On tour from Louisiana, Sammy Naquin and The Zydeco Whips will perform at Oasis Dance Club (1230 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY) on Sunday, August 1 from 6pm to 9pm. Admission is $15 at the door. http://www.ithacaoasis.com/

Sammy Naquin lives to play music that makes people feel good, have fun and want to dance. When you catch Sammy Naquin onstage, he’ll cook up a Louisiana musical gumbo, with a strong traditional zydeco / cajun / creole roux, with some zydeco blues (a la the great Clifton Chenier, one of Sammy’s early mentors), spiced with New Orleans jazz and R&B, maybe a dash of country and just about anything else he’s heard in his travels. He will mix it up till it becomes one and serves it up smokin’ hot.

“I like music from all over the world” says Sammy. “I’ll take anything and throw it into the pot.” But he never strays too far from his authentic Louisiana roots.

Celtic Heels School of Irish Dance - With Instructors: Cara Leach and Kay McGrenaghan Cafasso: Adult and Children’s classes strting soon! See http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2308#2308

The 22nd annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend takes place in Durham, NH, Jan. 16-18. This is a NEFFA event of a nice size - Car pool wanted http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2298#2298

Workshop on Rhythm for Guitars with Gail Blake at Canaan Rd Wed Jan 14th 2009 from 7:00 - 9:30 pm (Instead of the usual jam session) FORUM thread for feedback: http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2233#2233 Gail is a wizard at backing up fiddle dance tunes with guitar. Send her your thoughts or ideas.

The CAJUN jam is starting up again. This was around a few years ago when I first started fiddle. New management at Oasis Social Dance Club [Common Ground] is making it possible once again! WooWhoo! Support venues that host LIVE music and JAMS! Details http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2299#2299

DANCE FLURRY FESTIVAL - Huge indoor music and dance festival in February with lots of JAMMING and of course DANCING - Saratoga Springs NY (near Albany) Mail in advance ticket form is now online! - Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8001273807 - Facebook Event http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=34544458457 - Central New York forum thread for carpooling etc http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2221#2221 - Flurry Festival Website http://www.danceflurry.org/festival/index.html

Come on out to and Old Time and Cajun Dance Night and dance to incredible Old Time Music of Pearls and Swine (Hogwashers and Pearly Snaps) and for an hour in the middle of the evening wonderful Cajun music by Bayou Road Krewe headed by the fabulous fiddling of Susi Mills!

Old Time Square Dance Night this Saturday, November 15 , 2008 starting at 7:30 pm. Music by Pearls and Swine (Steve Selin, Joe Damiano, Jason Zorn, Rosie Newton and Stephanie Jenkins) with Bayou Road Krewe playing Cajun tunes for an hour in the middle for your listening, waltzing and two stepping pleasure. Dance caller: Nancy Spero Come to dance or listen! Location: Close Hall, 8 miles north of Ithaca on Route 96 in Jacksonville NY $7 suggested donation, beginners welcome, no partner needed. For more information, contact Nancy Spero 273-6603 or Steve Selin 272-9862

These dances have been happening for a while as you can tell by perusing the forum thread here http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?t=383. There you will see this nice little write up from local fiddler Steve Selin: “If you haven’t been to one of the dances I figured I’d describe it a bit. The BYOB dance is set in an old Grange hall built some time (guessing…) about 100 years ago. Upstairs the second-floor was made for dance parties – wood floor, little stage, low light. It’s cozy. We put together a band of musicians to play fiddle tunes, and old-time country songs. Some for listening, or 2-stepping or waltzing or whatever you want to do. The fiddle tunes propel the square dances that Nancy calls (small groups of 8 people, following figures that are shouted out). Even if you’ve never danced or think square dancing is something better left to elementary school gym class, you might just realize that it’s a ton of fun.”