The Susquehanna Folk Festival’s weekend of dance kicks off with caller Janine Smith and live music by Dead Sea Squirrels. A workshop for beginners is included with admission, so no experience is required!

Janine Smith

The Janine Smith experience is what you get when you cross a howdy-ma’am-BBQ-and-beans Honky Tonk with Zoom contra and sprinkle on some twinkly lights for sass. She’ll bring you a night of fun dances, from squares to contras, whether you’re sitting, standing, or somewhere in between. Her teaching is clear and to-the-point, though she has been known to goof around a bit. She’s a founding member of the DC Square Dance Collective.

Dead Sea Squirrels

The Dead Sea Squirrels push the boundaries of the Southern American style with fiddle and fiddle/guitar harmonies. You might also find them exploring transplanted British and Celtic-influenced tunes; African-rooted rhythm and blues; Cajun waltzes and two-steps. Based in Boston, the band features Cathy Mason on fiddle, Craig Edwards on fiddle, banjo, and mandolin, and Henry Yoshimura on guitar.

They play widely for contra dances and are known for their danceable tunes arranged in medleys designed to closely match and enhance the movements of the particular contra dance being taught/called. Since all the musicians are also dancers, they understand the importance of the interaction between dancers and musicians, and how to use rhythm and dynamics to augment the feel and excitement of a dance.