Cream of the Crop dances

For the past nine years (and supported 1991-1998 by the Cultural Resources Council), the "Cream of the Crop" dance series has provided Central New York with a very special series of New York/New England style traditional country dances as well as a variety of dance related workshops. The dances and workshops bring callers and bands with national reputations to central New York to provide contra and square dances of the highest quality.

The "Cream of the Crop" series provides our community with traditional dancing at its best. It provides new dancers with the experience of a hall full of enthusiastic people dancing to the music of performers with great energy and skill. This same experience re-energizes experienced dancers.

Cream of the Crop events have featured nationally known performers, including: Kathy Anderson, Bare Necessities, Les Freres Brunet, Mary DesRosiers, Fennig's, Scott Higgs, Tom Hinds, Jumpin' Judy, David Kaynor, Susan Kevra, Nightingale, Tony Parkes, Dan Pearl, Pete Sutherland, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Wild Asparagus, Yankee Ingenuity, and Steve Zakon-Anderson, as well as talented regional performers including: Clef Hangers, Contradictions, Hommage Quebecois, Bob Nicholson, Passing Fancies, St. Regis String Band, David Smukler, Tomahtoes, and Woodshed All-Stars.

The series has also included a noteworthy series of excellent workshops for musicians, callers, and dancers. These workshops focus on many dance forms, including: Clogging, English Country Dancing, Irish social dancing, Quebecois dance styles, Scandinavian couple dancing, Square dancing, Swing dancing, and Waltz.

Currently we run two "Cream of the Crop" events per year, our Phylla Mae Fall Fest on the third weekend in October, and a spring workshop and dance. Please see our schedule for the date of our next "Cream of the Crop" dance.

This page was last edited on 10-Apr-2002.