Erik Weberg

George Penk is a dancer at heart, whether it be on the floor with his feet or on the fiddle strings with his bow. His deep sense of the pulse of the music translates into an unusual ability to infuse his fiddling with both driving rhythm and intense emotion. His music in turn causes dancers to respond - soaring and gliding to beautiful jigs or stomping and shrieking to fast-moving reels. His range is very broad. George's powerful connection between music and dance has placed him in high demand for Saturday night dances, week end dance camps and week-long instructional events on both US coasts. Heather Pinney's accomplished piano accompaniment contains steady, pulsing rhythms as well as chords and bass lines that capture the essence of the melodies she is backing up. Her fluid interplay with other band members - sometimes backing off to give them space, sometimes punching the beat out to bring dynamic emphasis - contributes wonderfully to the cohesiveness of her bands. In addition, dancers are sometimes treated to Heather's clear and harmonious fiddling. It is no surprise that she is frequently invited to play dance events and weekends throughout the West.

Dan Compton plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and button accordion. He has been active in the Pacific Northwest folk music scene for over 20 years, performing at many concerts, festivals, and music and dance camps. Dan also teaches extensively, does studio session work, and writes and performs music for film and theater. Dan's interest in fiddle music focuses on the styles of Ireland, Quebec and Appalachia - as well as the dance music of Brittany - and he has collected much of this music in rambles to many of these places. These styles also surface in the tunes he writes. Many of his fiddle compositions are collected in the tunebook The Walk Home.

Dave Marshall is one of those great musicians who avoids the spotlight, even though he is one of the most sought-after guitar and piano accompanists in the Pacific Northwest. His ability to bring that magical quality of "swing" to the energy of the dance is unparalleled. Whether the music is New England, Irish or Appalachian, Dave plays with the power, style, and artistry of one immersed in the tradition.

Whenever Erik Weberg calls, the hall is packed with dancers who know the evening is sure to be a great one. Erik started dancing and then calling in Moscow, Idaho over 20 years ago and grew as a caller in Spokane and around the Inland Empire. He moved to Western Washington and began calling around the I-5 circuit, finally settling in Portland, Oregon where he remains active as a caller, organizer and musician in both the contra and English Country dance communities. Erik's teaching is exceptionally encouraging, clear, and concise. His sly sense of humor and the wealth of variety in his programs ensure a delightful dance experience. Erik has been in demand at festivals, dance weekends and week-long camps from Portland to Minneapolis, from Fairbanks to Tucson. The 2005 Lady of the Lake Fall Camp was the first camp to enjoy Erik's talents, and we're very pleased to welcome him back.

The format of this weekend will be slightly different than past years. Saturday will be filled with dance and music workshops and include an English Country Dance with Erik, Heather, and George. In 2008, we so enjoyed dancing to the music of our fellow campers that we'll have musician workshops led by Dan and Dave and the opportunity for the campers who are musicians to play for an afternoon session with contras, waltz and swing dances.

Camp will start with dinner and a dance on Friday night, and will end after lunch on Sunday.

For questions about this camp, please contact:
Cindy Rakowski
contradancing@ladyofthelake.org
phone: (509) 308-6408

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Camp Information

LOL Fall Weekend: October 2-4, 2009 Registration Form