2025 Artists

Group photo of five musicians with instruments, standing against a red background with the text 'Red Case Band' at the top and their names at the bottom.

The Red Case Band

The Red Case Band is an electrifying deep-space groove party machine, featuring Stuart Kenney (interstellar banjo trance, deep bass pulsars), Clara Stickney (star-shimmering harp and fiddle), Alex Cumming (cumulonimbus accordion and piano), Matt Kenney (galactic percussion), and Max Newman (gamma ray electric guitar). Their richly textured musical signal shakes to the planetary core and broadcasts on all danceable frequencies.

Two people standing outdoors in a grassy area, playing musical instruments and enjoying each other's company. One person is holding a ukulele and the other is playing the violin, both smiling and laughing.

KingFisher

Kingfisher, the eclectic duo of Cecilia Vacanti and Jeff Kaufman, plays both traditional and modern contra dance music, and has been hailed as one of the most versatile up-and-coming dance bands on the road today. Already a mainstay in the Greater Boston area, they've performed to large, enthusiastic crowds on the West Coast, Eastern Seaboard, and throughout the Northeast. Jeff Kaufman, a multi-instrumentalist, anchors the duo from the piano, as well as mandolin and a number of innovative electronic instruments he created himself, providing the duo with bass and drum grooves — all of which gives Cecilia Vacanti opportunity to wow you with intense fiddling renditions of tunes across the spectrum, surprising even the most seasoned listener with a genre-bending playlist that is absolutely breathtaking.

Will Mentor

Will Mentor is perhaps the foremost contra dance caller in the United States. For the last 20 years, his clear teaching, upbeat wit, and relaxed stage presence have been delighting new and old dancers alike.

A man wearing a gray sweater, gray pants, and a backward gray cap, smiling and holding a microphone, sitting on the floor at a stage in a room with wooden paneling.
A woman with short dark hair, glasses, and earrings, speaking into a microphone in an indoor setting, possibly at a public event or lecture.

Alyssa Adkins

When you ask a Muppet to masquerade as a human and call a contra dance, you get Alyssa. Dancers consistently describe her teaching and calling as clear, joyful, and energetic. She focuses on staying precise and concise in her communication so everyone can more fully enjoy the dance, the music, and each other.