Dance in the Desert 2019

Dance in the Desert 2019

Nov 8-10

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Dance in the Desert Facebook Page

Bands

Gaslight Tinkers

Joe Fitzpatrick, Garrett Sawyer, Audrey Knuth, and Peter Siegel

The Privy Tippers

The Privy Tippers will be performing at the 2018 Dance in the Desert.

Jesse Anderson, Jerry Ray Weinert,  Jacquie Wohl, and Dave Firestine

STEAM!

Claire Zucker, Robert Rosenberg, Alice Boyle and Dave Firestine

Callers

Wendy Graham

Jacqui Grennan

Camp

Only an hour and a half from Tucson and two hours from Phoenix, the Triangle Y Ranch Camp is located in the northern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. At a 5000 foot elevation, the camp’s 400 acres provide beautiful scenery and ample facilities. Dance on our custom-made, resilient wood floor, and enjoy the amazing view of the San Pedro river valley from the dining hall. Hike and explore the surrounding Coronado National Forest in the Arizona sunshine.

Check-in opens at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Camp begins with supper, followed by a dance. Start Saturday with a hearty breakfast, then prepare for a full day of workshops for dancers, singers, and musicians. Saturday night’s gala dance will be followed by late night jamming. Sunday morning features more music and dance, and the weekend concludes with a dance after lunch on Sunday. Camp closes at 3:00 p.m.

Rustic cabins each house up to twelve campers in bunks and share nearby rest rooms and shower houses. Cabins are designated family, mixed-gender, or single gender, and will be available on a first-come basis at camp.  Some handicapped accommodations are available. There is plenty of space for tent camping and RV parking. A new shower house for campers was built in 2018.  You can also arrange your own off-site accommodations and receive a discount on your registration fee.

Six hearty meals (Friday supper through Sunday lunch) plus delightful snacks will be provided. There is a vegetarian option.

Making It Happen

Other than the musicians and callers, Dance in the Desert is entirely run by volunteers. Each camper is asked to do one chore at camp. Let us know in advance if you have any special needs or talents.


A limited number of partial work scholarships (2-3 hours of work) are available for those needing financial assistance. Please note on the registration form if you wish to request a work scholarship.

  • Y Camp
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  • Y DanceHall
  • Contra Dance Tucson General

About the Bands

SuperTrad
Gaslight Tinkers

African, Caribbean, Funk, Reggae, and Latin grooves meet traditional fiddle music. It’s the genre-bending future of the music of the past.

The Gaslight Tinkers’ blend of global rhythms creates a joyously danceable sound around a core of traditional New England old time and celtic fiddle music, merging boundless positive energy with melody and song. Since its formation in 2012 the band has lit up the East Coast, the West Coast, and the Caribbean, headlining clubs, dances, and major festivals.  Playing what The Valley Advocate describes as “Music that consistently fizzes and pops with unexpected textures and turns,” The Gaslight Tinkers’ shows are packed with delightful surprises, elated crowds, and exuberant musicianship. The sound and energy of Audrey, Jopey, Garrett, and Peter are universally irresistible.

The Privy Tippers
The Privy Tippers

Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, The Privy Tippers are a rock-solid dance band steeped in the Southern string band tradition. Over the past 21 years they kept one foot in the South while they stepped into several other musical traditions, such as French Canadian, New England and music of the Southwestern Borderlands. Dave Firestine (left) is an exceptional lead and back-up mandolin player who adds a danceable punch to each and every note. Jacquie Wohl (center) leads the band with her driving melodic fiddling. On string bass, Jerry Ray Weinert (right) lays the rhythmic foundation for the musical dance of the fiddle and mandolin.  Jesse Jacob Anderson brings a dynamic and powerful approach to rhythm guitar playing that can help propel dancers and musicians alike into that rare state of contra bliss. He has played with a variety of groups since moving to Arizona in 1998, including The Frayed Knots, Pick ‘n Holler, Updraft, Just Desserts, The Frisco Mountain Moonlighters, The Backsliders, and The Mars Hillbillies. He is also a talented solo artist, playing professionally on The Grand Canyon Railway since 2004 and performing regularly elsewhere in Arizona and beyond.

The Adobe Brothers
STEAM

STEAM! plays with drive and elegance, bringing fun, intuitive musicality and cool tunes to contradances across the country. STEAM is Alice Boyle on fiddle and viola, Dave Firestine on mandolin and percussion, Robert Rosenberg on guitar and banjo, and Claire Zucker on percussion and concertina. Their repertoire includes their favorite dance tunes from a crazy variety of traditions and sources – from Irish to swing to original compositions and a lot in between! You might hear them say: “Let’s Dance! Let’s Play! Let’s Jam!” Check out their videos at www.dancetosteam.com or visit them on fb.

About the Callers

Wendy Graham
Wendy Graham

Self-described “dance maniac,” Wendy Graham Settle’s passion for music, song and dance caught fire on a youth dance tour of Denmark in 1991. Today, Wendy leads English, American, and couples dance events in Durango, Colorado, throughout the country as far away as Alaska, and abroad in England and Denmark.  She proudly served on the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) board and currently is a Lifetime Contribution Award committee member.  She is also currently a Lloyd Shaw Foundation board member. Find out more about the perky pants dance factory at www.perkypantsdance.com. 

Jacqui Grennen
Jacqui Grennen

Jacqui Grennan sees herself as the host of a party and gets great satisfaction from seeing the dancers and band having a good time during the dance. She is known for her effective, cheerful, and encouraging style of calling. She is also a contra dance choreographer which gives her insight into the connections among dancers and the flow of the dance that keeps everyone moving smoothly with the music. Jacqui lives in Los Angeles, CA, and has been very involved in the southern California dance community.

Contact us about any questions you may have.