Contra + Waltz dance and classes January 10, 2009

This is a great dance for socializing, meeting new people, getting out of the house and doing something different.

We are combining contra dancing and social couples dancing. No partner needed. Great dance event for singles, dating couples and married people. DAnce skill ranges from total beginner to very advanced.

We are having another wonderful evening of great music and dancing at the "Contra+Waltz", this time with a wonderful band from Seattle, KGB.

Our "Contra+Waltz" is an evening filled with many fun wonderful dances- half the dances are contras and line dances, and the rest are waltzes, polkas, one steps. Our special band for the night, KGB from Seattle, composed the music for one of Friday Night Waltz standard dances, our cross step waltz mixer, "A Clocked Stopped". We can't wait to dance to it with live music!

We are planning on having about 10 waltzes, a few of polkas, some latin and tango- all played by KGB. A great band. not to be missed! Listen to their music here.

Our last Contra+Waltz had over 230 dancers-one of the largest contra dances in California over the last few years. People were eager for another dance- here we are with a delightful band that has played superb dance music for nearly two decades. They get to the bay area every five years or so.
This is a must-go dance!

We are delighted to present KGB, a favorite contra band with a loyal and long time following. They will play about half contras and line dances and about half social couple dances with 10 waltzes, several Polkas,and other dances like a tango, Hambo, and Schottische. Not to be missed! KGB has not been in the Bay area for a really long time. KGB is the Seattle-based trio of Julie King, Claude Ginsburg and Dave Bartley, whose surname initials provide the group's name (KGB). They've been playing contradance music since 1993.

Richard Powers will be calling the contras. He started out calling contra many years ago in Cincinatti and is now returning to his roots. Richard will also be teaching two hours of social dances from 7 pm to 9 pm.

7pm class: pivoting schottische

8pm class: Cross step waltz with an introduction to cross step waltz mixer, which will be played live with KGB, who wrote the original music.

Tom Hill teaches his excellent Introductory waltz class from 7 to 9pm.

$20 for the evening. $10 for students with id. No partner necessary. All Ages. Casual comfortable attire. Sorry due to live band, no discount for dance only. Under 18 must be accompanied by parent or guardian.

We will have our traditional celebratory selection of cherry pies, double chocolate devine mousse, raspberry cheesecakes, lemon merengue pies, and a zingy selection of Mitchell's ice creams, including avocado, mango, ginger and green tea

Oakland Veterans Hall 200 Grand Avenue Oakland CA X Harrison.
A beautiful dance hall, with 3,500 square foot hardwood floor, extra room for socializing and meeting new people, easy access, great parking. We will have a security guard in the parking lot.

This KGB is not a spy organization, but a band from Seattle that plays for New England style contradance, English Country Dance (as MI-5), for concerts, and private functions such as wedding receptions. We write a lot of our own music, and the rest comes from all over the world: the British Isles, French Canada, the Northeastern USA, Western and Eastern Europe, South America, the rest of the USA, and places we haven't yet identified.

Richard Powers is one of the world's foremost experts in American social dance, noted for his choreographies for dozens of stage productions and films, and his workshops across the country, in Paris, Prague, London, Rome, Geneva, Russia, and Japan. He has been researching and reconstructing historic social dances for twenty-five years and is currently a full-time instructor at Stanford's Dance Division. Selected by the Centennial Issue of Stanford Magazine as one of Stanford University's most notable graduates of its first century. Awarded the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for distinctive and exceptional contributions to education at Stanford University. (1999). Teaches social dance forms of North America and directs the 70-member Stanford Vintage Dance Ensemble. Faculty liason to Friends of Dance at Stanford. Joined the Dance Faculty in 1992.

Official Website: http://www.FridayNightWaltz.com