Andrew has been dancing since he was little — and he's very tall now! He's possibly the only caller who is well-respected in Ceilidh, Contra and Playford circles alike. He has done considerable research into the early Playford dances. He also plays piano accordion, writes dance tunes (mostly in the French style) and dances with Gog Magog Molly, going back to his days as a student in Cambridge. He now lives in Sheffield with his wife Daisy Black, also an experienced caller.
Brad Foster loves sharing the joy of dance through his teaching. He started teaching in his teens and running events in his twenties. Brad is co-founder of the Mendocino Country Dance Camps and was Executive and Artistic Director of the Country Dance and Song Society for 28 years; he was Programme Director for English Week ten times between 1986 and 2013. Brad has travelled throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe as a teacher of English country, morris & sword, and contra dance.Until this year he ws also the Director of New London Assembly, a week of historical 17th- and 18th- century country dance which is part of the internationally renowned Amherst Early Music Festival.
Brian started dancing and calling at barn dances and ceilidhs in his teens and came to folk dancing via ballroom dancing. He has called at various national venues including Halsway Manor and Eastbourne and Chippenham Festivals. He is also chairman of the excellent Mercian Folk Callers' Forum.He enjoys Playford, modern English and American styles of dance and, as a caller, likes to share his enthusiasm with fellow dancers and to help them to get the most from a dance by encouraging them to think of the two big Ts — Timing and Technique.
Fiona likes to dance, especially to Scottish music. Many years ago while a student she joined Edinburgh University New Scotland Country Dance Society. Fiona now teaches a Scottish Country Dance social class in Bristol, as well as a beginners/improvers class in Bath. She especially likes to encourage others to dance, and has taught at the RSCDS summer school in St Andrews, Scotland, as well as workshops in the UK, Europe, North America and South Africa.Fiona is a really awful fiddler, but loves to share her enthusiasm for interpreting Scottish music through country dancing, ceilidh dancing and step dancing. She is an enthusiastic itinerant dancer, caller and publicist for the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, and is happy to travel miles to hear a fine band play and join in the dance.
Fran began folk dancing as a teenager and danced with clubs all over Cornwall; she started calling a few years later. Since then she has called for barn dances, dance clubs, christenings, weddings and wakes as well as at Festivals and residential weekends. She is the resident caller at Illogan Folk Dance Club and also call on a rota basis at Truro Folk Dance Club as well as travelling further afield to call for clubs out of county.She enjoys dancing and calling English/Playford and American styles and firmly believes that dancing should be fun and that it is the best way to keep fit, both mentally and physically.
Geoff is well known as a caller for American Squares and Contra and English Ceilidh. He has called at national dance festivals including Whitby, Chippenham, Eastbourne and Sidmouth, and is well respected by his peers. He has considerable experience as a dancer himself, particularly in Appalachian clogging.His experience as a dancer stands him in good stead when calling, as his sympathy with those on the floor means that he is helpful to beginners as well as extending the expert dancers.
Website: geoffcubitt.com
Karen and John have been dancing, demonstrating and teaching together since 2001 and love travelling and meeting dancers who, like them, are still looking for new styles and ideas. They run two dances a week in Ashford and Maidstone under the name Contrafusion. They just want to share their passion for dance and help people to have fun.Websites: contrafusion.co.uk and modernjive.com
Kathryn and David — “The Wrights of Lichfield” in Gary Roodman's dance — have been dancing together for over 50 years. They enjoy both dancing and calling and have a wide repertoire from Playford to American Squares and Contras. They have composed several dances that have achieved widespread popularity both at home and abroad and enjoy sharing their love of dancing with others. They particularly like encouraging good dance technique and enjoy making so-called “difficult” dances accessible.
Louise Siddons is a well-known contra and English country dance caller on both sides of the Atlantic. After a 35-year sojourn in the States, she is once again based in the south of England, where among other things she is the co-founder of the Brighton Gender-Free Contra+ series. She also teaches a variety of couple dances including swing and waltz. In all of her teaching and calling, she aims for a fun, welcoming atmosphere that encourages dancers to enjoy familiar and new dances alike.Website: louisesiddons.com
Mark Elvins has been dancing and calling since he was a teenager. Like most of the callers at the festival Mark calls across the board — Contra, Squares, Playford style and traditional English dances. Although his main love is the contras and squares, he relishes the contrasts in style of a totally mixed evening. He also has written many of his own dances some of which are published in the “Both Feet” books. Over the years he has called at most of the major folk dance festivals, including May Heydays in 2025.Mark believes that dancing should be fun and as lively as the music to which we dance.
Maureen Knight and her husband Graham were two of the organisers of Eastbourne International Folk Dance Festival before Mecki and her team took over and moved Eastbourne to Evesham, and she can't seem to keep away.
In 2026 Mic is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first time he was pushed into calling at Ramsgate Folk Dance Club. He was immediately hooked and today is one of the busiest callers in the country with almost a hundred bookings per year. Including British and American dances in his repertoire, Mic emphasises the fun of dancing while also focusing on timing and technique.
Bearded Dragons is a modern folk duo featuring expert dance musicians Benjamin Rowe (fiddle) and Vic Smith (keys, synthesizers). Pioneers of Techno Contra and Techno Ceilidh in the UK, they provide anything ranging from savage analog synthesizer beats to smooth traditional sounds, always with a focus on danceability and excitement.Facebook: facebook.
Contra Sutra is a groovy folk dance band from the Pacific Northwest: an all-star team, featuring members of the well-known bands KGB, The Syncopaths and Lift Ticket among many others. Rave reviews have followed their Contra and English Country dances up and down the West Coast.The tunes are a mix of familiar favourites with a funky twist and new tunes, many by band members and friends, with some pop moments, African rhythms, swing, and a wicked sense of humour all swirling around in there. Exquisite tune-to-dance matching is a Contra Sutra hallmark and a part of the dance ecstasy experience.
Facebook: facebook.com/ContraSutra
Julia Day, Shane Day and Tina Brown were part of the legendary “Wild Thyme”, and have been playing as “Keeping Thyme” since 2000. They provide good, danceable music with energy or a gentle touch as required, in many styles, and will still be smiling at the end of the festival.
Created by Paul Hutchinson (Piano Accordion) and Karen Wimhurst (Clarinets) to evolve their fusion sound, Pagoda Project brings together a unique blend of traditional folk music with jazz improvisation to create a warm and dynamic sound.Paul Hutchinson, previously known as half of Belshazzars Feast, and Karen Wimhurst, previously a member of the Cauld Blast Orchestra, have a wealth of musical experience in a diverse range of genres from classical to folk. Both are talented composers, educators and performers, and are highly regarded musicians in their own right.
Websites: paulhutchinsonmusic.
Purcell's Polyphonic Party is a trio of musicians come together to combine their love of Purcell, Playford, Baroque and the Nordic Noir. Take one harpsichord, one viola d'amore, one nyckelharpa. Stir occasionally with bouzouki and accordion. Once mixed add one set of bagpipes, a light sprinkling of flageolet and allow to simmer gently together on stage for around 3 hours. Then enjoy some beautifully served up dance music.With a wide range of experience from Playford and social dance to ceilidh and contra, Purcell's Polyphonic Party has a unique sound, combining the beauty and style of the baroque era with raw foot-tapping dance energy. You can be assured that a dance evening has plenty of variety.
Website: purcelltrio.co.uk
Facebook: facebook.
Twitter: twitter.com/purcelltrio
Rod and Frances have been playing music for English, Scottish, International and Morris dancing for a long time. They have performed at many dances and festivals in the UK and in the United States and Europe and have made CDs as part of Stradivarious.Email:
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Website: rodstradling.com
Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer are two of the most versatile musicians on the dance circuit today. Equally at home whether it's medieval, Playford, Regency or modern ceilidh and contra.Vicki's dance roots lie in Scottish Country Dancing and she was taught the Highland Sword Dance by her Dad. Vicki recently released a series on YouTube covering the entire Playford Dancing Master 1st/2nd editions.
Jonny was classically trained as a pianist and trumpet player; he now specialises in traditional music primarily on harpsichord, piano, bouzouki and cowhorn. At one end of the entertainment spectrum Vicki & Jonny can also be spotted at castles and around the country as medieval minstrels, and at the other on the silver screen with recordings and appearances for Holywood movies, Netflix, Channel 5, ITVx and the BBC.
Websites: swan-dyer.co.uk and nyckelharpa.me.uk
Bob Robinson has been dancing Balkan and other international dance for over 30 years. He teaches regularly at Barlow International Folk Dance Group in Manchester, and has led workshops in Canada, USA, Poland, Australia and the UK. He has collected dances from dance teachers in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Romania and Armenia and from many of the top European and North American teachers. His evening will be Balkan dances, both traditional and modern.
Bollywood with Avtar from Somerset was popular at Eastbourne in 2017 and 2019 with dancers of all styles, so now he'll be appearing at Evesham.Born in India and brought up in London, Avtar has always been interested in Indian music and dance.
What you will learn in a workshop:
Whilst Bhangra and Bollywood dance can be energetic and high-tempo when performed by professional dancers, I prefer a slower pace with an emphasis on the movements and the joy of Indian dance and music. Come and join me!
Dalila discovered folk dancing in her early 20s and has not stopped since. For many years she performed with the Oranim Israeli Dance Troupe and was a principal dancer of the Arax Armenian Dance Group. She has travelled with the groups both in England and abroad.Dalila is a founder member of the Akhtamar Armenian Performance Group, an all-female performing group, and runs a monthly Armenian folk dance class for all.
A natural dancer and an enthusiastic teacher who has accumulated a large repertoire over many years, Dalila has studied with many choreographers and has attended seminars in America, Holland and Armenia. She is the SIFD's principal Armenian dance teacher and regularly takes workshops up and down the country as well as giving solo performances for charity and multi-ethnic events.
Facebook: facebook.
Karin Bellaart has been a teacher of ballet and international folklore since 1974, teaching amateurs and professionals in many ways. She has taught in England many times — International Folk Camp 1978, Great Alne Weekends, Eastbourne Festival 1986 and 1987, SIFD Summer School 1989 and 2015, May Heydays 2022, 2023 and 2024, and has performed with Hupsakee and Paloina during festivals in Chippenham, Newcastle and Sidmouth.More information coming soon.
Deeply rooted in Balkan traditions, Opa Rosa's music aims to explore and reinvent the motifs of Eastern Europe by subtly drawing from other musical influences such as Post-Rock, Classical and Jazz. With their lineup of violin, clarinet, accordion, double bass and percussion, their unique and refined sound consists of an explosive and grooving rhythm section combined with intricate melodies soaring over rich and nuanced harmonic structures.Email:
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Website: oparosa.com
Sound Engineers and Sound Systems will be provided for all live music by the Folk Dance Sound Collective (FDSC). This is an informal collective of folk dance musicians who are keen to give dancers the best kind of sound experience. They differ from the usual sound engineers at large events because they really understand the dynamics of a dance. You need to hear the caller clearly, but the band and their music should lead you in your dance.