English Country Dance, Roseville!

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, April 6th, 2025
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA
Cost: $15 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 maximum for families (cash or check)


Gary Thomas says:
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!

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.

English Country Dance in Roseville!

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, March 2nd, 2025
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA
Cost: $12 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 maximum for families (cash or check)


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.

English Country Dance in Roseville!

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, February 2nd (First Sunday)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA
Cost: $12 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 maximum for families (cash or check)


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.


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. The Masonic Lodge is fully handicapped-accessible, using the elevator just 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.

No Dance This Weekend!

In fact that will be true three times this month! This first two times it’s a natural result of our holding English dances on the first & third Sundays, and Contra dances on the second and fourth Saturdays. The Monday this notice drops will be the day after the first Sunday, and the next Saturday will be the first Saturday of the month, a week too soon for the Contra, which will happen on Saturday the 14th, with Tanya Merchant calling to the music of Star Thistle.

Sunday the 15th will be not just an English dance, but our annual Holiday Tea! This year we swapped the locations of our two English dances so we could hold this event at Roseville’s Masonic Lodge, with the superb Lise Dyckman calling to our own Quite Carried Away. Tea will be sipped (pinkie extension is optional), goodies devoured, and there will be chattage and talkery.

Then we’ll have another no-dance weekend due to the calendar, and the following Saturday, the 28th, the dance is also canceled, as just three days later is one of the biggest events in our calendar: the New Year’s Eve Contra! Starting at 8 PM, you can dance out 2024 with Dane Wallinga calling to the music of the Rhythm Raptors (Rodney Miller, Jeff Spero, and TJ Crow)!

December is a big month!

English Country Dance in Roseville!

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

Caller: Alan Winston
Music: Quite Carried Away
Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright
Date: Sunday, October 6th (1st Sunday in Roseville)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA
Cost: $12 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 maximum for families (cash or check)


Alan Winston

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).

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.


COVID Safety Information:

Latest update: June 2024

The policies below are intended to balance our desire to dance with the safety of our community, including both our dancers and the wider public. If you are feeling ill, please stay home and join us at another event when you’re feeling well.

Vaccination

COVID vaccination and up-to-date boosters are highly recommended but not required.

Masks

Based on current immunity levels and transmission rates in our community, good quality, well-fitting masks are recommended but not required on the dance floor and in other indoor spaces at all our dance locations.

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.

English Country Dance, Second Sunday!

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, September 8th (2nd Sunday in Roseville)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA
Cost: $12 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 maximum for families (cash or check)


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.


New (old) location! Old-timers will remember that for years we danced at the Masonic Lodge at 235 Vernon Street in downtown Roseville. And now, our First Sunday dance is there again! I’m delighted to report that there’s now a large parking structure behind the building!

And yes, you read right: our September English dances are shifted to the second and fourth Sundays this year to avoid conflicting with the Labor Day Weekend, and the Echo Summit Dance Weekend.

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 are accessible to people with disabilities.

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.

COVID Safety Information:

Latest update: June 2024

The policies below are intended to balance our desire to dance with the safety of our community, including both our dancers and the wider public. If you are feeling ill, please stay home and join us at another event when you’re feeling well.

Vaccination

COVID vaccination and up-to-date boosters are highly recommended but not required.

Masks

Based on current immunity levels and transmission rates in our community, good quality, well-fitting masks are recommended but not required on the dance floor and in other indoor spaces at all our dance locations.

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.

English Country Dance, First Sunday

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

Caller: Alan Winston
Music: Quite Carried Away
Sound: Sue Jones and David Wright
Date: Sunday, June 2nd (1st Sunday in Roseville)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA
Cost: $12 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 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).

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


New (old) location! We’re growing accustomed to being back at the Masonic Lodge at 235 Vernon Street in downtown Roseville. It’s a beautiful place with plenty of light, and now, there’s a large parking structure behind the building! And maybe here the band’s viol player (me) won’t drop his bow off the stage and break it.

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. Easily accessible to people with disabilities.

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.

COVID Safety Information:

The ECD Committee has reconsidered our COVID policy:

Vaccination

COVID vaccination and boosters are highly recommended but not required.

Masks

For English Country Dances at the Masonic Lodge facility (1st Sunday), good quality, well-fitting masks are recommended but not required on the dance floor and other indoor spaces.

For English Dances at the YLI facility (3rd Sunday) – Requirements are now the same as above.

First Sunday English Country Dance!

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 5th (1st Sunday in Roseville)
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: Masonic Lodge, 235 Vernon St., Roseville, CA
Cost: $12 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 maximum for families (cash or check)


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.


New (old) location! Old-timers will remember that for years we danced at the Masonic Lodge at 235 Vernon Street in downtown Roseville. And now, our First Sunday dance is there again! I’m delighted to report that there’s now a large parking structure behind the building!

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 are accessible to people with disabilities.

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.

COVID Safety Information:

The ECD Committee has reconsidered our COVID policy:

Vaccination

COVID vaccination and boosters are highly recommended but not required.

Masks

For English Country Dances at the Masonic Lodge facility (1st Sunday), good quality, well-fitting masks are recommended but not required on the dance floor and other indoor spaces.

For English Dances at the YLI facility (3rd Sunday) – Requirements are now the same as above.

English Country Dance, First Sunday!

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
Date: Sunday, April 7th (1st Sunday in Roseville)
Time: 2:00-6:00 pm
Location: Masonic Lodge, 325 Vernon St., Roseville, CA
Cost: $12 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 maximum for families (cash or check)


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).

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


New (old) location! Old-timers will remember that for years we danced at the Masonic Lodge at 235 Vernon Street in downtown Roseville. Beginning this month, our First Sunday dance will be there again! And now, there’s a large parking structure behind the building! This time we mean it!

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 are accessible to people with disabilities.

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.

COVID Safety Information:

The ECD Committee has reconsidered our COVID policy:

Vaccination

COVID vaccination and boosters are highly recommended but not required.

Masks

For English Country Dances at the Masonic Lodge facility (1st Sunday), good quality, well-fitting masks are recommended but not required on the dance floor and other indoor spaces.

For English Dances at the YLI facility (3rd Sunday) – Requirements are now the same as above.