The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:

Caller: David Newitt
Music: Quite Carried Away
Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright
Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2026 (3rd Sunday, in Sacramento)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: The YLI, 1400 27th St., Sacramento
Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check)

Online Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/121637118039

We normally dance at the YLI on the third Sunday of the month, and at the Roseville Masonic Lodge on first Sundays.

David Newitt arrived at Swarthmore College in the fall of 1976 and was shocked to discover that this pillar of higher education had a two year physical education requirement. Faced with the alternatives of being smashed to pieces on the football field and going to Folk and Square Dancing, the choice was clear. He’s been dancing ever since.

Starting with international folk dancing, he was soon dragged into the local Scottish Country Dance group, the college morris and rapper sword team, and, when it started in 1978, the Kingsessing Morris team of Philadelphia. He came to Berkeley in 1982 to work on a Ph.D.in physics and to do country and display dancing. Since the dissolution of the One Shot Morris Team due to MIBS (Morris Induced Baby Syndrome), he has concentrated on country dancing in the Bay Area, teaching and playing music for regular Scottish and English dances and calling contras and the occasional square dance.

When not dancing, David takes pictures of people’s insides, doing research in Magnetic Resonance Imaging at UCSF, specializing in body parts that start with B. David is one of the most accomplished country dance teachers in the Bay Area, known particularly for his mastery of dance geography and his ability to make complicated dances seem simple. David’s priorities can be guessed from the final acknowledgment in his dissertation, in which he thanks, “All my friends in various dance and music groups without whose continuing support I would undoubtedly have finished this dissertation several years earlier.”

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), who has, alas, just retired after two glorious decades with the band. He is deeply missed.

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.

Follow us, and tell your friends!

We’re on Instagram and Facebook at sacramentocountrydancesociety !

Our website is at sactocds.org!

The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:

Caller: Gary Thomas
Music: Quite Carried Away
Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright
Date: Sunday, October 4th, 2026 (1st Sunday, in ROSEVILLE!)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: The Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville
Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check, ask at the desk for Venmo or Paypal)

Online tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/121637118039

We’re now resuming our usual practice of first Sundays in Roseville, and third Sundays in Sacramento!

Gary Thomas Bio:
Dancing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. It all started in Sioux Falls,
South Dakota, with a lady who traveled from park to park with her little record player and stack
of records that included children’s stories and dance music. Suddenly, we were no longer
children, but fierce tigers or magic elves, or pioneers dancing the Virginia Reel. I was hooked
and became an avid Square Dancer and tap dancer.
Over the years, other forms of dance were added to the repertoire, and I was able to put this
knowledge to good use as a choreographer for musical theatre. In 1977, on moving to
Minneapolis, Minnesota, Scottish Country Dancing became the “new” craze for me, and English
Country Dancing soon followed.
After moving to California, I joined the ranks of English Dance callers and, on occasion, play
piano for classes. I continue to teach Scottish Country Dance, and periodically throw in Vintage
Dance, which includes Regency, Victorian, and Ragtime era ballroom dancing.
“Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body.”
Martha Graham

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! Unfortunately, four of these six are unavailable for this dance, but we were fortunate enough to get the brilliant fiddler Kathrine Gardner to sit in.

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), who has, alas, just retired after two glorious decades with the band. He is deeply missed.

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.

Follow us, and tell your friends!

We’re on Instagram and Facebook at sacramentocountrydancesociety !

Our website is at sactocds.org!

The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:

Caller: Gary Sandler
Music: Quite Carried Away
Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright
Date: Sunday, September 20th, 2026 (3rd Sunday, in Sacramento)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: The YLI, 1400 27th St., Sacramento
Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check)

Online Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/121637118039

We normally dance at the YLI on the third Sunday of the month, and we expect to return to the Roseville Masonic Lodge for first Sundays, beginning in October.

Gary Sandler‘s first exposure to dance was when he learned ballroom style in college. Decades later, his son’s involvement in a youth dance program introduced him to International Folk Dance. Over the years, he’s learned a variety of dance styles and developed a particular love of English Country Dance. Gary likes helping dancers get more fun out of their dancing through safe and comfortable hand-holds, practical demonstrations, and clear direct instruction.  Gary likes to vary the dance format for English Country Dances, shifting from lines to circles to squares. Through his local International Folk Dance group’s weekly dance, Gary calls and teaches Romanian, Israeli, Balkan, and Scottish dances in addition to English Country.

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! Unfortunately, four of these six are unavailable for this dance, but we were fortunate enough to get the brilliant fiddler Kathrine Gardner to sit in.

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), who has, alas, just retired after two glorious decades with the band. He is deeply missed. Martin Lodahl is recovering from a spinal injury and expects to return in October.

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.

Follow us, and tell your friends!

We’re on Instagram and Facebook at sacramentocountrydancesociety !

Our website is at sactocds.org!

The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:

Caller: Lise Dyckman
Music: Kathrine Gardner, Jane Kostka, and Arlene Jamar
Sound: the band
Date: Sunday, September 6th, 2026 (1st Sunday, in Sacramento)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: The YLI, 1400 27th St., Sacramento
Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check)

English Country Dances are being held solely at the YLI during the hot months of this summer, but we expect to return to the Roseville Masonic Lodge for first Sundays, beginning in October.

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! Unfortunately, four of these six are unavailable for this dance, but we were fortunate enough to get the brilliant fiddler Kathrine Gardner to sit in.

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), who has, alas, just retired after two glorious decades with the band. He is deeply missed.

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.

Follow us, and tell your friends!

We’re on Instagram and Facebook at sacramentocountrydancesociety !

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, August 16th, 2026 (3rd Sunday, in Sacramento)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: CHANGED!! Now Polish American Hall, at 327 Main Street in Roseville!
Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $30 maximum for families (cash or check)

English Country Dances are being held solely at the YLI during the hot months of this summer, but we expect to return to the Roseville Masonic Lodge for first Sundays, beginning in October. This week, however, the air conditioning in the YLI is down, so we’re retreating to the Polish American Hall in Roseville, where we danced before the Pandemic.

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), who has, alas, just retired after two glorious decades with the band. He is deeply missed.

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.

Follow us, and tell your friends!

We’re on Instagram and Facebook at sacramentocountrydancesociety !

The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:

Caller: David Newitt
Music: Quite Carried Away
Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright
Date: Sunday, August 2nd, 2026 (1st 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)

English Country Dances are being held solely at the YLI during the hot months of this summer, but we expect to return to the Roseville Masonic Lodge for first Sundays, beginning in September.

David Newitt arrived at Swarthmore College in the fall of 1976 and was shocked to discover that this pillar of higher education had a two year physical education requirement. Faced with the alternatives of being smashed to pieces on the football field and going to Folk and Square Dancing, the choice was clear. He’s been dancing ever since.

Starting with international folk dancing, he was soon dragged into the local Scottish Country Dance group, the college morris and rapper sword team, and, when it started in 1978, the Kingsessing Morris team of Philadelphia. He came to Berkeley in 1982 to work on a Ph.D.in physics and to do country and display dancing. Since the dissolution of the One Shot Morris Team due to MIBS (Morris Induced Baby Syndrome), he has concentrated on country dancing in the Bay Area, teaching and playing music for regular Scottish and English dances and calling contras and the occasional square dance.

When not dancing, David takes pictures of people’s insides, doing research in Magnetic Resonance Imaging at UCSF, specializing in body parts that start with B. David is one of the most accomplished country dance teachers in the Bay Area, known particularly for his mastery of dance geography and his ability to make complicated dances seem simple. David’s priorities can be guessed from the final acknowledgment in his dissertation, in which he thanks, “All my friends in various dance and music groups without whose continuing support I would undoubtedly have finished this dissertation several years earlier.”

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), who has, alas, just retired after two glorious decades with the band. He is deeply missed.

Quite Carried Away is the home band for the English Country Dances.

There will be a potluck and pool party after the dance! Grills will be available if you want to bring something to grill. Bring your suit! Directions will be supplied at the dance.

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.

Follow us, and tell your friends!

We’re on Instagram and Facebook at sacramentocountrydancesociety !

The Sacramento Country Dance Society, building community through lively dances, live music, and friendly people, proudly presents:

Caller: Alan Winston
Music: Not Quite Carried Away
Sound: Clark Smith
Date: Sunday, July 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)

Caller, choreographer, and community leader, Alan Winston started with Regency dance in 1978 and has been dancing contra since 1985. He’s been calling Regency, English, Early American, and Victorian dance since 1985, and started calling contras in 2006. He’s called for balls, camps, and special events from Southern California to the Bay Area to Oregon, Washington, and Victoria BC. He co-founded the Bay Area English Regency Society and has been the house caller since 1985.

His clear, cheerful, and witty instruction have served dancers well at a variety of venues including science fiction and romance writer conventions, Pie Ranch, weddings, a residential Victorian weekend, Playford Balls on both coasts, Williamsburg, VA, the San Francisco Free Folk Festival, the New England Folk Festival (NEFFA), and as a staff member at BACDS Family Week, the Heather and Rose gender-free English/Scottish weekend in Oregon, and the Queer Contra weekend in Aptos. It is Alan’s great joy to share the joy of community through country dance.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alan.winston

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), who has, alas, just retired after two glorious decades with the band. He is deeply missed. Further, this week Arlene, Sue, David, and Martin are all unavailable, leaving Jane as the last stalwart, so we’ve brought in Kathrine Gardner (fiddle) and Clark Smith (guitar) to save the day.

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.

Follow us, and tell your friends!

We’re on Instagram and Facebook at sacramentocountrydancesociety !