Logo: Susquehanna Folk Music Society
Presenting fine traditional arts in Central Pennsylvania since 1985

Contra Dance with The Faux Paws with guest guitarist Owen Morrison

Saturday, April 15, 2023 7-10 pm at St. John's Episcopal Church, Lancaster
Beginners' Lesson 6:15 pm with caller Caroline Barnes

CATCH THEM IN CONCERT during our FAUX PAWS WEEKEND! Sunday, April 16 at Fort Hunter Barn in Harrisburg, PA.
ADVANCE TICKETS RECOMMENDED!  Because we might fill the dance hall!

About This Event:

Two brothers who grew up playing for contra dances met this bluegrass-loving jazz saxophonist... why not? We fell in love with The Faux Paws at our 2019 festival, and at our 2022 festival they rocked both the Dance Hall and the Main Stage. We are thrilled to welcome them for a full weekend of dance and music.

The Faux Paws

Two brothers who grew up playing for contra dances met this bluegrass-loving jazz saxophonist... why not? We fell in love with The Faux Paws at our 2019 festival, and at our 2022 festival they rocked both the Dance Hall and the Main Stage. We are thrilled to welcome them for a full weekend of dance and music.

The music of The Faux Paws would be hard to pin down with standard genre descriptions. These three close friends (two of whom happen to be brothers) feel a musical kinship that transcends any stylistic limitations.

Brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand grew up playing contra dance music with their musician mother in the band Great Bear. Chris Miller was enamoured with bluegrass and studied jazz before going on to play with GRAMMY nominated Cajun-country band The Revelers. They have enjoyed playing together for ten years, onstage and off, but only recently have been able to make The Faux Paws a priority.

Now, with an experimental but cohesive vision, and a debut recording under their belt, the trio brings together seemingly unrelated musical elements into one joyful and distinctive collection, deeply rooted in the raw humanity of folk dance and music traditions.

with caller Caroline Barnes

Caroline Barnes

Caroline Barnes is a caller and organizer from the D.C. area. She has called for events as varied as Youth Dance Weekend, the Glen Echo Park contra dances, the D.C. Square Dance, and evenings of ceilidh dancing at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. She believes wholeheartedly that participatory dance is a social good, and she is committed to facilitating a joyful synthesis of music, movement, and community from the microphone.

As an organizer, Caroline is vice-president of the Folklore Society of Greater Washington, the past president of the Friday Night Dancers, and a former committee member for the Chesapeake Dance Weekend. When she is not putting together a social dance, you can find Caroline dancing with her rapper team, Sligo Creek Sword, or her clogging group, Just in Time.

and guest guitarist Owen Morrison

Owen Morrison

...sitting in for Andrew, and we're excited to have him! Owen Morrison is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, performing guitar, mandolin, and foot percussion in styles ranging from French-Canadian to Classical to Swing to Flamenco. His musical projects include the traditional dance bands Elixir, The Figments, The Morrison Brothers, Night Watch, and House Red. He is a member of the Dovetail Ensemble, which brings together artists from disparate traditions for collaborative performances. He's also a well-regarded tune composer. His waltz "Daybreak" is in The Waltz Book IV and is the centerpiece of his CD of original waltzes.

The Faux Paws
The Faux Paws
The Faux Paws
Caroline Barnes calls for a dance in February 2020 (those carefree days before COVID!) with David Knight on fiddle and Dave Wiesler on piano & guitar.

Tickets

Contra Dance: 7-10 pm Doors: 6:00 pm US Eastern Time

Beginners' Lesson: 6:15 pm Doors: -

  • Free with dance admission

Catch them in concert!

  • Sunday, April 16 as part of our Faux Paws weekend

General ticket info

Venues

St. John's Episcopal Church

321 W. Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA 17603

Park in the church's parking lot, on the street, or in the Water Street parking garage (one block away, at the corner of Chestnut and Water Streets).

COVID Safety Policy

For SFMS events, we follow CDC recommendations on the event date, adding any additional precautions required by the venue or the artist. Details on our COVID policy page.

Per Lancaster Contra's policy, masks are optional for this dance.

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