Look through our calendar below to find both in person and online events.
The FSGW Calendar can be viewed two ways:
Le Bal Perdu DC and FSGW present an evening of Balfolk! Dances from France
At the School of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park, MD. Easy street parking and a few blocks from the Takoma Metro.
(note - the School of Musical Traditions is in a different location than the House of Musical Traditions)
Cost: $10 (pay at the door)
Live music from Trio Mirambel - fiddle, accordion, and hurdy-gurdy
All dances taught, no partner needed!
More info: lebalperdu.dc@gmail.com
The Takoma Park Old-Time Jam is again at Busboys and Poets in Takoma Park, the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
More info about the Old-Time Jams
The Glen Echo Folk Dancers will be meeting in-person every Wednesday evening at Glen Echo Park (7300 MacArthur Blvd).
7:30 pm: beginning/intermediate/advanced teaching
8:30-10 pm: open request dancing
Admission: $10
We strongly urge everyone to be vaccinated and fully boostered, but do not require it. If you have not done so already, please send your email address to dancingplanet@erols.com.
Note: if you are having symptoms, or if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, or may be positive, please attend the class via Zoom for the next week or 2. If you attend the class and then test positive, please let me know immediately, so I can inform those who attended the class (without identifying you).
For out-of-towners and those who cannot attend in person, we are offering this class via Zoom. You can enter by clicking onto the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87152651884?pwd=QWVyVEc1cm9uWTNqTkwrYTdPWlRrdz09
Meeting ID: 871 5265 1884 Password: 145
See the website for more information: dancingplanetproductions.com/folkdance
In-person dancing at Glen Echo Town Hall
You may register in advance (preferred) or at the door. Attendance will be limited to 44 dancers and spectators so if you are planning on registering at the door, please check the event page beforehand to see how many spaces are left.
If you have not previously attended a Wednesday night English country dance at Glen Echo, you may select "first time free" when registering. New dancers are welcome. If you have no previous English country dance experience or would like a refresher, please arrive at around 7:30 for a lesson.
Covid Protocol: This dance series is now Tier 2, meaning that masks and vaccination-and-booster are encouraged but not required
Click on this link to view the FSGW COVID-19 Response policy
The dance is held in the upstairs room of the Glen Echo Town Hall.
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If you'd like to get weekly reminders and other email of interest to our local dancers, please send an email to ecd.registrar@fsgw.org to be added to the list.
General information on our English Country Dance web page
Contra dance in the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD. Co-sponsored by Friday Night Dancers and FSGW.
Caller: Ben Sela and Rebecca Anger
Band: Petrichord (Bobby LaRose on keys, mandolin, and bones, Colleen Holroyd on fiddle and feet, and Sophie Chang on cello)
All dances will be taught.
Lesson at 7:30pm, Dance is at 8:00pm.
COVID Policy: This is an FSGW Tier 2 event, which means that masks and vaccinations encouraged but not required
Registration is required of all participants. Pre-registration is preferred - you may pay online or wait to pay at the door. You may register at the door. Cash and credit card are accepted at the door. Registrations may be cancelled prior to the event, and any payment will be refunded as a credit for future use. No refunds will be available after the event has started.
Ben Hole will lead, teach and organize the request dancing.
No experience or partner necessary.
Lessons 8:00 - 8:30pm
Request dancing 8:30 - 9:30pm.
More information: International Folk Dancing (Greenbelt)
Hosted by Michele and Dennis Callaghan at their home in Edgewater, MD. Topic: "Highways and Byways"
RSVP to Callagh@verizon.net or 240-305-4263 for the address.
More about the Open Sings
A House Concert hosted by Gordon Johnston and Karen Helbrecht in the Del Ray Neighborhood of Alexandria, VA
Saturday, May 18, 2024
7:30 to 9:30 PM
Recommended Donation of $15-$20 per person – all proceeds go directly to the band to cover the costs of recording an album this summer!
Email petrichordcontra@gmail.com to RSVP and for the house concert address.
Petrichord is a dynamic contra dance trio based in the Washington, DC area, weaving together many influences to create an eminently danceable, engaging experience. Colleen Holroyd (fiddle, feet) brings her passion for Québécois, Cape Breton, and Scottish fiddle tunes to the band. Sophie Chang (cello) injects catchy and colorful accompaniments, drawing from her experience across a wide range of styles. Rounding out the trio is Bobby LaRose (piano, mandolin), adding a blend of inspiration from old-time, Irish music, and a firm background in ragtime and gospel.
Learn more about the band and help fund their recording efforts
FSGW and World Music & Dance Institute present two events
with KALOS Celtic Roots Music
Both events take place at the home of Jamie and Betsy Platt in Potomac, MD
Info / registration / address details: dancingplanet@erols.com 301-466-3018
LEARN A TUNE WITH KALOS!
Sunday, May 19, 6 - 8:30 pm
Suggested donation $25 cash or Venmo
In this workshop, we will learn a tune and navigate this space together through arrangement. We will start with instruction on melody and backing, and then join together for discussion and arranging.
Open to all instruments and all levels!
Kalos is made up of three innovative interpreters and composers of Celtic roots music: Eric McDonald (guitar), Ryan McKasson (fiddle) and Jeremiah McLane (accordion). Contra, English, Scottish and Scandinavian dancers as well as traditional folk fans will be familiar with this band and each of its members who have powered such stellar groups as the Syncopaths, Ensemble Galilee and MAC (Ryan); Nightingale and Clayfoot Strutters (Jeremiah); and the Scottish powerhouse band Cantrip (Eric); but together they create an uncanny magic that goes far beyond. More about Kalos
Listen to Kalos
Their latest release, Headland, which refers to a point where land meets sea, is a fitting analogy for the exploratory space Kalos inhabits -- one that calls forth driving, heartfelt music journeying through unknown territory to seek and find its essence – the enduring, resilient experience of the human heart.
HOUSE CONCERT with Kalos (learn more)
Monday, May 20, 7:30 pm
General information on Concerts
HOUSE CONCERT:
Suggested donation $20 cash or Venmo
LEARN A TUNE WITH KALOS! Learn more
In celebration of the Asian and Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Somapa Thai Dance Company.
FREE for all, you'll need to reserve free timed entry passes at this link before your visit to the Library.
Advance passes online: Timed-entry passes are available up to 30 days in advance. Same-day passes online: A limited number of same-day passes will be available online each open day at 9 a.m. ET
Somapa Thai Dance Company is a distinguished Thai dance and music company based in the Washington DC area. The group features the best Thai orchestra in the United States. Many of its artists have been trained with highly recognized dance and music masters, including National Artists and others from Chulalongkorn University and the prestigious Department of Fine Arts in Bangkok, Thailand. The group’s mission is to preserve and promote Thai culture and arts in the Americas. Through performances and workshops, the Company hopes that music and dance will bring peace and diversity to society through increased understanding of people’s different cultures and backgrounds.
FSGW is working with the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress to bring you this concert. The fee structure and COVID protocols are those of the Library of Congress.
Linda Mansdorf will lead, teach and organize the request dancing.
Request dancing 8:30-9:30pm.
Caller: Julian Blechner
Band: Cojiro (Mark Price on guitar and mandolin, Jess Newman on fiddle)
Caller: Perry Shafran
Band: The Boneshakers (Joe DeZarn on fiddle, Gina Faber on mandolin, Paul Hammerton on guitar, and Ralph Gordon on bass)
John Robinson will lead, teach and organize the request dancing.
On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the FSGW Board will meet from 8pm to 10pm in a video conference meeting. Please contact the FGSW President via this link or the FSGW WebMaster via this link to get the video conference information if you wish to attend.
Board meetings are open to members. If you have agenda items you wish to have considered, please contact the FSGW President at: president@fsgw.org
COVID info: masks and vaccinations encouraged but not required. More info
Vince Wilding will be hosting the Online Open Sing on 6/7/24
The theme is: Animals, Real & Imaginary
***Only those wishing to sing need to register.***
June Open Sing Registration Link
bit.ly/June-Online-Open-Sing-Signup
June Open Sing Singers List Link
bit.ly/June-Open-Sing-Singers-List
Reminder:
Registration will be open til Noon EDT on 6/7/24.
Zoom Link will be sent to the Open Sing Mailing List. If you're not a member, sign up at https://groups.io/g/FSGWOpenSings
Caller: Colette Mrozek and Ben Sella
Band: Handspring (Carrie Rose on flute, Alexander Mitchell on fiddle and mandolin, and Owen Morrison on guitar)
Gender Free Terms for all dance calls. All dances will be taught.
Lesson at 7:30pm
Larry Weinerwill lead an
Oldies but Goodies Night
all request evening featuring recorded music international folk dance favorites - many easy dances to just follow along -
Request dancing 8:00-9:30pm.
FSGW and Voices in the Glen invite storytellers and listeners to an evening of shared stories. Anyone is welcome to tell a tale; no one ever has to. Event details and Zoom link here.
Cost: FREE!
General information on Story Swaps
Barn Dance from 1-3pm in the Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD.
Caller: TBA
Music: Dan Levenson (fiddle) and Gina Faber (guitar/mandolin)
Covid Info: This is an FSGW Tier 2 event -
Masks and vaccination are encouraged but not required
Admission: Free! (no need to register, just show up at the door)
General information on our Barn Dance web page
Our featured tellers this month are the gregarious Jackson Gillman and the notorious Vijai Nathan.
Join us on Wednesday, June 12 at 7:30 Eastern at Busboys and Poets Takoma; or, for out-of-towners, via Zoom. You can register FOR FREE for access to the live stream or to catch the recorded show later. No registration needed for in-person, you can just show up!
Registrants will get emails with reminders on the date, time, and location, as well as Zoom information. We ask for donations to support our tellers, suggested $20 per person. Donations can be made in person or online before, during, or after the show, at: https://fsgw2.org/grapevine.html
The Grapevine is spoken word performance for adults and teens, celebrating the timeless art of the story, hosted by storytellers Renée Brachfeld and Tim Livengood.
ABOUT OUR TELLERS:
Jackson Gillman has been dubbed the Stand-Up Chameleon for transforming into a range of engaging characters. He has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival and has been Teller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center. He annually portrays Rudyard-in-Residence at Kipling’s historic Vermont home. Song, mime, and sign language might be incorporated into his telling – whatever brings a story to life. Shining through Jackson's wit and versatility is bemused warmth and honesty. More about Jackson
Vijai Nathan has made people laugh across America and internationally. She grew up as a “foreigner” in the suburbs of Washington D.C., where she was born. Her material comes from her experience as an Indian girl in America - raising immigrant parents, dating boys with mothers who wished their sons could find a nice blonde girl named "Tiffany," and the universal quest for love, understanding and a good pair of undies. More about Vijai
Learn more about The Grapevine (Storytelling) series
In the Great Hall (wood floor) at the Silver Spring Civic Building.
Please note: There is no longer free parking at the Civic Center Parking Garage
Caller: Lucia Schaefer
Band: Pinky Pickers (Max Jacobs, Sam Klotz, Gabriel Fricks, and Noah Klotz)
Calling Terms: Larks and Robins
Lesson at 7:00pm, Dance is from 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Covid protocol: masks and vaccinations encouraged but not required
The monthly Song Circle provides a daytime opportunity to enjoy delightful songs, old or new, humorous or serious, timeless or topical. Free!
Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience. Come for informal group singing or just to listen, in person or via Zoom.
June 16 is Father's Day and June 19 is Juneteenth, so bring or request your favorite songs about fathers, liberation sings, or any other songs!
To keep the singing going, it's helpful if you send your requests in advance using the form in the registration link below.
Susan McNelis will lead songs with guitar accompaniment, and any participant may lead any song, a cappella or self-accompanied.
Participants should read and follow FSGW’s revised Policy Regarding Respiratory Viruses and In-Person Event Participation.
If you can't come in person, you can join us on Zoom with any Internet-connected device--computer, tablet, or smartphone--or you can join by dialing a phone number.
If this will be your first use of Zoom, go to https://zoom.us, click on " Sign Up Free " and follow the prompts. Do this ahead of time so that you'll be all set to "join the meeting" when it's time to do so. Information about getting started with Zoom meetings is at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697.
Before you join a Zoom session, if you installed Zoom on your computer before April 19, go to zoom.us/download to download and install the current version (6.0.2). (For Windows, it's 6.0.4, released April 26). For a smartphone or tablet, update the Zoom Workplace app from your App Store or equivalent source.
Join us on June 14 in person or via Zoom. Especially if you're just getting started with Zoom, please try to join the Zoom session 5 or 10 minutes before 1:30 p.m. so we can help with any technical issues before the singing begins.
For more information see the Song Circles page.
An FSGW House Concert in Takoma Park!
Danny’s live musical performances include hundreds of festival appearances, children’s concerts, holiday specials made for television, digital streaming and on-demand concerts and as a featured artist for cruises and cultural tours. Suggested minimum donation: $15.
Danny O’Flaherty is a native of the Aran Islands and Connemara and has been a tireless ambassador for Celtic music and culture for more than fifty years. Danny’s career includes thirty-one albums, songs featured in major films, and a children’s book. He has given hundreds of talks on Irish-Celtic history as a vocal advocate for causes including unity and cultural appreciation. For many years he worked with his brother, Patrick, as co-proprietors of O’Flaherty’s Irish Channel Pub in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
For further information, reservations, or directions, contact Kathie Mack at kpmack2@gmail.com, or call 301-270-5367 (leave a voicemail; landline doesn’t take texts).
Band: Dan Levenson and the Gina-Tones (Dan Levenson on fiddle, Gina Faber on guitar and mandolin, and Ralph Gordon on bass)
Al Kehs has volunteered to host in Potomac, MD, 2:00 - 5:00 PM
Topic: Blues and the color blue
Al can be reached for directions on 301-983-0534 (leave message if no answer) or via kehsra@verizon.net
Caller: Penelope Weinberger
Band: Charlie Pilzer on piano, Zachary Mills on fiddle and foot percussion, and Bobby LaRose on mandolin
An evening of music and folk songs with Elizabeth Mitchell & Daniel Littleton and Dan + Claudia Zanes in celebration of the Smithsonian Folkways Release – Sonya Cohen Cramer: You’ve Been a Friend to Me.
June 23rd, doors at 6:30, concert at 7pm, at the Washington Ethical Society in Washington, D.C.
Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
Co-sponsored with the Washington Ethical Society.
Sonya Cohen Cramer (1965–2015) was raised in a family committed to revitalizing the oldest songs of the American musical canon. Like her father John Cohen of The New Lost City Ramblers and her mother Penny Seeger, Sonya shared a belief in the transformative qualities of folk songs and traditional ballads. You’ve Been a Friend to Me is a collection of recordings featuring Sonya’s singing, and it reveals the full arc of her musical life through collaborations with her aunt Peggy Seeger, uncle Pete Seeger, Elizabeth Mitchell, Daniel Littleton, and the folk-fusion group Last Forever. While shaped by the roots of her family tree, the radiating and clear sound of Sonya’s voice reflected in these recordings is distinctly her own. ABOUT THE ARTISTS: Elizabeth Mitchell & Daniel Littleton Elizabeth Mitchell is a singer, songwriter, music educator, and a twice Grammy nominated Smithsonian Folkways recording artist. Along with her husband Daniel Littleton, they were founding members of the band Ida, and continue to perform together and with their daughter Storey. Their records on Smithsonian Folkways stand consciously and directly in the tradition of children’s music that Folkways has carried for nearly 60 years. In 2013, Elizabeth released The Sounding Joy, a collection of folk carols from Ruth Crawford Seeger's 1953 songbook American Folk Songs for Christmas that celebrates the spirit of community and homespun traditions, which they practice at their home in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Dan + Claudia Zanes
Grammy Award-winner Dan Zanes occupies a unique place in American music – where sea shanties, English music hall, play party songs, the spirit of early rock-n-roll, soul, North American and West Indian folk music collide. He has toured the world sharing handmade 21st century social music with enthusiastic crowds of kids and kid sympathizers. Claudia Zanes is a Haitian American music therapist / jazz vocalist / music program director. Together they have been making music since the day they met in the fall of 2016. Their love of songs and communal music-making lead to a publishing deal with the Quarto Group USA and the result, an award-winning songbook entitled Dan Zanes’ House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury, was released in 2018. In 2021, Dan + Claudia released Let Love Be Your Guide (Smithsonian Folkways), a collection of songs to spark intergenerational conversations about anti-racism, racial justice, and the joys of community.
Caller: Greg Frock
Band: Coracree (Allan Carr on bass, Jane Rothfield on fiddle, Bill Quern on banjo, mandolin, accordion, and harmonica, and Sarah Gowan on guitar)
On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, the FSGW Board will meet from 8pm to 10pm in a video conference meeting. Please contact the FGSW President via this link or the FSGW WebMaster via this link to get the video conference information if you wish to attend.
FSGW is excited to bring back our annual picnic where the FSGW community can mix and mingle. There will be dancing in the bumper car pavilion, open singing and jamming, and a potluck lunch. This event is free so invite your friends and bring a dish to share!
The barn dance will take place from 1pm to 3pm. It's a multi-generational dance, all are welcome to participate.
It will be a chance to meet members of the 2024-2025 board. There will be a brief membership meeting reviewing the previous year of FSGW and upcoming plans for the year.
Admission: Free! RSVP requested (but not required) so that we can have a sense of how many may come to the picnic.
Music: TBA
Hosted by Linda Mansdorf, John Robinson, Ben Hole, Vita Hollander & other guest instructors. This is a FREE event.
To Register for the Zoom link contact John Robinson at j_srobinson@verizon.net
The Getaway Friday, September 27th, with a pot-luck dinner, and runs so late on Sunday night that we serve breakfast on Monday morning, September 30th.
The Getaway is an amazing weekend-long party of folks who love to sing, play and listen to folk music. We come together in a lovely riverside retreat to join together in making music, sharing what we bring and learning from friends old and new. There will be workshops, sing-arounds, sign-up concerts, music and conversations at all hours. Participation is encouraged at any level comfortable to you in a supportive and welcoming environment. Old and new songs and tunes, recitations and stories, along with information on historical contexts and insights, have filled the Getaway, along with conversation and laughter, for over half a century; come be a part of the fun!
2024 invited guests include Sally Rogers and Howie Bursen, Bare Bones (Bill and Becky Kimmons, Dock Cutlip), David Jones, and Marcy Cochran.
Registration is now open. Although the Getaway will not occur until the weekend of September 27 - September 30, 2024, it is helpful if you can register soon. You do not need to pay immediately, but we expect you to view registration as a commitment. If you have not paid in full by September 10 we will remind you. If you have not paid or made arrangements with us by September 13 we will cancel your registration without refund.
Please fill out the entire registration form. We pay close attention to what you write; we use this information to plan workshops and assign rooms.
Here is a summary of the prices:
Overnight Registrations Day Registrations
2 Nights
3 Nights
Adult Member
Upper Bunk
$265
$310
Lower Bunk
$275
$325
Adult Non-Member
$300
$345
$360
Child age through 3
$0
Child age 4 to 12
$115
$160
Child age 13 to 17
$150
$190
Student 18 and older
$230
1 Day
2 Days
Without Meals
$50
$100
$60
$120
$8
$15
$30
See the Getaway page for details.
Contrastock: 8+ hours of contra dancing! A premier contra dance event, featuring nationally renowned bands and callers and an amazing open air dance hall.
When: October 20, 2024 from 1pm to 10:00 PM. There is a break for dinner.
Where: Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park
Bands:
TBA
Callers:
Please use fragrance sparingly or not at all. Contrastock is being called with non- gendered dance role terms
Covid protocol: Tier 2, masks and vaccination-and-booster are encouraged but not required
More about the FSGW COVID-19 Response policy
Greenbelt Community Center - Upstairs Gymnasium (Metropolitan DC Area) 15 Crescent Rd. - Greenbelt, MD
Free
FSGW is thrilled to return to the Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase for another fantastic New Year’s celebration. We plan a full evening of fun dances to amazing musicians. Stay tuned for the fanciest NYE in the Metro area.
Doors open at 7:15, and the Grand March starts at 8. There will be a toast at midnight, followed by Auld Lang Syne, then some final dancing.
Caller: Gaye Fifer Band: Hot Coffee Breakdown (Tom Cunningham, Kate Sanders, and Luis deLeon)
Caller: Gaye Fifer
Band: Hot Coffee Breakdown (Tom Cunningham, Kate Sanders, and Luis deLeon)
Details and updates can be found on the New Year's Eve Contra Dance Ball page.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a snack to share!
Covid protocol: If Covid transmission rates are low in Maryland, DC, and Virginia at the time of the event we will be encouraging but not requiring masks and vaccinations
Copyright 2018 The Folklore Society of Greater Washington