Featuring premier Australian-Irish trad musicians Ado Barker (fiddle),  Kate Burke  (guitar), Ciaran O’Grady (concertina) and Kit Joyce (box accordion).

Come and join the social dance party, where high-energy trad music meets new-generation dance callers. The emphasis is on fun! The callers will guide you through some of their favourite dances, whether it’s a Scottish ceilidh, an Irish set dance, or some Cape Breton flair! And with a dance band headed by Ado Barker and Kate Burke you know the music will be cranking all night.

You don’t need a partner and you don’t need to be a dancer. The dance callers will teach the dance on the spot, and guide you through it. The social dance crowd is very friendly, and there’s always someone close by who will help out anyone looking a little lost!

There will be  a bar open all evening serving drinks and snacks. CASH only.

100% of the profits from this event will go directly to both the Bega Valley Community Relief Fund, and the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund. These organisations are at the centre of providing the aid their communities need right now. Bring cash on the night to support the silent auction and bar, and help raise funds for these groups.  Prizes can also be paid for by direct transfer.

Introducing the callers:

Claire Alleway, cellist with Appalachian Heaven Stringband, has trad music and dance in her blood, thanks to her musical family upbringing. Claire has been calling dances for several years, and is increasingly in-demand, due to her sense of humour and charisma in front of a microphone, and her love for trad dances.

Kirsty Greenwood has years of experience as a dancer and caller, initially in England, and now in Melbourne. Kirsty has a huge interest in an array of dance styles, with a particular passion for contradance. She has been part of the contradance team for the hugely popular QuasiTrad contradances over the past five years. Recently Kirsty has been calling dances for the Melbourne Scottish Fiddlers’ ceilidhs which are growing rapidly in popularity and are often sold-out events.

Mischa Herman is a well-known musician and sound engineer. Mischa has been immersed in trad music since childhood, and calling dances is second nature to him. He has an innate ability to connect with dancers through his genuine love for the genre, and his warm, down-to-earth calling style.

Rachel McIntosh and Adam Purcell are young movers and shakers in the Irish dance scene, being at the forefront of a grassroots movement to make folk dance far more accessible and spontaneous. Adam is also in high demand as a dance photographer, with his successful enterprise, Melbourne Ceili Camera.  The photo above is one of his many excellent shots!

This project is supported by Folk Alliance Australia Small Grants scheme