Beacoup de stomping pour le contra danse. Whoops! Sorry. That’s Stomp Rocket, a trio whose moniker evokes a certain wholesome recklessness and perfectly captures the zip/chunk/zoom essence of the band’s sound. They are fiddler extraordinaire, guitarist, and teacher Dave Langford; mandolinist and tenor-banjo player Glen Loper; and guitarist (sometimes pianist) Bethany Waickman.
Will Mentor is a contra and square dance caller from Northern Vermont known for his clear teaching, upbeat wit, and relaxed stage presence. He loves to choreograph evenings with a variety of dances and tempos that at times surprise and always delight. As he once said, “I usually have a great time calling. Between the demographics of the dancers, the band, the hall, the temperature, etc. — every evening of contra dances has its own identity.” And always, he keeps intact his guiding principle as a caller: “It’s about the dancers!”