We have no dances scheduled for the weekend of May 30th & 31st, but fear not, there’s a rich schedule for June.
Sunday, June 7th we have an English Country Dance scheduled at the YLI (unusual location for a first-Sunday dance), 1400 27th St. in Sacramento, from 2-5 PM. Alan Winston will be calling, to the music of Quite Carried Away.
Saturday, June 13th, we have a Contra Dance scheduled at the Coloma Community Center, 4623 T St., Sacramento, from 7-10 PM. Dane Wallinga will be calling, to the music of Lee Anne Welch, Kathrine Gardner, and David Brown.
Sunday, June 21st, it’s another English Country Dance at the YLI (see above), with Yvonne Couvillion calling, to the music of Quite Carried Away. Enjoy!
Our next contra will be June 13th, with Dane Wallinga calling, to the music of Lee Anne Welch, Kathrine Gardner, and David Brown.
Also coming up are a couple of English Country dances! On June 7th we’ll have Alan Winston calling and on June 21st we’ll have Yvonne Couvillion calling, both to the music of Quite Carried Away! Please see our calendar page for times and locations!
The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:
Caller: Mark Goodwin Music: Full Tilt (Lonna Whipple, Ann Meigs, and Roke Whitson) Sound: Ken Britten Date: Saturday, May 9th, 2026 (Second Saturday) Time: 7:00–10:00 pm, with newcomer’s orientation at 6:30 pm Location: Coloma Community Center, 4623 T St, Sacramento, CA Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check); If cost is the only thing preventing you from being there, please talk to the greeters at the door.
Mark Goodwin
Mark Goodwin began calling contra dance in Chico in 2001 and has called for local regional dances, including Nevada City and Newcastle. His aim is to call programs that bring everyone along for the ride, with dances that are memorable, have intuitive transitions, and weave familiar and interesting elements into a variety of dancer interactions.
Full Tilt is three musicians (Lonna Whipple, Roke Whitson and Ann Meigs) with collective backgrounds in Irish, Old Time and Folk music traditions. We are having fun melding our banjo, fiddle, accordion and keyboard tunes into Contra dance sets, and we look forward to sharing our music with more dancers!
Newcomer’s orientation is offered at 6:40 pm, perfect for people who have not contra danced before, or who could use a refresher. Experienced dancers are invited to partner with newcomers during the orientation and early dances to help integrate them into the community. No partners are needed, so come by yourself or with friends or with family. Events are accessible to people with disabilities. Potluck snacks are available at the break, and we encourage you to bring something to share.
Food and Drink
Hydration is important while dancing. Dancers are encouraged to bring their own water bottles.
Please bring snacks to share with the community. Dancers may eat in the area near the food table or outside. Please don’t spill food or water on the dance floor.
Contact: For more information, and lost and found, contact Laura Leonelli, 916-549-7093, or email sactocds@gmail.com. Our schedule of future dances is always available at https://sactocds.org/calendar/. You may join our email list on groups.io at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS/. Please enter your name when joining.
Note: The location of the SCDS dance calendar has changed. If you subscribed to the calendar before January 1, 2023, please unsubscribe from that one and re-subscribe to the new one. On the Calendar page at https://sactocds.org/calendar/, you can subscribe to the calendar so the events show up in your personal Google calendar. Click the plus sign in the lower right hand corner. For iCal users, the link is https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/sactocds%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics.
The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:
Caller: Lise Dyckman Music: Quite Carried Away Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright Date: Sunday, May 3rd, 2026 Time: 2:00-5:00 pm Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check)
Yvonne Couvillion
Lise M. Dyckman has been teaching and calling English Country Dance (and Contra Dance) for decades, in Philadelphia, New York City, California’s Bay Area region and beyond, and is known for her clear and concise calling, musicality, humor, interest in dance history and attention to welcoming community.
Six musicians and friends under the direction of David Wright and Sue Jones. Just give them English Country Dance music to play, and they’re Quite Carried Away!
The members of QCA are (clockwise from upper right): Martin Lodahl (viola da gamba), Susan Jones (English concertina), Jane Kostka (whistle), David Wright (violin and mandolin), Arlene Jamar (piano), and Dick Holdstock (octave mandolin and tenor banjo).
Quite Carried Away is the home band for the English Country Dances.
As usual, beginners are welcome. If you are bringing, or know of any, first-timers, please urge them to come at 1:30 for the introductory workshop that precedes the dance. No partners are needed, so come by yourself or with friends or with family. Events at the Masonic Lodge are handicapped-accessible, through the elevator right inside the front door. Events at the YLI are somewhat accessible to people with disabilities, but not perfectly. Ask for help within.
It’s always nice when folks bring snacks to share–please bring items that don’t require plates or utensils. Please bring your own water bottles.
For more information, and lost and found, contact Laura Leonelli, 916-549-7093, or email info@sactocds.org. Our schedule of future dances is always available at https://sactocds.org/calendar/. You may join our email list on groups.io at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS/. Please enter your name when joining.
Food and Drink
Hydration is important while dancing. Dancers are encouraged to bring their own water bottles.
Please bring snacks to share with the community. Dancers may eat in the area near the food table or outside. Please don’t spill food or water on the dance floor.
The next contra will be May 9th, when Erik Hoffman will be calling to the foothills band Full Tilt (Lonna Whipple, Ann Meigs, and Roke Whitson) at the usual Coloma Community Center, 4623 T St. in Sacramento, 7-10 PM.
There will also be an English Country Dance on May 3rd at the Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St. in Roseville, from 2-5 PM, featuring Lise Dyckman calling to the music of Quite Carried Away.
The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:
Caller: Bruce Hamilton Music: Quite Carried Away Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright Date: Sunday, April 19th, 2026 (3rd Sunday, in Sacramento) Time: 2:00-5:00 pm Location: Young Ladies Institute (YLI), 1400 27th St, Sacramento, CA 95816 Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check)
Bruce Hamilton is a well-respected, thoughtful, and energetic teacher of English and Scottish dancing with 45 years’ experience. He has launched dance classes, trained teachers, coached performing groups, and adjudicated festivals.
A retired research scientist, Bruce is always looking for new ways to understand and present ideas for the dancer. Whenever he presents workshops, he weaves many conceptual threads besides dance technique and choreography into his lessons. Musicality, sociability, and physiology are his current favorites. People often say they come away with a different way to experience and think about dance. Occasionally he holds a weekend teachers’ class that also draws high praise. He continues to run a bi-weekly English dance class in the Bay Area. In the recent past, he was the president of the Country Dance and Song Society. With invitations to teach at many festivals and dance camps each year, he has taught workshops all around the United States and in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and Australia.
Six musicians and friends under the direction of David Wright and Sue Jones. Just give them English Country Dance music to play, and they’re Quite Carried Away!
The members of QCA are (clockwise from upper right): Martin Lodahl (viola da gamba), Susan Jones (English concertina), Jane Kostka (whistle), David Wright (violin and mandolin), Arlene Jamar (piano), and Dick Holdstock (octave mandolin and tenor banjo).
Quite Carried Away is the home band for the English Country Dances.
As usual, beginners are welcome. If you are bringing, or know of any, first-timers, please urge them to come at 1:30 for the introductory workshop that precedes the dance. No partners are needed, so come by yourself or with friends or with family. While events at the Masonic Lodge are fully handicapped-accessible, events at the YLI are somewhat accessible to people with disabilities, but not perfectly. Ask for help within.
It’s always nice when folks bring snacks to share–please bring items that don’t require plates or utensils. Please bring your own water bottles.
For more information, and lost and found, contact Laura Leonelli, 916-549-7093, or email info@sactocds.org. Our schedule of future dances is always available at https://sactocds.org/calendar/. You may join our email list on groups.io at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS/. Please enter your name when joining.
Food and Drink
Hydration is important while dancing. Dancers are encouraged to bring their own water bottles.
Please bring snacks to share with the community. Dancers may eat in the area near the food table or outside. Please don’t spill food or water on the dance floor.
The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:
Caller: Mark Goodwin Music: Raven and Goose (Corwin Zekley and Grace Fellows) Sound: Esper Schmidt Date: Saturday, April 11th, 2026 (Second Saturday) Time: 7:00–10:00 pm, with newcomer’s orientation at 6:30 pm Location: Coloma Community Center, 4623 T St, Sacramento, CA Cost: Admission is FREE this time, thanks to a generous and modest dancer! [Normally $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check); If cost is the only thing preventing you from being there, please talk to the greeters at the door.]
This dance is in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of SCDS! There will be a cake at the break, when we will also hold the annual election of Board members! This year’s slate:
Barbara Gebhart
Sue Jones
Claudia Kirkpatrick
Martin Lodahl
Ruth Scodel
Bobbie Watson
David Wright
Mark Goodwin
Mark Goodwin began calling contra dance in Chico in 2001 and has called for local regional dances, including Nevada City and Newcastle. His aim is to call programs that bring everyone along for the ride, with dances that are memorable, have intuitive transitions, and weave familiar and interesting elements into a variety of dancer interactions.
Nationally touring duo Raven and Goose (Corwin Zekley on fiddle and Grace Fellows on keyboard).
Virtuoso violinist, Corwin Zekley was born with a fiddle in his hands and plays with an intensity yet delicacy that pulls on the heartstrings of all who hear him. Corwin has eclectic musical roots, and enchants audiences playing anything from Celtic to Jazz to Country to Metal. Corwin studied at the Berklee College of Music, has played thousands of concerts, appeared on dozens of records, and has published books and albums of his own compositions.
Grace Fellows grew up playing traditional musics on fiddle, and she synthesized her broad musical influences while studying at Calarts, and doing her masters at BIMM London. She became an accomplished pianist while performing as a singer/songwriter, and in the last years has become a powerhouse contra-pianist whose potent sense of rhythm will propel you around the dance floor.
Newcomer’s orientation is offered at 6:40 pm, perfect for people who have not contra danced before, or who could use a refresher. Experienced dancers are invited to partner with newcomers during the orientation and early dances to help integrate them into the community. No partners are needed, so come by yourself or with friends or with family. Events are accessible to people with disabilities. Potluck snacks are available at the break, and we encourage you to bring something to share.
Food and Drink
Hydration is important while dancing. Dancers are encouraged to bring their own water bottles.
Please bring snacks to share with the community. Dancers may eat in the area near the food table or outside. Please don’t spill food or water on the dance floor.
Contact: For more information, and lost and found, contact Laura Leonelli, 916-549-7093, or email sactocds@gmail.com. Our schedule of future dances is always available at https://sactocds.org/calendar/. You may join our email list on groups.io at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS/. Please enter your name when joining.
Note: The location of the SCDS dance calendar has changed. If you subscribed to the calendar before January 1, 2023, please unsubscribe from that one and re-subscribe to the new one. On the Calendar page at https://sactocds.org/calendar/, you can subscribe to the calendar so the events show up in your personal Google calendar. Click the plus sign in the lower right hand corner. For iCal users, the link is https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/sactocds%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics.
The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:
Caller: Lise Dyckman Music: Quite Carried Away Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright Date: Sunday, April 5th, 2026 Time: 2:00-5:00 pm Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check)
Yvonne Couvillion
Lise M. Dyckman has been teaching and calling English Country Dance (and Contra Dance) for decades, in Philadelphia, New York City, California’s Bay Area region and beyond, and is known for her clear and concise calling, musicality, humor, interest in dance history and attention to welcoming community.
Six musicians and friends under the direction of David Wright and Sue Jones. Just give them English Country Dance music to play, and they’re Quite Carried Away!
The members of QCA are (clockwise from upper right): Martin Lodahl (viola da gamba), Susan Jones (English concertina), Jane Kostka (whistle), David Wright (violin and mandolin), Arlene Jamar (piano), and Dick Holdstock (octave mandolin and tenor banjo).
Quite Carried Away is the home band for the English Country Dances.
At the break, we’ll be conducting the annual Election of the Board, by acclamation from the floor. The slate of candidates is:
Barbara Gebhart
Sue Jones
Claudia Kirkpatrick
Martin Lodahl
Ruth Scodel
Bobbie Watson
David Wright
As usual, beginners are welcome. If you are bringing, or know of any, first-timers, please urge them to come at 1:30 for the introductory workshop that precedes the dance. No partners are needed, so come by yourself or with friends or with family. Events at the Masonic Lodge are handicapped-accessible, through the elevator right inside the front door. Events at the YLI are somewhat accessible to people with disabilities, but not perfectly. Ask for help within.
It’s always nice when folks bring snacks to share–please bring items that don’t require plates or utensils. Please bring your own water bottles.
For more information, and lost and found, contact Laura Leonelli, 916-549-7093, or email info@sactocds.org. Our schedule of future dances is always available at https://sactocds.org/calendar/. You may join our email list on groups.io at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS/. Please enter your name when joining.
Food and Drink
Hydration is important while dancing. Dancers are encouraged to bring their own water bottles.
Please bring snacks to share with the community. Dancers may eat in the area near the food table or outside. Please don’t spill food or water on the dance floor.
Contra will be back on April 11th, for the Anniversary Dance! It’s our 40th Anniversary, so thanks to a generous and modest dancer, admission will be free! There will be a cake, of course!
Before that, on April 5th, there will be an English Country Dance. See our calendar page for the times and locations of both.
Another factor of both of these dances is that the annual election of our Board will be conducted there. The slate of candidates:
There will be more to come, before long! April is just around the corner, and with it the Anniversary Contra Dance, and the annual election of the SCDS Board. The Board handles policy and financial matters for the organization, the members approved by acclamation from the floor of an English dance and the Anniversary Contra dance each April. This year the English dance will be April 5th, and the Anniversary Contra will be April 11th.
The slate of candidates:
Barbara Gebhart
Sue Jones
Claudia Kirkpatrick
Martin Lodahl
Ruth Scodel
Bobbie Watson
David Wright
This year’s Anniversary Contra will be special, as it’s our 40th Anniversary! Free admission (thanks to a generous and modest dancer), and there will be cake!
