Sharon Green
Sharon Green simply loves welcoming newcomers to the joys of English country dance. Having come to country dancing as a non-dancing adult, she knows what a challenge it can be for beginners; she also knows that it just gets better and better. After honing her teaching skills for more than a decade on the East Coast, Sharon took California by storm several years ago and has truly re-energized the Bay Area ECD scene. She has been a featured caller at numerous dance festivals, weekends, and camps on both coasts, as well as the UK and Japan. But we welcome her because we always have such great time when she calls our Sebastopol dance!
Chuck Ward
Co-founder of The San Francisco Country Dance Society (the forerunner of BACDS), pianist Chuck Ward has been enlivening the country dance scene with his witty, artful playing for over 40 years. His recordings for CDSS are acknowledged classics. He was keyboardist for the Berea College Country Dance Troupe in Kentucky and toured widely with this semiprofessional dance team. He has been on the staff of the Berea College Christmas School, John C. Campbell Folk School (North Carolina), Pinewoods Camp (Massachusetts), Mendocino International Folklore Camp (California), BACDS English Week (California), and numerous weekend camps throughout the United States including Alaska.
Jim Oakden
Jim has gone through a succession of musical stages, from early music to traditional. Having diverse tastes, he has played in many bands and performs on an absurd number of instruments, from accordion and bagpipe to whistle and zurna. He is familiar to local dancers from his performances at the Playford Ball, Mendocino English Week, and Fall Weekend, but is also featured at events on the East Coast and in England. Jim is currently active as a musician for English country dances, contras, Irish and Cape Breton sessions and dances from Brittany.
Marnen Laibow-Koser
Marnen Laibow-Koser started playing for country dances well before he ever needed to shave. Known for his driving, rhythmic playing, Marnen performs on violin, viola, flute, recorders, piano, organ, squeezebox, gamelan, and any other instrument left lying in his vicinity. He is no stranger to the Bay Area dance scene after several visits with the Flying Romanos, including last summer’s gig at Mendocino English week where he teamed up with Chuck Ward and Jim Oakden. You can learn more about Marnen’s wide range of musical interests at his web site.
Last modified3/10/07 by MRB webmaster