Elves, not Leprechauns, on stage for March Contra Dance

Whether you want to dance or just come listen to great music, you don’t want to miss the March 25th dance in Sautee. One of our all-time favorite contra dance bands is The Elftones, a highly accomplished musical duo. To make things even better, the caller for the night, Cis Hinkle, is one of the best on the circuit.

The Elftones is a popular, highly energetic North Carolina-based band, comprised of Mara Shea on fiddle and Roger Gold on guitar and foot percussion. Blending Irish, Scottish, French-Canadian, old-time, and original tunes, they create a unique connection between the music and the dance and between the guitar and the fiddle, which makes dancers believe they could just keep on dancing all night.

It’s more music than you’d ever imagine from just two instruments. The music is driving, lyrical, dreamy, intense, and shaped to fit the dance. In fact, if you close your eyes and just listen, you’ll think there are extra elves hiding out under the stage supplying more music.

The Elftones call the North Carolina Piedmont home, but they play over much of the United States and Internationally. Together they have produced several CDs of beautiful dance and listening music, and, individually, each artist has also recorded several CDs with other groups.

Caller Cis Hinkle is much in demand at music and dance festivals from the USA to England and Denmark. We in the Sautee dance community count ourselves very fortunate when Cis “comes to call”, as she has on several occasions over the years.  

Cis has delighted contra and square dancers since 1985 with her skilled teaching, welcoming manner, playful enthusiasm, and masterful selection of dances. When not on the road, Cis teaches t’ai chi classes in her native Atlanta, Georgia.  

Introductory lesson, 7:30 pm; dance, 8-11 pm.  No partner or prior experience necessary. SNCA members, $7; non-members, $10; students, $5; children 12 and under, free. The SNC historic gym is located at 283 Highway 255 North, ¼ mile off Highway 17 in Sautee, Georgia.

Contact: (706) 878-3300; www.snca.org or www.sauteecontra.com.