to our registrar,
Cynthia Boche at the address below. If you are unable to open the pdf registration form, just
send your (very clearly printed) name, gender, address, email address, and phone number and indicate whether we can
print your contact information on the event roster.
CCCDS - Contra Carnivale
922 W. Valerio Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Please contact Cynthia at carnivale@cccds.org or 805-682-8248 if you have questions.
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CCCDS's Contra Carnivale will be held at the San Luis Obispo Veterans' Memorial Building at 801 Grand Avenue.
From the South: Take the Grand Avenue (Cal Poly) exit from Highway 101. Turn right onto
Grand Avenue and look for the Vets' Hall on the right between Mill & Palm Streets.
From the North: Take the Monterey Street (Cal Poly) exit from Highway 101. Turn left
across the freeway, then turn right onto Monterey Street. Turn right on Grand Avenue at the
first light, then almost immediately left into the Vets' Hall parking lot.
Map of 801 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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