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Announcement: contradance FRIDAY May 2nd
In brief:
- contradance 7:30-10:30 FRIDAY May 2nd at St. James Hall; - 5:30-7:00 free contra tunes jam session; - 2025 spring dances: May 17; Jun. 21 - Sunshine Coast contradance June 14 - VCD open Zoom meeting 7:00pm Thursday April 24th. Bring your ideas, support your community, drop by and say hello. Link: Dance details: Get ready to bloom on the dance floor! Triple Threat Quartet, a brand-new band with a delightful triple fiddle and piano punch, is set to make their dazzling debut at our next contra dance. Don't be a wallflower – come join the springtime fun! Band: Triple Threat Quartet is Vancouver’s newest dance band featuring 3 well-known contradance fiddlers; Prairie Wolfe, Brian Hayden, and Rich Sobel, and a stellar piano player, Janet Rozanski. Caller: Vancouver's Heather Webster brings the concise calls and laser focus that'll keep your feet moving all night long! St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm at St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 Please join us on Facebook, Facebook Event for May 2nd (please SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account): https://www.facebook.com/events/1705359806764792/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D Website (sorry, technical issues persist) To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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reminder: contradance Saturday April 19th
In brief: - contradance 7:30-10:30 Saturday April 19th at St. James Hall; - 5:30-7:00 free contra tunes jam session; - 2025 spring dances: May 2, May 17; Jun. 21 - VCD open Zoom meeting 7:00pm Thursday April 24th. Bring your ideas, support your community, drop by and say hello. Link: |
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Announcement: contradance Saturday April 19th
In brief: - contradance 7:30-10:30 Saturday April 19th at St. James Hall; - 5:30-7:00 free contra tunes jam session; - 2025 spring dances: May 2, May 17; Jun. 21 - VCD open Zoom meeting 7:00pm Thursday April 23rd. Bring your ideas, support your community, drop by and say hello. Link: Dance details: Snap, crackle and hop. Go a little crazy this Easter and put all your eggs in one basket. Join us SATURDAY April 19 for an egg- stra special Contra Dance. Contradance 7:30-10:30 St. James Hall. Beginner's Orientation 7:15. 5:30-7:00 free contra tunes jam session. Band: Ground Effect: Prairie Wolfe (fiddle and percussion), Claire McCague (woodwinds), Sky Leuba (piano and concertina). Callers: Double Delight with Mayne Island's Dieter Brock and Vancouver's Leslie Bishko. In flight, a ground effect is the added lift an airplane receives when it flies close to the ground. Ground Effect is a Vancouver-area trio shaking up the local contra dance scene with driving rhythms, eclectic tunes, and irresistible energy. Their music is rooted in tradition—-drawing from Irish, Scottish, French Canadian, and New England influences-—with room to spare for playful improvisation and memorable originals. Asian-Canadian fiddler Prairie Wolfe has a rhythmic, driving style honed through two decades of performance on a variety of stages. Most recently, she has also performed with singer/guitarist Chika Buston and step-dance and crankie troupe Podorythmie. On saxophone and recorder, Claire McCague brings a bold, melodic voice to the group. Claire is a veteran of Ontario’s dance scene, and is a current member of Vancouver's Sybaritic String Band. Rounding out the trio is Sky Leuba, blending jazz-inspired harmonies with a deep love for traditional dance music on piano and concertina. An alum of Capilano University's jazz studies program, Sky has been performing, dancing, and organizing in the Pacific Northwest contra dance community from a young age. Since debuting in 2022, Ground Effect has become a fixture at Vancouver Country Dance events, performed at the Mission Folk Music Festival and the MacLean Park Music Dance Party, and played for private dances. Whether you're new to contradance or have well-worn soles on your dance shoes, this energetic ensemble promises to lift you off your feet. Dieter Brock returns to the stage after 15 years of other life events. He came to contra dancing when he needed a safe space to dance. To him the magic of contra dancing is about co-creating a safe space in which we can play together, adjusting in each moment to what each new person brings. Dieter brings warmth, humour and clarity to his calling. Leslie Bishko started dancing contras and squares at the Big Scioty Barn Dance in central Ohio. She arrived in Vancouver on New Year’s Eve, 1992. After landing in June Harmon and Michael Dyck’s living room to ring in the new year, she found herself contra dancing at the Wise Hall 2 nights later. Along with Dieter Brock, Leslie graduated from the Marian Rose School of Creative Calling in 2000, but her calling career was cut short due to an ankle fracture. Oy vey, that ankle took too long to heal, but once it did, Leslie returned to the contra dance, and has since rekindled her dance calling practice, which she finds the perfect complement to her movement analysis work and teaching animation at Emily Carr University. Leslie began studying flamenco dance in 2018, performed her first solo in the fall of 2024, and has an upcoming group show on May 3rd, at Presentation House in North Vancouver. St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm at St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Facebook Event for April 19: Website (sorry, technical issues persist) To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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reminder: contradance SUNDAY March 16th
In brief: - contradance 7:30-10:30 SUNDAY March 16th at St. James Hall; [Why Sunday?, you may ask. Because St. James Community Center is having their special 30th anniversary fundraiser Saturday. Please support them: ] - 5:30-7:00 free contra tunes jam session; - 2025 spring dances: Apr. 19, May 2, 17; Jun. 21 Dance details: Join us March 16 for Shenanigans, Smiles, and Shamrocks Band: No Mean Feat: Mike Gix, Don Davidson, Susan Stewart, and Bob MacNevin. Callers: Double Delight with Vancouver's Katie Pinter & Victoria's Vic Beauchesne. Vancouver's popular and perennial No Mean Feat. While they have yet to perform at the Orpheum or the esteemed Chan Centre, Mike Gix on fiddle, backed by Susan Stewart on piano, Bob MacNevin on banjo, and Don Davidson on mandolin will animate our dancing tootsies, and that’s No Mean Feat! Longtime friends of the local contra dance community, the Feats are honoured to once again play for dancers in Vancouver. Their traditional style has been pleasing dancers since the beginning of time … well, the early ‘80s! You’ll be dancing to old-time fiddle tunes, many of them shaped by time and travel from old shores across the seas, to southern Appalachia. Katie Pinter (she/her) is an emerging contra caller based in Burnaby, BC, on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She began dancing in 2018, first falling in love with contra and quickly discovering a passion for other social partner dances too. Curious about the art of calling, Katie began her contra calling journey in September 2023. Vancouver Island based caller Victoria Beauchesne tried Contra Dance in Ottawa in the 1990’s, and was hooked. International moves, and gigs as a Church musician, put dancing on hold. Determined to dance more when she moved to BC in 2005, Vic discovered English Country Dance (ECD), since there was no active Contra. Not for long: English dance leader, Rosemary Lach introduced Vic to Syd Varley, (partner to Dan Page of Dan’s hall). Together, they re-launched, and for a few years, organized Victoria Contra Dance. It wasn’t til recently that Vic began to call Contra, having called ECD first. She is still very active in ECD, dancing, sometimes sitting in at the piano for Ann Schau, and continuing to develop as a regular caller. In her spare time, Vic sings in a choir, and - most often to the compositions of her local band, the Dance Hall Players - writes English dances. Facebook Event for March 16 Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Website (sorry, technical issues persist)? St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm at St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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announcement: contradance SUNDAY March 16th
In brief:
- contradance 7:30-10:30 SUNDAY March 16th at St. James Hall; - 5:30-7:00 free contra tunes jam session; - 2025 spring dances: Apr. 19, May 2, 17; Jun. 21 - free dance at Festival du Bois in Maillardville Friday March 7; festivaldubois.ca Details: Join us March 16 for Shenanigans, Smiles, and Shamrocks Band: No Mean Feat: Mike Gix, Don Davidson, Susan Stewart, and Bob MacNevin. Callers: Double Delight with Vancouver's Katie Pinter & Victoria's Vic Beauchesne. Vancouver's popular and perennial No Mean Feat. While they have yet to perform at the Orpheum or the esteemed Chan Centre, Mike Gix on fiddle, backed by Susan Stewart on piano, Bob MacNevin on banjo, and Don Davidson on mandolin will animate our dancing tootsies, and that’s No Mean Feat! Longtime friends of the local contra dance community, the Feats are honoured to once again play for dancers in Vancouver. Their traditional style has been pleasing dancers since the beginning of time … well, the early ‘80s! You’ll be dancing to old-time fiddle tunes, many of them shaped by time and travel from old shores across the seas, to southern Appalachia. Katie Pinter (she/her) is an emerging contra caller based in Burnaby, BC, on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She began dancing in 2018, first falling in love with contra and quickly discovering a passion for other social partner dances too. Curious about the art of calling, Katie began her contra calling journey in September 2023. Vancouver Island based caller Victoria Beauchesne tried Contra Dance in Ottawa in the 1990’s, and was hooked. International moves, and gigs as a Church musician, put dancing on hold. Determined to dance more when she moved to BC in 2005, Vic discovered English Country Dance (ECD), since there was no active Contra. Not for long: English dance leader, Rosemary Lach introduced Vic to Syd Varley, (partner to Dan Page of Dan’s hall). Together, they re-launched, and for a few years, organized Victoria Contra Dance. It wasn’t til recently that Vic began to call Contra, having called ECD first. She is still very active in ECD, dancing, sometimes sitting in at the piano for Ann Schau, and continuing to develop as a regular caller. In her spare time, Vic sings in a choir, and - most often to the compositions of her local band, the Dance Hall Players - writes English dances. Facebook Event for March 16 Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Website (sorry, technical issues persist)? St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm at St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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reminder: contradance Saturday Feb. 15th
In brief: - contradance 7:30-10:30 Saturday February 15th at St. James Hall; - 5:30-7:00 free contra tunes jam session; - 2025 spring dances: Mar. 16, Apr. 19, May 2, 17; Jun. 21 - free dance at Festival du Bois in Maillardville Friday March 7; festivaldubois.ca Details: Dance your heart out! Join us SATURDAY, Feb 15 at St. James Community Square 3214 West 10th Ave. Vancouver BC Band: Contra Sutra:Dave Bartley on guitar, Marni Rachmiel on flute and saxophone, Michael Burnyeat on fiddle, and Russell Shumsky on percussion with calling by Heather Webster and guest, Angela Absalom. Contra Sutra began in 2009 with some wild ideas and a bunch of Dave Bartley tunes. Over the years and tours they have rotated fiddlers and percussionists as Dave and Marni apply their improvisational wackitude, approach to matching tunes to dances, and deep dives into Dave’s catalog of original tunes. The ineffable Contra Sutra experience is not to be missed. Heather Webster is known for her concise calling and attention to detail that keeps anyone and everyone dancing all night. Coming from a background in English Country Dance she initially called dances in Vancouver but has now branched out to call dances in Seattle, Victoria and Cortes Island. Angela Absalom has been part of the Contra dance community since 1985 when it started in Vancouver and was a founding member of English Country Dance in Vancouver in 1997. She's a longtime dancer but a novice caller, wanting to give back to the dance community after years of great dancing. Facebook Event for Feb. 15 Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Website (sorry, technical issues persist)? St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm at St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 Free family & contra dance at Festival du Bois in Maillardville Friday March 7; festivaldubois.ca Katie Pinter calls for The Sybaritic Stringband To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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announcement: contradance Saturday Feb. 15th
In brief:
- contradance 7:30-10:30 Saturday February 15th at St. James Hall; - 5:30-7:00 free fiddle jam; - 2025 spring dances: Mar. 16, Apr. 19, May 2, 17; Jun. 21 - free dance at Festival du Bois in Maillardville Friday March 7; festivaldubois.ca Details: Dance your heart out! Join us SATURDAY, Feb 15 at St. James Community Square 3214 West 10th Ave. Vancouver BC Band: Contra Sutra:Dave Bartley on guitar, Marni Rachmiel on flute and saxophone, Michael Burnyeat on fiddle, and Russell Shumsky on percussion with calling by Heather Webster and guest, Angela Absalom. Contra Sutra began in 2009 with some wild ideas and a bunch of Dave Bartley tunes. Over the years and tours they have rotated fiddlers and percussionists as Dave and Marni apply their improvisational wackitude, approach to matching tunes to dances, and deep dives into Dave’s catalog of original tunes. The ineffable Contra Sutra experience is not to be missed. Heather Webster is known for her concise calling and attention to detail that keeps anyone and everyone dancing all night. Coming from a background in English Country Dance she initially called dances in Vancouver but has now branched out to call dances in Seattle, Victoria and Cortes Island. Angela Absalom has been part of the Contra dance community since 1985 when it started in Vancouver and was a founding member of English Country Dance in Vancouver in 1997. She's a longtime dancer but a novice caller, wanting to give back to the dance community after years of great dancing. Facebook Event for Feb. 15 Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Website (sorry, technical issues persist)? St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm at St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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reminder: contradance Saturday Jan. 18th
In brief: The Sybaritic Stringband will enliven your feet with a spirited blend of Irish, Scottish, Quebecois and old-time tunes. Prepare to dance the night away to this energetic mixture of styles and sounds Maya Roe (she/her) is a contra caller living in Metchosin, BC on the unceded territory of the Scia'new first nation. Maya has been dancing since 2017 and decided to take her love for contra to the next level and become a caller when dances began reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic. Maya helps organize the Victoria Contra Dance, a monthly dance in Victoria, BC.Facebook Event for Jan. 18 https://www.facebook.com/events/630039829452410?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22group%22%7D]%7D Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Website (sorry, technical issues persist)? St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm at St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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announcement: contradance Saturday Jan. 18th
In brief: The Sybaritic Stringband will enliven your feet with a spirited blend of Irish, Scottish, Quebecois and old-time tunes. Prepare to dance the night away to this energetic mixture of styles and sounds Maya Roe (she/her) is a contra caller living in Metchosin, BC on the unceded territory of the Scia'new first nation. Maya has been dancing since 2017 and decided to take her love for contra to the next level and become a caller when dances began reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic. Maya helps organize the Victoria Contra Dance, a monthly dance in Victoria, BC. Facebook Event for Jan. 18 https://www.facebook.com/events/630039829452410?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22group%22%7D]%7D Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Website (sorry, technical issues persist)? St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm at St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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reminder: contradance DAY AFTER TOMORROW Friday Jan. 3rd
In brief: - contradance 7:30-10:30 FRIDAY January 3rd at St. James Hall; - 5:30-7:00 free fiddle jam; - 2025 spring dances (attached pdf with corrected date JUNE 21): Jan. 18; Feb. 15, SUNDAY Mar. 16, Apr. 19, May 2, 17; Jun. 21 Details: Toe-tapping Canadian/Celtic music straight from Vancouver Island! Good for your favourite songs, jigs, hollers, hoots, shouts, rags, reels and bouts! Victoria's Na Mara is Brad Johnson on guitar, Isobel Glover on fiddle, Michele Phillips on bodhran, and Carlos Sevilla on flute. Caller: Bob Rentz. Facebook Event for Jan. 3 Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Website (sorry, technical issues persist)? St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm St. James. Contact Nelson (in Konstantin’s absence) 604-531-6044 To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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announcement: contradance Friday Jan. 3rd
In brief:
- contradance 7:30-10:30 Friday January 3rd at St. James Hall; - 5:30-7:00 free fiddle jam; - 2025 spring dances (attached pdf): Jan. 18; Feb. 15, Mar. 15, Apr. 19, May 2, 17; Jun. 21 Details: Toe-tapping Canadian/Celtic music straight from Vancouver Island! Good for your favourite songs, jigs, hollers, hoots, shouts, rags, reels and bouts! Victoria's Na Mara is Brad Johnson on guitar, Isobel Glover on fiddle, Michele Phillips on bodhran, and Carlos Sevilla on flute. Caller: Bob Rentz. Facebook Event for Jan. 3 Please join us on Facebook, and SHARE our Facebook Events on your own facebook account! Website (sorry, technical issues persist)? St James Community Square, 3214 W. 10th Avenue (at Trutch). Introductory session at 7:15. $20 cash only (at the door); 1st-timers, students with ID, & after-the-break $15; children free Dances taught on the spot, newcomers always welcome, no partner needed. Soft-soled shoes, light clothing, and water bottles recommended. Please come fragrance-free. Musicians welcomed for a free pre-dance contradance tunes jam! Relaxed tempos, tunes from the Portland Collection books plus other dance favourites. 5:30-7:00pm St. James. Contact Konstantin at olchansk@... or text 604-221-2312 To unsubscribe, please reply with subject line “unsubscribe”. To subscribe someone to this list, please ask them to email their full name to this email address (vancouvercountrydance+owner@groups.io). |
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Reminder: contradance Saturday Dec. 21st
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Next contradance Saturday Dec. 21st
Next contradance Saturday Dec. 21st |
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Reminder: contradance FRIDAY Dec. 6; next dance SAT. Dec. 21
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Next contradance FRIDAY Dec. 6th
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Reminder: contradance Saturday Nov. 16th
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Next contradance Saturday Nov. 16th
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Beavington, Nelson