Look through our calendar below to find both in person and online events.
The FSGW Calendar can be viewed two ways:
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
The Takoma Park Old-Time Jam is again at Busboys and Poets in Takoma, DC, the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
More info about the Old-Time Jams
Anna Rain calls while Becky Ross (fiddle), Ralph Gordon (cello), and Neil Epstein (piano) make the music.
You may register in advance (preferred) or at the door. Attendance will be limited to 50 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 info: masks and vaccinations encouraged but not required. More info
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
Linda Mansdorf 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)
Join Flurut for their debut concert - a vibrant evening of music and dance from the heart of Jämtland, Sweden! Flurut is Göran Olsson (fiddle), Ellen Bartlett (fiddle), Andrea Larson (fiddle), Marko Packard (guitar, saxophone, flute), and Charlie Pilzer (bass, organ).
Sunday, January 25th in Silver Spring, MD. Doors open at 6:30, concert at 7:30pm. Bring some snack/drink to share.
Please contact phllsdrrck@gmail.com to reserve your spot and for the address.
Dance floor opens during the second half of the program - don't forget your dance shoes!
As this is a residential neighborhood, please consider carpooling.
Donations are welcome. We look forward to seeing you!
More FSGW Concerts
Tom Spilsbury calls to the music of Jeff Steinberg (fiddle), Anna Rain (recorders) and Diane Sorenson (piano)
John Robinson will lead, teach and organize the request dancing.
Request dancing 8:30 - 9:30pm.
On Tuesday, February 3rd, 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
April Blum calls while Elke Baker (fiddle), Paul Oorts (mandolin and accordion), and Jonathan Jensen (piano) make the music
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.
Barn Dance from 1-3pm in the Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD.
Caller: Kappy Laning
Music: The Pinky Pickers
Covid Info: masks and vaccination are encouraged but not required
Admission: Free! (no need to register, just show up at the door)
Come join us at the barn dance! This fun-spirited dance event is suitable for all ages and ability levels and features live music and calling. There will be circle dances, ceilidhs, and a variety of mixers. This dance fits the bill for families with preschool children just as well as older groups of tweens and teens. Our intergenerational community is what makes this dance unique and fun. So grab a friend or your kids and come join us!
General information on our Barn Dance web page
FSGW Gospel Sing in Takoma Park MD on Sunday, February 8, 4 - 7 pm
The February 2026 Gospel Sing will take place at the home of Jean & Cavan Capps in Takoma Park. Group singing for two hours, from 4 - 6 pm, followed by a potluck dinner. Hymnals provided. Everyone is welcome, but be sure you are symptom-free. RSVP/directions: text or call Jean at 240-447-2423 or email jean_capps@hotmail.com
General information about Gospel Sings
Join us on Wednesday, February 11 at 7:30 Eastern at Busboys and Poets Takoma; or, for out-of-towners, via Zoom. Our featured tellers this month are Jessica Piscitelli Robinson and Chetter Galloway!
No pre-registration needed for in-person, but if you register at https://fsgw.org/grapevine you will have access to the live stream and the recorded show for later.
You will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link as well as a reminder of the date, time, and location. We ask for donations to support our tellers, suggested $20 per person (feel free to give more!). 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:
Chetter Galloway grew up hearing his father tell stories on weekend road trips. His favorite was The Talking Skull, a West African cautionary tale where a man loses his head. Chetter graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Master of Arts degree in Storytelling and is an avid runner who enjoys creating stories while he’s running! More about Chetter
Jessica Piscitelli Robinson is the person behind the annual Women’s Storytelling Festival. She has performed at Exchange Place at the National Storytelling Festival, on WGBH’s “Stories from the Stage,” has been featured in the Stone Soup, Florida, and Hampton Storytelling Festivals, and is a 2023 ORACLE Award recipient. Jessica is the author of the Guide to Personal Storytelling, for Story Crossroads, as well as Stages: My Life in Stories, a memoir in stories. More about Jessica
Learn more about The Grapevine (Storytelling) series
Dan Gillespie calls to the playing of Robin Wilson (flute), Mari Carlson (fiddle) and Bobby LaRose (piano)
This dance is in the Great Hall at the Silver Spring Civic Building.
This dance will be an annual membership meeting for nominations for the FSGW Board - members of FSGW will get in for free.
Please note: There is no longer free parking at the Civic Center Parking Garage.
Caller: Marshall Bradshaw & Luke Schoppert
Band: Katie Stahl and William Brauneis
Calling Terms: Larks and Robins
Lesson at 7:00pm, Dance is from 7:30pm to 10:00pm
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.
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.
In observance of Valentine's Day on February 14, bring or request your favorite love songs, or any other songs!
If you wish to request particular songs, it helps to keep the singing going if you let us know well in advance using the registration form linked here.
Elizabeth Rosenberg and Joe Whitesell will lead songs with guitar accompaniment, and any participant may lead any song, a cappella or self-accompanied.
The Song Circle will be held in person at the Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901. Plenty of free parking!
In-person attendees should read and follow FSGW's Respiratory Virus Guidelines.
If you can't come in person, please 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 is at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697.
Before you join a Zoom session, if you installed the Zoom Workplace app on your computer before December 30, go to zoom.us/download to download and install the current version (6.7.2). For a smartphone or tablet, update the Zoom app from your App Store or equivalent source.
Join us on February 13 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 that we can help with any technical issues before the singing begins.
For more information. see the Song Circles page.
Ben Hole will lead, teach and organize the request dancing.
Andrea Nettleton and Wendy Clarke lead the dancing while Tina Chancey (fiddle), Colleen Reed (flute), and Liz Donaldson (piano) play the tunes
Fred Stollnitz will host the In-Person Open Sing on February 21 in the Kemp Mill neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland.
The topic is U.S. Presidents
Saturday, February 21
2 to 5 p.m.
Please write or call to let Fred know you're coming and to get his address and directions: fred@stollnitz.net or 301-681-5748.
Magpie (Greg Artzner & Terry Leonino) will be joined by special guests: local favorite Charlie Pilzer (bass) and Pennsylvania guitarist Rolly Brown.
Saturday, February 21, 2026 At Seekers Church, 276 Carroll Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012
When we learned that longtime DC folk favorite Magpie would no longer be performing at Milllenium Stage, we were delighted to welcome them to our FSGW concert series. In the finest American tradition of folk songs, Magpie is planning an evening concert of hard-hitting songs of protest featuring the songs of Phil Ochs, but will interweave them with songs written for the current times by Terry & Greg themselves, as well a song or two from other fellow songwriters. It will be a night of songs that express outrage, sorrow, humor, hope, and determination.
This concert will be preceded by a brief membership meeting starting at 7:45 pm, followed immediately by the concert at 8 pm. Doors open at 7:30pm.
Admission is FREE to members
Non-members: $25, but may join (or rejoin) at the concert and get the member price
We expect this concert to sell out, so preregistration is strongly recommended, including for members
Questions? Email program@fsgw.org
ABOUT THE ARTISTS -
With a career that has spanned more than forty years, Magpie - Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino - local favorites for 34 years, who now reside in upstate New York - has traveled the globe, bringing its unique sound and breathtaking versatility to audiences everywhere. From traditional songs to vintage blues, swing and country to folk classics to contemporary and stirring original compositions, they cover a lot of musical ground. With their powerful voices and harmonies and their excellent instrumental arrangements on guitars, mandolin, harmonica, dulcimer, and concertina, their sound is much bigger than just two people. Award-winning recording artists, songwriters, musical historians, and social activists, Terry and Greg always promise a presentation that is highly entertaining as well as provocative and deeply moving.
Terry grew up listening to the music in her family, both the Italian music played by her paternal grandfather, and the country and jazz sung by her mother, and her aunts and cousins on her mother’s side of the family. Her voice is a beautiful and impressive instrument, not only because of its natural power, but also because of her versatility. She is a gifted singer of jazz and blues, but is equally comfortable with the subtle beauty of traditional folk and contemporary songs. As if this weren't enough, Terry is also an excellent player of the harmonica, mandolin, fretted dulcimer, and rhythm guitar.
Greg came up listening to folk on record, and singing along all the while. The popular folk music of the revival in the 50s and 60s caught his ear and imagination. At an early age, he was hooked and took to the guitar, listening and learning not only the music, but going back to explore its roots. More than 50 years later, Greg is an outstanding guitarist, whose finger-style approach owes a lot to a wide range of influences, and is the solid basis of Magpie's sound. His high baritone voice has equal range and his captivating interpretation gives power and beauty to the full spectrum, from growling blues, to a Chilean lament, to a sweet croon.
More about Magpie
For this concert, Greg and Terry will be joined by special guests local favorite Charlie Pilzer (bass) and Pennsylvania guitarist Rolly Brown.
More about Charlie
More about Rolly
VITG Monthly Story Swap
Saturday, February 21st, 7:30p.m. Online
Storytellers and listeners are invited to an evening of shared stories. Anyone is welcome to tell a tale; no one ever has to. For adults or families.
Info: Jane Dorfman, 301-654-5818, dorfmanjo@gmail.com
Cost: FREE!
More info here
General information on Story Swaps
Sunday Afternoon Dancing Planet Contra Dance
Intro lesson at 2:30pm, dance from 3-6pm in the Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park, MD.
Caller: Janine Smith
Band: Handspring (Alex Mitchell on fiddle, mandolin, and tenor banjo, Owen Morrison on guitar, and Carrie Rose on flute and piccolo)
Admission: $15 Cash or $17 Venmo (to cover fees) at the door, no cards.
Covid info: masks and vaccinations are suggested but not required.
Kappy Laning calls to the music of Carrie Rose (flute), Becky Ross (fiddle), and Owen Morrison (guitar)
On Tuesday, March 3rd, 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.
The Mini-Fest (formerly the Midwinter Festival) returns to Browne Academy! Join us Saturday, March 7th in Alexandria, VA for this FREE Folk Festival featuring musical performances, dance demonstrations, singing and instrument workshops, family programing, and more!
Check beck for updates on who will be performing!
We are in need of volunteers! If you are interested, please reach out to president@fsgw.org
More about the Mini-Fest
Music: Katie Stahl and TBD
Join us on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 Eastern at Busboys and Poets Takoma; or, for out-of-towners, via Zoom. Our featured tellers this month are Les Schaffer and Judith Onesty!
Intro lesson at 2:30pm, dance from 3-6pm in the Annex (Ballroom Backroom) at Glen Echo Park, MD.
Caller: Melissa Chatham
Band: Owen Morrison on guitar, TJ Crow on mandolin, and Ralph Gordon on bass
Hashdance Weekend is an ultra challenging urban dance weekend featuring mind bending figures, non-gendered calling, and phenomenal music. Two days of amazing workshops, dancing, community, fun, and food in the fabulous Spanish Ballroom; workshops throughout Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD
Callers: River Rainbowface and Qwill Duvall
Bands: Eloise & Co. (Rachel Bell, Becky Tracy, Bethany Waickman), and Northwoods (Casey Murray, Molly Tucker, Sam Zakon-Anderson)
Volunteering: Full-weekend volunteers will be assigned 3 hours of work. Partial-weekend volunteers will be assigned 1 hour of work
More about Hashdance Weekend
COMING: Pre-orders of t-shirts, we will have limited sizes and shirt styles for sale at the event as well as previous year's designs.
On Tuesday, April 1st, 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.
Join us on Wednesday, April 8 at 7:30 Eastern at Busboys and Poets Takoma; or, for out-of-towners, via Zoom. Our featured tellers this month are Carolina Quiroga and Kona Morris!
Caller: Penelope Weinberger
Music: Gina Faber & Kirk Evans
Caller: Chloe Levine
Band: Neon Creek (Jared Bishop on fiddle and Chloe Rosenthal on keyboard, synth, and computer))
Mark your calendars: the Washington Spring Ball returns for its 40th year on Saturday, May 16th, 2026!
Come join us for a fabulous time! Doors open at 7:00 pm, dancing starts at 7:30.
The Washington Spring Ball is a joyful yearly event of English Country Dancing to glorious music. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.
The band for the ball this year will be Karen Axelrod (keyboard), Audrey Jaber (violin), and Miranda Weinberg (violin)
We have a practice session the day of the ball, where most of the dances will be taught. Attending the practice session is strongly encouraged but not required. In the evening at the ball, all dances will be briefed (talked-through) and then prompted for the first few rounds. Dancers wear what makes them feel happy and festive; some choose attire from the 18th or 19th century.
Afternoon practice session from 2:00 - 5:00 pm on the day of the ball, at the Civic Building , which is included in the admission fee. The practice session will be called by Anna Rain with music by Liz Donaldson on piano and Elke Baker on fiddle.
Please visit the Annual Washington Spring Ball page for additional details.
Larry Weiner will lead, teach and organize the request dancing.
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
Save the Date:
The Washington Folk Festival returns on August 23, 2026
A one-day event, jam-packed roster with dancing, storytelling, and music ranging from American to International styles: bluegrass to Celtic, Klezmer to Americana, blues to Zydeco, we cover folk music from around the world! Five stages, hundreds of performers, and it's all free!
Donate to Support the Festival
Learn more about the Washington Folk Festival
Contrastock: 8+ hours of contra dancing! A premier contra dance event, featuring nationally renowned bands and callers and an amazing historic dance hall.
When: October 3, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM. There is a break for dinner.
Where: Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, MD
Bands: TBA
Callers: TBA
Contrastock is called with non-gendered dance role terms
Covid protocol: Masks and vaccinations are encouraged but not required
More about the FSGW COVID-19 Response policy
Will Mentor and Stomp Rocket take DC by storm for the second year in a row with a challenging Square Dance to tickle your brain and energize your feet!
Join us for Challenging Squares from 2:30-5:30pm on Saturday, November 21st. After a BYO dinner break, join us for Challenging Contras from 7:00-10:00pm. Please note you will need to register SEPARATELY for each event.
Will Mentor calls with music by Stomp Rocket (Bethany Waickman on guitar, Dave Langford on fiddle, and Glen Loper on mandolin and tenor banjo). What a lineup!
To have the most FUN at this afternoon of Challenging Squares, please read below, does this describe your dancing?
More info on Stomp Rocket here: https://www.stomprocketmusic.com/
Will Mentor and Stomp Rocket take DC by storm for a second year in a row with a challenging Contra Dance to tickle your brain and energize your feet!
An evening of Challenging Contras from 7:00-10:00pm on Saturday, November 21st at Ballroom Blum in Adelphi, MD.
Come early for the Challenging Squares at 2:30pm and BYO dinner at 5:30pm!
Please note you will need to register SEPARATELY for each event.
To have the most FUN at this evening of Challenging Contras, please read below, does this describe your dancing?
You know how to do basic moves without teaching (Roll Away, California Twirl, Pass Through to a Wave, Contra Corners) You know where to be at the start of each dance phrase and how to recover from a lapse You can dance and enjoy no walk through dances You assist your partner and neighbor to the next move - and you have a friendly approach to it You execute flourishes safely and on time without disturbing others You respond to confusion and missteps by others with grace, encouragement and good humor
It's not how long you've been dancing, it's how well you can adapt to challenging and unusual choreography!
Copyright 2018 The Folklore Society of Greater Washington