Hilt Kelly, synonymous with Catskills Square dancing and fiddling.
Catskills Folk Connection is up and running again, having received notification of funding. On fairly short notice we've arranged to have two workshops this winter with Hilt Kelly, legendary fiddler and square dance caller, and will continue with old-time square dances in the spring, starting in March.
The workshops, called "Master's Classes" will take place Sunday December 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. and again Sunday January 22 at the same time. Hilt and his band the Sidekicks will be ready to share their tunes and techniques with fiddlers, violinists, guitar players, banjo players and other instruments. Beginners are invited to come and listen. The format, after an initial informal concert, will be a jam. So bring your instrument, and plan to have fun learning old tunes from the Catskills' veteran square dance musicians. Some of the tunes are so old they don't have names any more!
The Master's Classes will take place at Hilt Kelly Hall, the performance space for the Roxbury Arts Group. It is located just one building up Vega Mountain Road from their offices at the Old Bank Gallery at 53484 Main Street, Roxbury, NY 12474. There is limited parking at Hilt Kelly Hall, so you may wish to park down by the Old Bank Gallery and walk up.
For the next workshop and for the dances, Catskills Folk Connection will be sending out reminder cards. If you would like to be on our mailing list, please send your name and address to Ginny at gscheer@manhattancountryschool.org or at Manhattan Country School Farm, 3536 New Kingston Mountain Road, Roxbury, NY 12474. Include your e-mail address and pretty soon we'll start sending the reminders by e-mail.
See you on the 11th for some fine old-time tunes! If you've noticed that our posters and cards say 2 p.m. as starting time, come at 1 p.m. anyway. We'll be ready for arrivals at either time.
John Van Benschoten and Sidekick Don Strausser pick tunes at the 2008 Master's Class.
October 26, 2011
After a successful season of square dances in the spring, we've been away for awhile, awaiting further funding. Because of budget issues in Albany, it still hasn't arrived. So we're going to go ahead with what we have left over and schedule dances for November and December. Watch this blog for their times and places.
Catskills Folk Connection still has a radio program on WIOX alternate Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Tonight's show is a short program about Halloween in Roxbury. Check the photos of Halloween costumes and yard art in our Gallery to the right of this post, and listen in a 7p.m.
My fellow folklorist, Karyl Eaglefeathers, focuses her part of the radio program on Native American history and traditions, using a time slot at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. If you are too far away to listen on the air, you can hear our programs online at WIOXradio.org.
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