Workshop Details Corvallis Contra Weekend 2019

Gatton Hall (contra) sessions

Go With the Flow with Cis Hinkle

Smooth, flowing contra dances, with some pointers on how to use music and momentum to make the most of them

Connect, Communicate, and Play with Michael Karcher

Explore ways to connect and communicate with our contra partners and neighbors, both verbally and nonverbally. Also play with different kinds of role exchanges along the way.

Micro Medleys with Michael Karcher

A series of bite-sized medleys (each the length of a regular dance), exploring the form. Lots of surprises and nonstop change!

Mindbending Contras with Cis Hinkle

For those who want a little more spice in their dancing experience, we’ll explore some contras with tricky moves, unexpected twists, and challenging timing.

Other workshop sessions

Movement Improvement with Qi Gong with Cis Hinkle

With roots in Chinese medicine, philosophy, and martial arts, qigong is a practice to cultivate and balance qi (chi), translated as "life energy". Come learn how to use some of these gentle and powerful movements to enhance your dance experience with more flexibility, strength, balance, and flow. You’ll feel better at the end of class than when you came in, guaranteed!

Comping with a fiddle! (What to do when the guitarist doesn't show up) with Claude Ginsberg

In many musical genres, the violin is underutilized as a rhythm instrument. We will explore some ways you can back up other instruments while they are taking the melodic line, or add rhythmic or percussive accompaniment.

Let's Talk Contra! with Michael Karcher (Brown Bag Lunch)

There's nothing callers like more than talking about calling. If there's interest we might even do some practicing! Bring your cards if you have them.

Inside Quebecois Traditional Music (all you wanted to know about Quebecois music and were afraid to ask!) with Genticorum

A demonstration / question and answer session about Quebecois traditional music and the instruments used – fiddle, button and piano accordions, guitar, piano, guimbarde, feet, etc. Bring your instruments and we'll learn a tune or two!

David Kaynor Tune workshop with Sande Gillette

This workshop will feature tunes written by David Kaynor, harmonized for twin fiddles. Bring your instrument and a music stand; music will be provided.

Drive and Emphasis for Contra Dance backup with Julie King

This workshop is open to all, but will especially focus on rhythm players.

Tune writing workshop with Dave Bartley

Let’s write a contra dance tune (or two!) from scratch.