About Us
Who are those folks and what’s their purpose, anyway? We first described ourselves as follows:
“GO Dancing! is a collaborative effort of dancers, callers, musicians, and the people supporting them in and around Goshen, IN.”
We’re a bit more formal now. The information below is from Article 2 of the Bylaws of Goshen Community Contra Dancing:
GO Dancing! is a nonprofit community based educational organization with the following aims:
To encourage the practice and promote the knowledge of American traditional folk dance, music, and song.
To sponsor community dances
To train musicians, dance teachers, and leaders in order to further these objectives.
To cooperate with other like-minded organizations in order to further these objectives.
We achieved 501(c)3 status in October, 2002 with the help of the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS). GO Dancing! is now a Group Affiliate member of CDSS.
Those of us working to organize the events are grateful for the incredible response this community has shown. We hope that you will join us in this wonderful experience of music, dance, and community building.
What gifts and strengths might you contribute?
We hold once-monthly organizing meetings to make this all happen. Please contact us with your suggestions or with any questions. Feel free to contact members of our Board of Directors or simply email us at info.godancing@gmail.com. Thank you!
Board of Directors
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Andrea Houghton: President
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Roy Somerville: Vice President
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Debra Mast: Secretary
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Hardy Jones: Treasurer
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Adam Polhemus: At large
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Dwayne Johnson: At Large
Goshen Area Callers & Musicians
Barry Dupen: Caller (email)
Karen Andrews: Caller (email)
Les Gustafson-Zook: International Autoharp Champion, Old-Time Musician and Caller (website)
Jim Shenk of Wooden Music: Guitar and mandolin luthier (email)
Kent Dutchersmith: Musician - bass, cello, guitar, nose-flute! (email)
Ed Benner: Fiddler, Old-Time Fiddle Music; Dances, Parties, All Occasions, (email)
Celery City Sodbusters: Traditional American old time music (email)
Richard Whitfield: fiddle
Jim Cooper: mandolin & harmonica
Pete Humphries: guitar
Marilyn Branch: bass & flatfoot clogging
Liza & Mark Woolever: Fiddle, guitar, harmonica (email)
Root Cellar String Band: Old-time stringband and vocals
Lucy Long: Fiddle (contact person: 419-372-7862, email)
Steve O’Regan: Banjo, mandolin
Dave Strickler: Guitar
Tom Goodwin: Bass