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CC 2012 Update: We have received more applications than we will be able to accept for CC 2012, but our registrar has been in the midst of moving (not anticipated when we set the registration date!) and has not
yet had time to process them. We appreciate your patience and hope to let those who applied know of their status by the end of October. Those who have not yet applied are encouraged to go ahead and do so - we always have cancellations
and it's quite possible that you will still be accepted.
January 13-15, 2012 |
San Luis Obispo, California |
Elixir - Great Bear Trio
Tidal Wave/Raz de Marèe
Nils Fredland - Susan Michaels
George Marshall
with Erik Hoffman leading music jams
& Michael Gutin providing music during breaks
Please join us for our 7th annual
Contra Carnivale, an almost-all-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 weekend with high-energy contra dancing, but recommend that you plan to spend
Friday &/or Monday exploring & adventuring in the San Luis area on your own.
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Friday:
7:00 Doors open
8:00 - 11:30 Contra Dance: Tidal Wave with George Marshall
Saturday:
9:00 Doors open for continental breakfast
9:30-10:15 Fireside Lounge Concert with Tidal Wave
10:30 - 11:15 Waltzing with Great Bear Trio
11:30 - 1:45
Contra Dance: Elixir with Nils Fredland
1:30 - 3:00 Fireside Lounge Jam Session with Erik Hoffman
2:00 - 4:30
Contra Dance: Great Bear Trio with Susan Michaels
4:30 - 7:00 Dinner on your own
7:00 - 7:45 Fireside Lounge Concert with Great Bear Trio
8:00 - 11:30 Contra Dance: Elixir with Nils Fredland
Sunday:
9:00 Doors open for continental breakfast
9:30 - 10:15 Main Hall concert with Elixir (from floor)
10:30 - 11:15 Waltzing with Tidal Wave
11:30 - 1:45 Contra Dance: Tidal Wave with George Marshall
1:30 - 3:00 Fireside Lounge Jam Session with Erik Hoffman
2:00 - 4:15 Contra Dance: Elixir with Nils Fredland
4:15 - 6:45 Dinner on your own
6:45 - 10:15 Contra Dance: Great Bear Trio with Susan Michaels
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Elixir is a high energy dance band and caller combination that blends superb calling,
driving fiddle and guitar playing, and the rich texture and rhythmic excitement of a full horn section. Elixir performs tightly crafted music drawing on a wide range of styles
and evoking a variety of moods. Elegant melodies evolve into raucous dixieland horn riffs; transcendent harmonies, playful improvisations, and rock, swing and reggae-inspired
rhythms weave in and out of traditional and original Irish, French Canadian and New England tunes.
Elixir is Nils Fredland on trombone and vocals, Ethan Hazzard-Watkins on fiddle, Jesse Hazzard-Watkins on trumpet and flugelhorn, Anna Patton on clarinet and vocals,
and Owen Morrison on guitar and foot percussion.
The Great Bear Trio The Great Bear Trio is a contra dance band consisting of brothers
Andrew VanNorstrand (fiddle, guitar, bouzouki) and Noah VanNorstrand (fiddle, mandolin, feet) and their mother Kim Yerton (piano). They play a unique, high-energy
blend of traditional and original material and regularly tour all over North America. The Great Bear Trio will be joined at Contra Carnivale by everyone's favorite percussionist,
Mark "Pokey" Hellenberg.
Tidal Wave (Raz de Marèe) is a unique music ensemble on the Quebecois
folk-music scene. Primarily a dance band, the lively, traditional repertoire of these accomplished musicians will energize and amaze!
Tidal Wave's members, who come from Quebec (Sabin Jacques on accordion and Eric Favreau on violin), Acadia (Rachel Aucoin on piano and vocals),
and New England (Stuart Kenney on bass and banjo), invite cultures to meet and share a passion for traditional music and dance.
  
Nils Fredland has been making music, leading dances, and bringing people
together for twenty years as a teacher; singer and song leader; trombonist; contra, square, and community dance caller; story teller; and workshop leader.
He shares his infectious energy with dancers and singers of all ages and levels of ability, coast to coast and beyond, nearly every weekend. Nils is widely respected
for his expertise in each of his chosen fields, and beloved for his sensitive leadership, generosity, friendliness, and community-minded approach. He brings this collection
of traits and talents to each of his various engagements, making him one of the busiest and most sought-after artists in the field of traditional music and dance.
George Marshall's specialty is teaching and calling the New England-style contra dances he has collected throughout the country. He is renowned for his knack of matching music to
dance and for his smooth, concise teaching and presentation. Also a talented musician, he plays concertina and bodhran and has recorded on eight albums. In addition to performing and teaching,
George produces music and dance events including a week-long February dance vacation in the Caribbean.
Susan Michaels is not a born dancer. She knows what it feels like to be a klutz. In fact, the moment of her greatest personal humiliation came at a fifth
grade "square dance" when Larry Zimberg said he'd rather eat dirt than hold her sweaty, trembling hand. And so, no one is more surprised than she is right now that her greatest
JOY is being on the dance floor teaching, calling and dancing the traditional American dances. Susan believes it is her calling (pun intended) to share her joy with you.
"I specialize in creating joy, making community, and allowing everyone I come in contact with to experience the pure pleasure of dance."
 
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.
Michael Gutin's accordion music can best be described as "eccentric eclectic." This year, he will play
couple-dance tunes during the breaks between sets 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.
Some of the motels have deadlines for receiving the discount, and many of them have a 30-day cancellation policy. While some motels, such as Travelodge, fill early, there are often
cancellations in December, so it might pay to check back with them later.
TRAVELODGE, 1825 Monterey Street: (805)543-5110 [$62-67]
DAYS INN, 2050 Garfield Street: (805)549-9911 [$67]
LOS PADRES INN, 1575 Monterey Street: (805) 543-5017 [$59-69]
VILLA MOTEL, 1670 Monterey Street: (805)543-8071 [$64-74]
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. Here's a comprehensive listing.
A somewhat less expensive alternative is HOSTEL OBISPO, which is about a mile from the hall.
Camping is available at several
County parks and State parks
in the area. Reservations are required.
No 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
are provided throughout the weekend.
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Registration for Contra Carnivale 2012 opens on September 19, 2011.
Click here to download a pdf application.
Pre-registration is required and applications will be accepted in the order they are sent (based on postmarks) or hand-delivered
with consideration given to gender balance. If more dancers than we have space for apply in the first 2 days, acceptances will be allocated by lottery and those not
immediately accepted will be placed on a waiting list. Acceptances (or waiting list notifications) will be
sent by email shortly after receipt of your application.
IMPORTANT: We will not accept applications postmarked or delivered before September 19, 2011.
After 12/13/2011, refunds for cancellations
will be contingent upon our ability to fill your spot. We will charge a $20 administrative fee on all
cancellations. Acceptances are not transferable.
To register, send application and $140 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
515 W. Quinto Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
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. You'll recognize it by the humongous tank sitting out front.
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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Please join our Facebook Group where members can discuss the event, post photos, arrange carpools, find roommates for the weekend, etc.
We also have a Contra Carnivale Google Group for further discussion of Contra Carnivale.
You can receive announcements regarding Contra Carnivale by signing up on our email list here.
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