Students making contra dance cards at Calling 101 on December 15, 2019
There’s still room for more dancers to learn how to be a contra dance caller! On Sundays, January 5 and January 12, 2020, Dugan Murphy is hosting a 5-hour class. Sign up for the date that works for you!
If you are a contra dancer who has zero experience calling contra dances but you want to know how it works, this experience for you.
The Pic'd Up Orchestra 12/20/18
The sixth open band night at Portland Intown Contra Dance will be Thursday, March 12, 2020. Whether you are just starting to learn your instrument or have been working on it for decades, there’s a place for you in The Pic’d Up Orchestra.
Next open band night: Thursday, March 12, 2020
Piano - Neil Pearlman
Fiddle - Clara Stickney
Fearless Leader - Emily Troll
Other Instruments - YOU!
There will be a practice party about a week in advance of the gig - not absolutely necessary for you to attend, but helpful if you want to play with the band on March 12.
More information about the open band, including a list of tunes they play, is on the open band page of this website.
To find out about the date and location of the practice party, email Emily at etroll@wesleyan.edu.
The last open band night on October 10, 2019
Eight callers got together with musician Clara Stickney on Saturday, October 26 to discuss and practice best practices for callers working with musicians to achieve great experiences for contra dancers. Thanks to Clara the workshop was a success - so much fun and also so helpful for the callers who attended!
This workshop was sponsored by PICD and designed by Clara Stickney, Dela Murphy, and Dugan Murphy.
Musician Clara Stickney, in collaboration with callers Dela Murphy and Dugan Murphy, has designed a workshop that PICD is offering to callers from the local area and further afar.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
10AM-3PM
Hosted at the home of Dela and Dugan Murphy above Heritage Seaweed on India Street in Portland, Maine
Veggie chili and vegan cornbread included
$35 advance registration required
Limited to 12 participants
Click here for more information and to register.
7:30 p.m. ‘til 9:30 p.m.
20 bucks suggested donation goes straight to the musicians
Above Heritage Seaweed at 61 India Street, Portland, Maine
THE MUSICIANS:
With instrumentation that includes saxophone, banjo, fiddles, mandolin, foot percussion, guitar, and voices, the Faux Paws (Noah VanNorstrand, Andrew VanNorstrand, and Chris Miller) pack a vast amount of music and heart into a small package. A typical set shifts from intricately arranged compositions to completely spontaneous bursts of improvisation, but the music is always infectious, taking the audience along for a wild ride.
DIRECTIONS AND PARKING:
This concert will be at the home of Dugan Murphy and Dela Murphy above Heritage Seaweed at 61 India Street. For directions, use Google Maps. Find the door with signage about the concert. Metered parking in the area is free after 6PM.
Photo by Emma Hindall
This is your opportunity to spring contra dancing on your unsuspecting friends and relatives. Just walk by and join in!
This event is a collaboration with Friends of Congress Square Park. The dancing will be on Friday, September 13 from 6 'til 8 PM in Congress Square Park, located on the corner of Congress and High Streets downtown.
We have an awesome lineup of talented folks:
Lake Effect (Chuck Abell, Matt Sloboda, and Rowan Wolf) from Rochester, NY will be performing, joined by caller Katy Heine from Ithaca, NY. They'll also be performing for us for our regular Thursday-night contra dance on September 12.See you in the park!
For all the newer and more experienced contra dance callers in our local area, as well as interested folks from further afar, PICD is bringing contra calling mentor mastermind, Bob Isaacs, to town to teach us some intermediate-to-advanced skills.
Saturday, July 27, 2019
10AM-3PM
Hosted at the Event Barn at Turkey Hill Farm, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
$35 advance registration required
Limited to 12 participants
Click here for more information and to register.
The Pic'd Up Orchestra 12/20/18
The last open band night on December 20, 2018 was so awesome that we wanted to schedule the next one soon. The open band is everyone’s opportunity to play music for live contra dancers on stage. It’s the warmest, fuzziest thing we’ve ever done.
Next open band night: Thursday, April 25, 2019
Piano - Neil Pearlman
Fiddle - Clara Stickney
Fearless Leader - Emily Troll
Other Instruments - YOU!
In an open band, everyone is welcome!
Seriously.
The goal is simply to have fun together playing music for dancers. There is room for new, intermediate, and experienced musicians alike. Fearless Leader, Emily Troll, makes the group work for everybody.
Invite folks who play instruments that you don’t normally see at contra dances. Invite folks who haven’t been to a contra dance before.
Fearless Leader, Emily Troll, along with the lead rhythm player, Neil Pearlman, and lead melody player, Clara Stickney, will host a practice party about a week or so ahead of the dance. Attending this party is not required for participating in the open band on April 25, but it is recommended.
To find out about the date and location of the practice party, email Emily at etroll@wesleyan.edu.
PICD Winter Ball 12/20/18. Music by the Pic'd Up Orchestra (Emily Troll conducting, Clara Stickney lead fiddle, Neil Pearlman lead piano, and 28 volunteer musicians). Calling by Dugan Murphy.
