Tom Kruskal has been dancing and teaching morris and sword for over 50 years. Although he is known for his work with kids running Hopbrook Morris (ages 9-13) and Great Meadows Morris and Sword (ages 13-18), he has also taught many adult classes at dance camps and elsewhere. Tom teaches with patience; he goes with the flow of all ages and levels of ability, while striving for teamwork through precise teaching.
Amelia Mason is a Boston-based fiddler and third-generation morris dancer. Her formal folk education began at age 11, when she asked for Irish fiddle lessons and her mother signed her up to study with renowned Scottish fiddler Laura Risk, figuring she wouldn’t know the difference. But Amelia was hooked. As a teen, she studied with admired New England fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger and began playing for contra dances. Eventually, she put down her instrument and went to college,
Chris Kelly loves teaching and loves children. She has five grown children and has been teaching all ages forever. She’s also a contra dance caller, a writer/editor, and a chef. She can’t wait to be in the middle of all the dancing and singing and playing at camp! She and her husband, acappellist and guitarist Gary Graves, live in a co-housing community in Santa Fe, with their three grown, hypoallergenic dogs and five current puppies.
Eden MacAdam-Somer went to her first contra dance in Amherst, MA when she was 13 years old. That night inspired a lifetime love and fascination with music and dance, carrying her all over the world to teach, perform, and study. Today, Eden is a full-time faculty member at New England Conservatory, where she teaches courses, ensembles, and studio lessons, in addition to serving as Co-chair of both the Department of Contemporary Improvisation and NEC’s doctoral studies program.
Susan Michaels has been calling old-time square dances, family dances, and contra dances for more than 35 years, including her hometown “chicken coop” square dance on Vashon Island, in Washington. Susan specializes in building community, facilitating joy, and just plain having fun. She believes it is her calling in life to teach people how to hold hands in a circle and move to music. She loves all kinds of choreography, but specializes in traditional and contemporary dances with drive and flow,
Imogen Mills is a family and English dance caller from Western, MA. Originally from NJ, she began dancing as child, and has grown up in the folk dancing community. In her day job as an elementary school music teacher, she brings the joy of community dance to her students. Her goal as a caller and teacher is to bring kindness and play to the dance floor.
Sophie Wellington is a Boston based musician—fiddler, flatpicker, jazz vocalist, and percussive dancer. She has a distinctive voice across these instruments, and her music creates a dialogue between them. Her solo project is influenced by her upbringing in old time Appalachian music, study of jazz vocal improvisation (Berklee Class of 2022), social dancing and Appalachian flatfooting.
Erica Morse grew up surrounded by the folk music and dance community and attended Family Week at Pinewoods throughout her childhood. Currently she teaches preschool music and tutors elementary school students. She was also an elementary school teacher for many years. In addition to teaching she plays bass, cello and sings. She enjoys working in her garden, hiking, swimming and skiing. She lives in Vermont with daughter and sweet old dog.
Ann Percival is a pianist, guitarist, dancer, singer, erstwhile social worker, and artist. Ann’s dancing days started when her Norwegian grandparents took her dancing at the Sons of Norway hall in Brooklyn. At Girl Scout Camp she discovered that she loved singing. She has in recent years found special enjoyment teaching visual arts and crafts. Ann is a founding member of Wild Asparagus, The O-Tones, and Dear Ella. She is an exceptional dance musician for contras,
Erika Roderick has been dancing her whole life. A graduate from Tom Kruskal’s “Rapper Academy,” Great Meadows Morris and Sword, where she was a founding member of Candyrapper, she now helps teach rapper and morris to current morris youths. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and currently dances with Muddy River Morris, Orion Longsword, Candyrapper VSOP and Maple Morris. When she isn’t busy dancing, she is a Fourth grade teacher at The Meadowbrook School of Weston,
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