Sue Dupré

Sue was initiated into contradancing in New England during the late 70s. Now based in central New Jersey, Sue has been calling contra, square and English country dances for over 30 years. She's been a featured performer at many festivals and dance weekends, as well as at summer dance camps on both coasts. Sue's extensive repertoire represents the best of the old and the new. She is known for her enthusiasm and good humor, along with her clear and efficient teaching.

In addition to her work as a caller, Sue is passionately devoted to the promotion and performance of historic English ritual and ceremonial dances in American communities. She is the founder and foreman of a molly dance team, Handsome Molly, as well as a sword and garland dance team, Shandygaff Longsword. She's also a former member of the rapper team Griggstown Lock, and for many years has directed mummers plays in central New Jersey.

Joseph Pimentel

Joseph combines cool dances, clear teaching, and respect for tradition. Dancing since the early 1980s in his native New England, he draws on many years of experience teaching contras and English country dance throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Several of Joseph's own dances are avid travelers, too, and are published in "The Cardinal Collection." When not calling or dancing, Joseph is often chasing birds in his adopted home of Texas.

Goldcrest

If you asked Joseph, he'd doubtless explain that a Goldcrest is a very small passerine bird of the kinglet family, resembling the Firecrest (but with a plainer face). But since that Goldcrest seldom visits North America, we're going with the other one.

Namely, fiddler Daron Douglas, pianist Dave Wiesler, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Oorts—three seasoned musicians of national reputation, steeped in the dance traditions of Appalachia, New England, and the British Isles.

Daron Douglas combines the precision and tone of a classical violinist with the energy and soul of an Appalachian fiddler. She grew up in the Appalachian hills, learning traditional ballads from her grandmother and studying classical music through college. Daron has been on the staff of numerous CDSS dance camps and at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C. She also plays with the dance bands Foxfire and Misbehavin', various pit orchestras, and blues bands. She now lives and plays music in New Orleans.

Dave Wiesler has built a national reputation for his rhythmic and innovative piano playing. At home in a huge range of styles, Dave plays for concerts and dances of many sorts: contra, swing, vintage, couple dance, English and Scottish country dance. He has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Washington Folk-Life Festival, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and the Smithsonian Museum, and he has played at festivals and dance camps across the country as well as in Canada, Scotland, and England. Dave has over a dozen recordings to his credit, many featuring tunes and songs he wrote, and is also a capable guitarist and singer. His other bands include Laura and the Lava Lamps, Cabaret Sauvignon, The Avant Gardeners, The Gigmeisters, Green Light Karma, and Thistle House. Dave presently lives in Newark, Delaware.

Paul Oorts is much in demand on the dance circuit for his driving world rhythms, improvisations and stylistic versatility. Paul plays an astonishing array of instruments, including mandolin, tenor and five-string banjos, cittern, musette accordion, dulcimers, and guitars in many different tunings and styles. A native of Belgium, he is well versed in Flemish and continental European music and performs regularly at the Belgian Embassy with his wife, Karen Ashbrook. Paul is an adjunct professor of French and Italian at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, and teaches fretted instruments privately. He also founded, conducts and arranges music for Carillon, a hammered dulcimer orchestra. His recordings include Celtic Café with Karen Ashbrook, Momentum with Steve Schneider, and numerous appearances on albums released by the Azalea City label.