• Favorite Quote: "Dance is the hidden language of the Soul" by Martha Graham

• Another Favorite Quote:  "It's that ricocheting of energy back and forth between musicians and dancers -- when a certain tune or spirit of playing suits a dance particularly well, and the dancer's percussive footfall echoes that back, and the music becomes even more expressive, and the dancers start whooping... "

               ~ Ellen Hansen (fiddle)

                  from The Portland Collection: Volume 2 tune book, page 93

• Favorite Weekend Dance Camp:  Feet Retreat, North Carolina

• Favorite time during a Dance Camp:  Final dance party when two bands combine forces!

• Favorite Contra Dance Bands:  Airdance, Groovemongers, Lift Ticket, The Advant Gardeners, Fiddlerats

• Favorite Dance Composers:  Gene Hubert, Tom Hinds, Bill Olson, Carol Ormand, Bob Isaacs

• Favorite Dance Figures:  Courtesy Turn (no twirl!) into Left Hand Star (ask Alan Winston!); Being spun mid-swing and "caught" (ask Bob Folker!); "Pass Thru - Swing Thru" (ask Joe Michaels!)

• Favorite Carpool Buddies: Sue E, Sylvia K, Davey H
• Previous Favorite Carpool Buddies -- who have all moved! : (   Linda Maguire - now in Colorado; Amber Cross - now in Sierra Foothills; Susie Kendig - now in Portland, Oregon 

• Favorite Dance Dresses:  Uniquely designed and made with love by Nancy.  Available at dance festivals in the S.E. United States. Also:
• 100% Rayon dresses from HolyClothing.com available via ebay

• Favorite Contra Dance:  "Sleepless at Pinewoods" by Bob Isaacs written for Karen as part of CDSS Pinewoods auction, August 2006 

• Favorite Contra Dance Shoes:  Groove Dansneaker by Capezio.  Any Dansko shoes, including clogs!

• Favorite Book:  "Power, Passion and Purpose: Seven Steps to Energizing Your Life", by Ann Nichols Roulac

Karen's Favorite Resources:

Click below for listings and links to:

"Contra Dancing and Matrices" - an article written by Ivar's Peterson. "... a remarkably high percentage of its practitioners are highly educated, often involved in mathematics, computers, or engineering." 

Karen's comment:  I've also heard - "Often contra dancers and musicians fall into one of these three professions: computer engineers, teachers, or massage therapists/ artists..."

 

"Sisters in Song, Service: Ireland is theme of fourth recording", Pittsburg, PA, article on Karen's professional singing aunts.  "My mother's family, 'The Deck Five', grew up singing on the radio.