http://www.kleztet.com
By combining traditional Eastern-European/Jewish music with diverse influences from other genres, such as jazz, classical, worldbeat, and rock music, The Alexandria Kleztet creates a unique sound that is anything but traditional. Their most recent CD, Close Enough for Klezmer, was released in October 2005. All three of their albums (including 1999's Y2Klezmer and 2002's Delusions of Klezmer) were named "Best World Music Recording" by the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) following their release. All are available at the band's live shows, through all the major on-line music retailers, as well as directly from the band at their website. The Alexandria Kleztet consists of Seth Kibel on assorted woodwinds, Helen Hausmann on violin, Scott Harlan on electric bass, and Tim Jarvis on drums and percussion.

http://www.nickannis.com
Nick Annis is an award-winning songwriter who is admired by folk fans for the storytelling talent that makes his performances so memorable. Nick's insights are drawn from widely varied careers (including selling ice cream from a truck, running a small bakery, and drilling for oil in the Midwest) and from his upbringing in a large Greek family. These "true" stories and timeless accounts of humanity have been honored at the South Florida Folk Festival, Plowshares Songwriting Contest in Pennsylvania, Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival in Maryland, Suwannee Riverfest in Florida and the Wildflower Songwriting Contest in Texas.

Among the reviews: "Whether in his songs or in the spoken interludes between them, there is a natural theatricality to his presentation that rivets the attention." "Subtly spiritual, his songs are sensitive and thought-provoking, with a touch of wry humor injected occasionally for maximum effect." "Nick is recognized for his dry wit, his profound and sincere lyrics, and a voice that is often compared to James Taylor but has a soulfulness uniquely his own."

http://www.babajamalkoram.com
Baba Jamal Koram the StoryMan represents the best in storytelling innovation, creativity and folkloric culture. He is distinguished in upholding storytelling traditions across a broad spectrum of cultures. At the 28th annual TESOL Conference (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), he held 600 professionals spellbound with his presentation. This was written about him: "As a seasoned Griot, Jamal Koram captivates and energizes his audience with tales from the African Diaspora. Because of his unique focus on spirit and culture, Jamal Koram serves as a medium of African Folklore." Baba Jamal has served as a consultant, counselor, educator and friend for countless youth, for many schools, and for youth programs which have included Boys and Girls Clubs, TRIO Programs, and the African Heritage Education/Sankofa Drumming Camps for Boys. He is married and is the father of six children.

http://backroads.karencollins.net
One of the Washington area's top retro bands, The Backroads Band brings a vintage country sound to their original songs and classic country covers. In no time at all, they'll have you out on the dance floor doing a boot-scootin' two-step or snuggling up close for a buckle-polishing slow tune. Their sound is classic from the 1940s to 1970s, with a song list ranging from The Everly Brothers to Patsy Cline and Hank Williams with a dash of Bob Wills thrown in.

The band features Karen Collins (vocals, fiddle, and rhythm guitar), Ira Gitlin (lead guitar and vocals), Geff King (bass and vocals) and Rob Howe (drums). All four of the Backroads members have been performing musicians for many years and bring a wide array of diverse musical experiences to the group.

You can find the band performing at local clubs, such as Chick Hall's Surf Club, Austin Grill and JV's Restaurant. They also play many concerts, dances, festivals, parties and weddings throughout the area.

The Backroads Band's first CD, Tail Light Blues, was released in April 2007 and is receiving airplay and enthusiastic reviews in the U.S., Canada and in Europe. The recording contains ten original songs plus three of their favorite cover songs.

http://www.spencerbates.com
Spencer Bates is a solo artist in the most literal sense. Performing regularly, he often relies upon only his voice and piano. He is also entirely self-taught. Some might interpret his lack of formal training as a disadvantage. But, to the contrary, it's one of his greatest assets: his melodies are clear, direct, and indelible — refreshingly devoid of any overstudied pretense. Spencer chooses his words and melodies with a wisdom beyond his years. Spencer offers satirical musings on pop culture and reflections on the complications of finding one's place in a confusing, sometimes chaotic, world. Spencer guides us through this world not only with his unique piano performance, but also with exceptionally versatile vocals. Whether subdued and introspective or soaring and forceful, Spencer's voice is a remarkable instrument. His talent demands to be heard.

http://thebigsky.us/band.htm
The Big Sky stretches the boundaries of the roots-rock genre with their skillful wanderings into alt-country, rock, blues, jazz and bluegrass, with each member bringing diverse influences into the mix. With strong vocal harmonies and remarkable instrumental prowess, their sound is familiar, yet original. The band features the song-writing skills of Beth Rinaldo and Scott Holland, the fiddle finesse of Helen Hausmann (all former members of the Wammie-award winning group, Beth-Allison & The Well-Strung Boys), and the dynamic rhythm section of Eric Roggenstroh on bass and Mark Lucas on drums. In addition to showcasing their original material, they perform an eclectic selection of songs by artists such as Lucinda Williams, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, the Bo Deans, and John Hiatt. The band was nominated by the Washington Area Music Association as Best Roots Rock Band for 2005 and 2006, and Best New Band for 2005. Additionally, their CD, Live at the Half Moon, was nominated as Best Roots Rock Recording for 2005. In 2006, their song, "Never Felt This Way," was chosen for the soundtrack of the indie comedy-horror movie, "Swarm of the Snakehead."

The Big Sky has played at many venues and festivals in the D.C. area, including the Fairfax Festival, the Takoma Park Folk Festival, the Austin Grill, the Zoo Bar, JV's Restaurant, the Half Moon Barbeque, IOTA, McGinty's Public House, the Quarry House, the National Press Club and private parties.

Laurel Blaydes is a 20-year veteran singer/performer from the D.C. area, performing with country/bluegrass bands, and fronting the swing/boogie/jump blues band, Sassparilla. Laurel has played such venues as the Smithsonian, Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, the Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument grounds, the Round House Theater, Carter Baron Amphitheater, and the Kennedy Center.

Laurel has sung on picket lines, at rallies and conventions, behind union videos, in churches and in living rooms, bringing the music by and about working people to diverse audiences. For 13 years, she served as Executive Director of the Labor Heritage Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing music and other art forms into organizing and mobilizing efforts nationwide. She is a member of D.C. Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710. She appears on several albums of labor music as guest artist.

Julia Borland lived in Sweden for 19 years, playing with 3 different fiddler's clubs and traveling to different parts of Sweden to learn the music. Two years of folk music for violin and folk music pedagogy at Malung's folk college coupled with Suzuki method teacher training in Sweden has given her a sense of joy in playing that she imparts to young students in Sweden and in Washington DC.

http://www.oscarbrand.com
Oscar Brand has presented the oldest continuous radio show in history since 1945, the award-winning "Folk-song Festival" on New York Public Radio. In his long association with the National Public Radio network, he has been host of "Voices in the Wind," arts interviewer for "Morning Edition," and co-host of the five-hour "Sunday Show." Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Brand has also worked with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and composed the Canadian anthem, "Something To Sing About." He has scripted and scored ballets and commercials, is the author of seven best-selling books, and has recorded 90 LPs. Curator of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Brand has written songs for two Broadway shows and for Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, the Smothers Brothers, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He also wrote and scored the Kennedy Center 's Bicentennial musical, "Sing America Sing." He has won numerous awards for his work, which includes 75 documentary films and hundreds of television programs. As a leading performer for children on TV, records, and films, Brand was on the advisory panel that created the series known as "Sesame Street." His concerts for adults and children have earned him such accolades as this from The New York Times: "One of America 's best." He created music for the critically-acclaimed film, "In White America" and the score for "How To Steal an Election." Brand's CD, Presidential Campaign Songs 1789-1996, was released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 1999.

Brand's connections with Joe Glazer go back to 1946, when Joe was one of his guitar pupils. Since then, they sometimes performed together, notably presenting a session of "songs of American politics" at the 2004 Takoma Park Folk Festival.

http://www.dougbrouder.com
Doug Brouder grew up in Connecticut on the hard side of a soft town, on the river, among tobacco and corn fields and orchards. Starting up in the New England folk scene of the '80s, and drawing on Ian and Sylvia, Joni and Ani and Tom Paxton, his influences (and musical heroes) include John Gorka, Greg Brown, Richard Shindell and Dar Williams. He's been compared to David Wilcox, early Gordon Lightfoot, and Steve Earle, among others. Doug is channeling the wind, the rain, the seasons in those places that still have them, Shakespeare's folk songs and Bob Dylan's sonnets and Woody and Bruce, and of course, wood smoke, fresh-cut grass and perfect apples — except with a beat. Doug's debut album, Grounded, offers samples of rootsy Americana, folk music you can dance to, and something just to the left of alt-country.

http://www.banjomanfc.com
Frank "The Banjo Man" Cassel has been charming children and families at the Takoma Park Farmer's Market for 10 years, and one of his albums was inspired by experiences as Takoma Park's unofficial troubadour. His first album project, The Illustrated Nonsense Rag, now resides in the American Folklife Collection of the Smithsonian Institution. Frank has made numerous television and radio program appearances.

http://www.culkinschool.com
Founded by Sean Culkin in 1997, the Culkin School currently enrolls more than 400 students and is an active member of the Washington and Baltimore Irish-American communities. Culkin students have performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Theatre (with the Trinity Irish Dance Company), the Irish Embassy Residence, Strathmore, Wolf Trap National Park, and many area festivals. They have also shared the stage with many internationally renowned Irish musicians, including the Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies, Eileen Ivers, Lunasa, and Natalie MacMaster.

http://www.tonyde.com
Tony Denikos (pronounced Dee-nye-kiss) began performing at the age of 9 at festivals throughout Maryland. By the age of 15, he began writing songs on his acoustic guitar and playing them for audiences everywhere! Folks responded immediately to his honest style of writing. Tony began to develop a writing style that mixed folk, country, rock and blues. Influenced by artists like Lowell George, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty and John Prine, Tony found a musical voice that is at once familiar and refreshingly original. In 1997, Tony released Naked and Smiling, a collection of songs written between 1979 and 1996. Tony released his second CD, entitled Time Tells Tales, in the fall of 2003. These CDs are creative statements, from bluesy overtures reminiscent of the artists of the late 1940s to songs with lively, eclectic rhythms and messages that lift the spirit, as well as powerfully written ballads that stop you in your tracks and make you feel, reconsider and dream. Tony performs his work with an emotion rarely matched in the Maryland music scene. He's one class act you don't want to miss!

http://www.jimduganmusic.com
Laugh, Scream, Fly Acoustic Music! Song through eyes of the pondering spiritual quest! Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, because Jim Dugan will have your soul soaring when he's performing live. Certain things strike a chord in us all: love, life and truth as they etch their never-ending path through our lives. Jim mindfully has taken those life lessons and crafted them into "a well-cooked, contemporary, pop casserole. . . . This CD is one of those reasons why I like this job," says Ty Ford of Music Monthly. Jim's natural, acoustic, original music ignites people when he tours venues up and down the East Coast. He has plenty of talent, as this blended singer, songwriter and guitarist takes that spark inside us all and turn it into a fire.

http://www.emmasrevolution.com
"Bold, profound, moving, hilarious and transformative," emma's revolution is the duo of award-winning, activist musicians, Pat Humphries & Sandy O, whose songs become traditions. "Peace, Salaam, Shalom" is sung around the world and has been called the "anthem of the anti-war movement." In the spirit of Emma Goldman's famous attribution, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution," emma's revolution brings their uprising of truth, hope and a dash of healthy irreverence to concerts and peace & justice events across the U.S. They have performed by invitation at the World Culture Open in Seoul, Korea, and the Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics. Their new CD, roots, rock & revolution, has been called "inspiring, gutsy & rockin'!" Join the revolution!

http://www.head-roc.com
For the past ten years, Head-Roc has been regarded as the best that D.C. hip-hop has to offer! Dubbed "The Mayor" of the D.C. hip-hop, Head-Roc has come to embody the passions, hopes and dreams of a wonderfully talented and all-too-often-overlooked D.C. music scene. His unparalleled ability to reach music-lovers of all tastes puts him on par with established national recording artists in both music creation and live performance. In 2004, Head-Roc released his solo debut, The Return of Black Broadway, to rave reviews and top chart position on college and underground radio. In support of this album, Head-Roc toured Europe and the U.S. West Coast, doing interviews, appearing on radio stations and delivering life-changing performances for thousands of fans. This grass-roots movement helped to earn Head-Roc the 2004 Washington Area Music Association award for Hip Hop Recording. The Head-Roc War Machine (Head-Roc, featuring Noyeek the Grizzly) has been wowing audiences nationwide with their high-impact live performance, rocking stages alongside national hip-hop, alt/indy, soul and punk-rock acts — and converting countless witnesses into believers along the way. Head-Roc's honest and relevant lyrics are a refreshing change in this current era of corporate hip-hop exploitation. His music has inspired many in the progressive movement to rethink hip-hop's potential for achieving social change, and he is widely regarded as one of the key voices in this movement — setting the perfect stage to release his sophomore solo album: Negrophobia!

http://home.comcast.net/~jimheald
Jim is a contemporary folk singer, songwriter and guitarist with a little bit of jazz, blues and faint echoes of country thrown in. He began his musical journey learning guitar at the Chicago Old Town School of Folk Music in the 1970s, and was part of the Chicago singer/songwriter scene until he moved to Austin, Texas, in 1985. Jim was a two-time finalist at the Kerrville New Folk Competition, played at SXSW, and released three cassettes and a CD. Jim moved to the D.C. area in 1996 and continues to play at coffeehouses and festivals. He has a brand-new CD coming out this year!

 

http://www.joehickerson.com
For the past 50+ years, Joe Hickerson has performed over a thousand times throughout the U.S.A. and in Canada, Finland, Ukraine, and the U.K. His repertoire includes a vast array of folksongs and allied forms in the English language, many with choruses. Pete Seeger has called him "a great songleader." In 1960 he wrote the 4th and 5th verses of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." He has recordings on the Folk-Legacy and Folkways labels, ranging from 1957 to 2003. Joe also has a career as folklorist, ethnomusicologist, archivist, and librarian, including 35 years (1963–1998) as Librarian and Head of the Archive of Folk Song/Culture at the Library of Congress. He is currently compiler of "The Songfinder" column in Sing Out!. He is frequently consulted for song and copyright searches (e.g., for the movies "O Brother Where Art Thou" and "Cold Mountain," and for recent CDs by Ralph Stanley, Ollabelle, Peggy Seeger, and Tony Saletan). Joe has been honored with the Southeastern Massachusetts University Eisteddfod Award in 1973; a Special Honoree citation at the 1986 Summer Solstice Dulcimer and Traditional Music & Dance Festival; a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1999 New Jersey Folk Festival; the Excellence in the Traditional Arts Award at the 2005 Common Ground on the Hill American Music & Arts Festival; and an honorary membership in the Society for Ethnomusicology in 2005.

http://www.hotsouptrio.com
Hot Soup is your blue-ribbon recipe for harmony! Sue Trainor, Christina Muir and Jennie Avila blend their stylistically diverse solo talents to cook up the spicy vocal trio Hot Soup. Audiences love the close harmonies and the variety of the repertoire — from ballads to blues and swing, from retro to funny songs — no two are alike. Add delicious licks on guitars, harp, mountain dulcimer, conga and udu, and you've got a blue-ribbon recipe for a spirited and SOUPerbly engaging concert performance.

http://www.hottakeoutband.com
The Hot Take-out Band consists of two saucy sessionmen, Mark Hamza and Milt Januse. Together they provide the gris-gris to Howard Parker's songs. Mark's musical roots trace interpreting ethnic classics, zydeco and jazz, as well as Chicago blues, on his Hammond accordion. Before working with the Take-out Band, he performed with legendary jazzman Phil Woods, folksinger Eric Anderson (appearing on Eric's Ghosts of the Road album), singer/songwriter Richard Shindell, and toured with bluesman Clarence Spady. Mark's masterfully original blues accordion will bowl you over and make you wonder how he can make his instrument sound like a B3! Milt's been a groovemaster for many. His previous work with Grammy-award-winning New Orleans artist Dr. John is clearly noticeable. Milt has also toured with Singer/Songwriter/Author Kinky Freidman. Early mentors include Dave Brubeck and Joe Morello, with whom he studied. Milt has chosen to leave the drum kit home in favor of playing an original combination of percussion instruments: a cajón in place of a kickdrum, klong yau, bass tambourine, djembe, high hat, chimes and shakers to move time for the Take-out Band.

http://www.huttonfolkways.com
Bruce Hutton has been performing old-time American folk music since 1973. He plays more than a dozen antique and hand-crafted instruments, including banjos, guitars, dulcimers, mandolins, ukuleles, and more. He is a member of Roustabout, Double Decker Stringband and Hesperus, which have performed across the U.S. and in Europe and Asia. In addition to performing solo, Bruce will be joined by Chris Romaine (of Roustabout) and Tina Chancey (of Hesperus) for some duo and trio pieces.

http://www.ilyaimy.com
As a duo, ilyAIMY (i love you And I Miss You) has been touring the country for nearly 4 years, but whether performing as the duo, trio, or full quartet, ilyAIMY is high-energy, percussive acoustic performance, award-winning songwriting and signature male/female harmonies. The band has been called a "combustible attack on the usual singer-songwriter fare," and has been honored by the International Narrative Song Competition, Kerrville's Grassy Hill New Folk, Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, and twice at Atlanta's Eddie's Attic Acoustic Shootout. But it all started here at the Takoma Park Folk Festival when the duo won the first Emerging Artist Showcase in 2004.

http://www.hmtrad.com/lessons/winch.html
The Irish Inn Mates consist of Jesse Winch on bodhran, mandola, guitar and harmonica, Betsy O'Malley on tenor banjo and tin whistle, Tina Eck on flute and Mitch Fanning on fiddle.

Jesse Winch helped establish the traditional Irish-music scene in the Washington area as a founding member of the internationally acclaimed band, Celtic Thunder (the headline act at the first Takoma Park Folk Festival!). Highly regarded for his mastery of the bodhran ("a unique rhythmic authority" -The Washington Post) and other percussion, in particular ceili drums and the dumbek, he also plays the guitar, mandola, and harmonica. Jesse played in his first ceili band in the late 1950s with the legendary Felix Dolan and went on to play in Irish ceili and dance bands throughout the New York area. He is featured on recordings by Celtic Thunder and the all-star ceili band, The Bog Wanderers, and also appears on recordings by Jerry O'Sullivan, The Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell, John McCutcheon, and Japanese composer Akira Satake with Johnny Cunningham.

http://www.pauliwancio.com
Paul Iwancio (pronounced eye-wan-see-oh) is the founder and president of the Baltimore Songwriters Association. He has been writing and performing music for over 20 years. Besides being a singer, guitarist, bassist and songwriter, he is also a teacher, mentor, panelist and advocate for the arts and human rights. His powerful songs are about embracing hope and choosing joy.

Paul's first solo CD, Open Heart Stories, received numerous positive reviews. Music Monthly named Open Heart Stories as one of the best CDs in the region for 2004. Paul was a finalist in the Avalon Music Festival, a semi-finalist at the NewSong Festival and received an honorable mention in the Great American Song Contest and the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. In 2006, Paul was chosen to perform in the ASCAP Songwriters Showcase at The Kennedy Center. Besides solo performances, he also is part of the duo Take Two (with award-winning vocalist Nita Paul) and the quartet The Art of Meaning. The Art of Meaning's new CD, Live Art, was recorded at Baldwin's Station in Sykesville, Maryland. Paul is currently at work on a new album for the duo Take Two.

http://www.alanjabbour.com
Alan Jabbour (fiddle) and John Schwab (guitar) have been playing Appalachian instrumental music for dances, concerts, and jams in the Washington area for 30 years. They play mostly the Appalachian repertory of fiddle tunes that Alan learned in the 1960s and 1970s from old-time Appalachian mentors like Henry Reed, Tommy Jarrell, and Burl Hammons, and in concert Alan often interlaces the tunes with stories about these legendary musicians and the music that is their legacy. Alan played with the Hollow Rock String Band, which helped fuel the revival of Appalachian old-time music since the 1960s. In recent years, he and John have performed, toured, and recorded separately with a number of old-time musicians, but they both relish the opportunity to play together from time to time in the Washington area.

http://www.jawbone.us
Jawbone (Amikaeyla Gaston, Gregory Heelan, and Eric Maring) is thrilled to be making another appearance at the Takoma Park Folk Festival. Jawbone's lively harmonies, a wide array of instruments (including, yes, a donkey's jawbone), improvisational sing-alongs, and a "love-for-life" approach to music appeal to little and big people alike. Their debut CD, Jawbone, was released in September 2003. The members of Jawbone each have major artistic accomplishments and have performed at such venues as Blues Alley, the Birchmere, the Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium, HR-57, IOTA Café, and Twins Jazz.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/cletuslori
Award-winning singer-songwriters as solo artists, Cletus Kennelly & Lori Kelley combined their artistries into a duo, developing a style and a sense for each other's voices that is magical. "I haven't heard harmonies this tight since Simon & Garfunkel" (Gene Dawson, Dawson Concerts) . Their work has earned them 30 WAMMIE nominations and eight WAMMIE Awards (Washington Area Music Awards) between them, including the 2004 WAMMIE Award for BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK DUO/GROUP. Both approach their writing from a lyrical, melodic place with songs that speak to the heart. The wit and depth each adds to the other's songs makes for an engaging show. "Cletus and Lori are two standout solo performers whose voices blend beautifully." (Scott Moore, Moore House Concerts) As solo artists, both Cletus & Lori were honored to be selected to perform at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center.

http://www.klezcentricity.com
In 1996, internationally renowned Klezmer clarinetist David Julian Gray met Washington's pre-eminent Klezmer accordionist Wendy Morrison and began an exploration of their common repertoire which somehow included tunes that hadn't even been written yet... KLEZCENTRICITY was born. Their repertoire is centered on solid foundation in the tradition informed by David's rock-'n-roll heart, Wendy's quixotic harmonic imagination and bassist Richard Seidel's unerring ear and rock-solid rhythm. Their mix of surprising arrangements, dance-in-the-aisles rhythms and lively patter makes Klezcentricity one of the most exciting and creative klezmer ensembles working today.

http://www.thisislea.com
Lea's first public performance was as a confident 3-year-old singing "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" in church. As a young adult, she released a full-length CD, Creation, in 2000 and was nominated as one of the D.C. area's best new artists and vocalists. The following year she was nominated for songwriter of the year. Lea has since added three more independent recordings. She has performed extensively in Germany, England, and the U.S. East Coast. In addition to acoustic guitar, Lea also plays bass, flute, and a bit of percussion. Lea is performing with Willpower, featuring Will Henderson on bass and Willie Vazquez on congas.

http://www.littlebitablues.com
A D.C. favorite, Little Bit A Blues combines Warner Williams' warm vocals and Piedmont guitar picking with Jay Summerour's harmonica. Warner is a native of Takoma Park and has been part of Washington's blues scene since the '50s. Jay is a veteran of the Starland Vocal Band and the Cambridge Harmonica Orchestra. Williams and Summerour began playing together during the early 1990s, sometimes calling themselves "Little Bit of Blues." They have been featured in concerts, on television and radio, and at festivals across the country, including appearances on the National Public Radio series "Folk Masters," at the National and Lowell Folk Festivals, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the American Roots Fourth of July celebration, and the Takoma Park Folk Festival.

Mike Monseur and Donny Nuckles are two native Virginians playing traditional old-time music passed on to them from previous generations of players. Their performance will feature Mike on clawhammer and two- and three-finger banjo and Donny on guitar, banjo, and fiddle. Mike and Donny always try to present this music with a respect for its legacy and strive to make each show informative as well as entertaining.

http://www.thebiggestbelle.com
Singer-songwriter Isabelle Chester (Miss Belle) performs original children's songs and well-known kid favorites accompanied by her folk-style guitar playing. Miss Belle regularly performs in the greater Washington area.

http://www.myspace.com/ricehouserecords
The Names are a two-piece acoustic act (Mike Hansen and Anne Royer) who specialize in singing and playing old-time Appalachian tunes, blues, hokum, folk, and original songs. Both members play an assortment of instruments, including but not limited to banjo, washboard, ukulele, harmonica, kazoo, dulcimer, and jug. They enjoy whipping the crowd into a frenzy with a fast-paced clawhammer banjo number, and cooling them off with a stripped-down arrangement of an old ballad. They also love to play for the kiddies.

 

Nasayem Falasteen was formed by a group of Palestinian high-school students who came together to perform at Wheaton High School's International Night on May 4, 2007. A Washington Post story about the International Night led to their "discovery" by the TPFF program committee and an invitation to perform at the Festival. The dancers had so much fun at their debut performance that they decided to make their group official. They chose the name "Nasayem Falasteen" to invoke the delightful "breeze of Palestine."

http://www.newsoutherncowtippers.com
Appalachian fiddle tunes, old-time country songs, and ragtime blues characterize the music of the New Southern Cowtippers. Sandy Hofferth on fiddle, Howard Zane on banjo, and Jim Jones on guitar will bring us roots music, popular in America from 1850 to 1950. Their music brings back a time when regional styles were more diverse, and you'll hear Southern tunes, but also some Northern and Midwestern tunes thrown in.

 

Nrityanjali was established in 2002 in Fairfax, Virginia, primarily with the objective to promote and provide a forum for young minds to creatively express their talent through the dance form of Bharatanatyam. This classic Indian "fire-dance" form is highly energetic and beautiful. Their recent memorable experience was their performance at the National Cherry Blossom Festival on April 6, 2007.

http://www.jennifercutting.com
What do you get when you cross Scottish and Irish jigs with a rock-and-roll rhythm section; power-pop and classical symphonic themes with spine-tingling electronics? You get OCEAN, the exotic new musical brew from the pen of genre-bending composer/bandleader Jennifer Cutting. In this eight-piece acoustic-electric big band, Cutting directs an all-star ensemble of the D.C. area's favorite Celtic musicians. The lineup features Cutting on electronic keyboard and accordions; Grace Griffith on vocals; Zan McLeod on bouzouki, mandolin, and electric guitar; Lisa Moscatiello on vocals, whistle, and acoustic guitar; Dave Abe on fiddle; Bob Mitchell on bagpipes; Rico Petruccelli on electric bass, and Chris Stewart on drums.

Alternately ethereal and house-rocking, an Ocean Orchestra concert features Cutting's newest electric folk arrangements of traditional tunes and her award-winning originals, as well as reprising a few of the best-loved pieces she wrote for her critically acclaimed British folk-rock band, The New St. George. With its buoyant beats and soaring Celtic melodies, the Ocean Orchestra provides an uplifting soundtrack for traveling hopefully on life's changing seas.

Folk instruments such as button accordion, bagpipes, and fiddle join forces with pulsing electric bass, drums, and electronic keyboard for a sizzling synergy that will appeal to fans of folk, classical, and pop music alike. As much at home in the concert hall as on the festival stage, the Ocean Orchestra can tailor its performances to each kind of audience and venue. Audiences can lose themselves in dreamy reverie, or cut loose and dance to the propulsive beat of electric jigs and reels. It's a marriage of otherworldly Celtic beauty and raw World-Beat energy. There's nothing else like it anywhere. OCEAN is Celtic Music for Ancient Moderns!

http://www.panmasters.com
Many a steel band has evolved from an existing band, and such is the case for Pan Masters. In 1985, some members of the Trinidad and Tobago Steel Band of Washington, D.C., decided to chart their musical aspirations in another direction, and this resulted in the birth of Pan Masters Steel Orchestra.

Pan Masters' accomplishments include being adjudged the 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 Steel Band Champion in the Baltimore Panorama Competition; recipient of the judges' award for outstanding performance at the 1993 through 2002, 2004 and 2006 D.C. Caribbean Carnival celebrations on Georgia Avenue; 1998 champion in the New York J'Ouvert competition; several command performances at the Bluemont Concert Series; and the only participating steel band at the inaugurations of President Bill Clinton and Mayor Marion Barry.

The original members include Frankie Baltazar, St Clair Baltazar, Roland Barnes, Robert Barnes, Patrick Belle, Don Cumberbatch, Malcolm John, Lennard Jack, Stephen Landrigan, Joseph Lewis and Brian Solomon.

Pan Masters has produced four recordings, the latest of which was released in 2005 (On De Road). The band also collaborated on a concert featuring world-renowned pan performer, composer, and arranger Robert Greenidge. A DVD of this concert is the latest addition to the band's releases.

http://www.pamparker.com
Pam Parker, a D.C.-area musician and vocalist, is highly regarded as both a progressive and traditional vocalist. She and her band perform blues, swing, jazz, folk, and R & B. Pam has sold out shows at Blues Alley, has opened the 2,000-person Congressional Black Caucus "gala" at the Washington Convention Center, has performed at the New School with jazz pianist Consuela Lee (Spike's aunt) and also at numerous political rallies and fundraisers as well as clubs and private parties. She was recently a featured performer at American Federation of Musicians Local 1000's 88th-birthday tribute to Pete Seeger in Memphis, Tennessee.

Pam's vocals are expressive, rich, and haunting. Pam has a big voice, but she also knows how to whisper a good lullaby. These reasons, along with the talent and versatility of her band-mates, are why audiences are compelled to hang onto every note they sing/play. Her ace backup band (the Imagine Band) consists of Steve Jones (piano), Scott Giambusso (bass), Jobari Parker-Namdar (vocals), Richard Miller (guitar), Herbert Scott (saxophone), and Francis Thompson (drums). The instrumentalists, who are all world-traveled performers, educators, and impresarios, beautifully blend their influences to create a unique and exceptional sound. This ensemble was honored with standing ovations from the notoriously seat-bound crowd at Blues Alley and at Busboys and Poets.

http://www.dancingplanetproductions.com
Jamie Platt has been teaching international folk dancing regularly for more than 20 years, making traditional dances accessible to all. He has appeared many times at TPFF and events sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. If your experience at the Folk Festival gets you excited about learning folk dancing, join the Glen Echo events that are held every Thursday evening throughout most of the year.

http://dreamersloversandoutlaws.com/bio.html
Siobhan Quinn is a force and a talent that cannot be ignored. She can blow your hair back with blues, enchant you with a song in Irish (Gaelic), and make your heart hope or feel longing with a sensitive ballad. Boston Folk Festival finalist, WAMMIE award winner, vocal teacher and coach at Kerrville Folk Festival, Swannanoa Gathering, Summersongs, and Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, she has toured throughout the U.S. and the U.K., had airplay on more stations than can be listed here, and is widely sought after as a vocal teacher.

Michael Bowers is known for his songwriting and his way of delivering the words he writes. He'll tease you, flirt, touch you, and take you into the lives of the characters he writes about — even if the characters end up being you, or himself. He will, alternately, make you laugh, make you cry, get you all excited, and leave you hopeful. A 2005 Kerrville New Folk / 2006 South Florida Folk finalist, Michael has received significant radio airplay in Europe and Australia, as well as across the U.S., and toured nationally as a solo artist prior to joining with (and marrying) Siobhan.

Combined, Siobhan and Michael produce rich original and traditional music with strong harmony-laden vocals over acoustic and National steel and high-strung guitars.

http://www.myspace.com/roadsidefireflies
The Roadside Fireflies merge the songwriting and musical talents of Aura Kanegis (lead singer of Zeala and past vocalist with the Cravin' Dogs, Quintessential, The U-Liners, and others) and Louis Matza (lead guitar in Chapel Hill-based bands Glass and the Foolish Things) with a team of talented musicians whose experience fuses genres across the spectrum of Americana. Their songs offer fresh takes on timeless themes, bringing lyrics that blend wisdom and wit to creative arrangements that slide seamlessly from bossa to jazz and blues. They have been lighting roadside venues in the Washington area since 2006, and are fast gaining a loyal following of jar-toting music lovers across the region.

http://www.mth.msu.edu/~sagan/
Bruce Sagan started playing classical violin under his mother's influence when he was a kid. He fell in love with international folk dancing in college and then started to play the music, eventually concentrating on traditions from Scandinavia and the Balkans. Bruce makes regular trips to Europe to work with musicians there and is much sought after as a teacher and performer throughout the US, both on fiddle and g°dulka (Bulgarian rebec). His recording with Andrea Hoag, Spelstundarna, has found critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. Bruce has been music director for various events, including Nordic Fiddles and Feet (formerly Scandinavian Week at Buffalo Gap) and Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Together with Nan and Chris, Bruce is part of the trio Veselba, which means "merriment" in Bulgarian.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/weiner.larry/sarenica.htm
Sarenica (pronounced sha-REN-eet-sa) plays Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Romanian and Greek music using such string instruments as cimbalom (tsambal) and those of the tamburica family. The repertoire comes from Balkan, Central European, South Slavic and Slavic-American traditions. Sarenica's repertoire includes high-energy music for dancing, as well as for listening, from both town and village folk sources. Its members are Craig Packard, bugarija and kontra (chording viola), Joan Dubinsky, cimbalom, Tom Armstrong, bass, Ellen Jacobs, fiddle, and George Petran, Romanian panpipes.

Saul Schniderman was a founding member of the Takoma Park Folk Festival and was Chair of the Festival for its first 9 years. He performed at the first TPFF as a member of "Folkworks." From 1982 to 1988, he was the editor of Talkin' Union, a magazine of labor folklore, music and history. Currently employed as a Library of Congress cataloger in the Copyright Office, Saul is President of the Library of Congress Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910, and President of AFSCME Council 26, Capital Area Council of Federal Employees. He is Secretary of the Labor Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 1984 to promote workers' culture and labor heritage.

"Mary Shapiro creates soulful inspiring music that appeals to a wide variety of listeners regardless of age or background." --Tom Goss, Independent Recording Artist

Inspired by artists from Joan Baez to Jack Johnson, Mary's music infuses gospel, folk, rock & soul. Recently returned from a 12 week US tour, she's also shared her musical talents with orphans in Berlin and headlined in Japan. Mary has recorded with Sweet Honey in the Rock and was the first ever recipient of DC Acoustic Underground's "Excellence in Local Music Award" for creating and sustaining Sounds of Hope benefit concerts in Washington, DC.

Mary's first CD is a collaboration of professional artists, musicians and kids. Captured LIVE at a benefit concert for Little Friends for Peace, it's a fun, educational, sing-a-long CD.

"Mary Shapiro has a powerful gift to transform any gathering into something sacred--blending songs of peace with joy and laughter to give you the taste that 'another world is possible'" -Jean Stoken, National Policy Director, Pax Christi USA

"Mary Shapiro inspires, touches, and beckons us to join in the song!" -Carrie Newcomer, Grammy Award Winner, Rounder Recording Artist

http://www.shoshomusic.com
Shosho pulls you into a world somewhere between rock and folk, with explosive bass and percussion, rich vocal harmonies, and a powerful combination of guitars, mandolin, and flute. The band's debut album, Days and Years, features 14 artfully crafted songs exploring a wide range of human experience, such as love and war, memory and longing, and critical social and political issues. Shosho blends influences from across American and world music for a sound that is colorful, challenging, and inviting. The members of Shosho are seasoned musicians with reviews in The Washington Post, MTV Online, and elsewhere, and they have played major venues in both the U.S. and Europe. Singer Wendy Lanxner and bassist Franz Kellner were members of the world-beat group Bottomland, featured on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." Wendy's voice, mandolin, guitar, and flute can also be heard on recordings by several artists, including Suzanne Brindamour's You Are Here and Amikaeyla Gaston's award-winning Mosaic. Franz Kellner has developed his unique voice on the five-string fretless through stints with many bands, including Graphic Shadows and Strange Boutique, favorites of the 1980s D.C. music scene. Singer-guitarist Tricia Khleif has studied musical styles from blues to Middle Eastern. Her haunting vocals and passionate, provocative songwriting reflect her experiences in a wide array of cultures. Virtuoso percussionist and drummer Bob Novak has toured Europe as a solo artist and has performed with many bands, orchestras, and jazz and world-music ensembles.

http://www.bobsima.com
Bob is the lead singer/songwriter for Stereopool, a very successful folk-rock trio from Annapolis, Maryland. In late 2006, Bob released his first solo release entitled Pour It On, as he wanted to go the singer-songwriter path. So far, so good. The record was produced by David Weber (Krista Detor, Carrie Newcomer) and features Jason Wilbur on guitars (John Prine, Todd Snider, Iris Dement). Pour It On was named CD of the Year 2006 by the esteemed Westside Café in Frederick, Maryland. Bob has been featured and is receiving airplay on Z104 (D.C.), WRNR (Annapolis), WTMD (Baltimore), WRYR (Churchton, Maryland). Bob has played all of the top venues in the mid-Atlantic including Rams Head, IOTA Club, World Cafe Live, Folk Alliance, and Dewey Beach Music Conference.

http://www.thesinaimountainboys.com
This unique foursome of Orthodox Jewish musicians have combined traditional bluegrass with Jewish melodies and originality to create a sound that they term "Jewgrass." A favorite in the mid-Atlantic for their style of music and performance, The Sinai Mountain Boys have created quite a buzz in just a short time. They can be heard on the new Hungry for Music Hanukah CD, have been heard on XM Radio as well as college radio, and have played for local dignitaries, including a recent performance for the Mayor of D.C. This band is as fresh as a warm Challah bread, right out of the oven!

Janine Smith calls square, contra, and family dances in the D.C. area. She shares her humorous and infectious (OK, sometimes goofy) style and love of music and dance with dancers from Glen Echo, Maryland, to Seattle, Washington, and specializes in "Singing Squares." She is one of the "Hot Square Babes," a quintet of callers who throw a monthly Square Dance Party in College Park, Maryland. Come on and get your hoedown on, darlin'!

http://www.soniadf.com
Whether in the bomb shelters "Miklats" in Israel or summer camps in Palestine, colleges, festivals or venues around the world, SONiA is always striving to disappear fear and spread her message of peace. She has been nominated for a Grammy and has won numerous awards for her albums. She named her last studio CD No Bomb Is Smart and has used every opportunity to let people know that war is not the answer. She Loves Out Loud and Proud and donates 18 percent of all downloads of her music to end world hunger. Jeep named her as one of 8 troubadours for their new National Campaign, and video of the tour is currently on MTV.

Among her new projects, SONiA has written the soundtrack for the documentary "Autumn's Harvest." Directed by Dave Marshall, the short film chronicles the life of Douglas, a migrant worker who is HIV-positive. The documentary is currently being shown at film festivals around the world.

http://www.simpinc.org
Soul In Motion African Dancers & Drummers, a non-profit performing-arts organization, was founded in 1984 by percussionist Michael Friend. The group is led by Associate Director/Choreographer Pam Lassiter Rhone. This multi-talented ensemble has performed for thousands at various festivals and corporate events including Dance Africa, Kunta Kinte Festival, and BlackRock Center for the Arts.

http://www.myspace.com/stormtheunpredictable
Storm the Unpredictable is a hip-hop artist with a lyrical style that can instantly change the mood of any crowd, as the weather quickly changes with an approaching violent storm. His musical style, as seen on his first single, MCs Be Killin' Me, is party-oriented but still gives listeners something intellectual to think about. "My music reflects the two sides in one person. I'm a quiet person because I like to observe. But when making noise is truly necessary, I can make a comment out of nowhere and have the crowd falling out laughing or thinking seriously about something," Storm explains. He sharpened his stage skills by continually performing at clubs, colleges, and showcases including Showtime at the Apollo, Nuyorican Cafe, the Philadelphia Music Conference, and Motown's Black History Month Conference. Storm could also be regularly found building his MC talents with the Freestyle Union, a D.C. hip-hop organization that held monthly ciphers, rhyming workshops, and shows.

Storm's infinite presence in the MD/DC/VA hip-hop underground has generated a huge local fan-base. Fans credit the artist with spitfire lyrical delivery. Additionally, they praise his style, which embraces the essence of late-'80s and early/mid-'90s hip-hop, while at the same time still making it accessible to today's new generation of listeners. His music reminds fans of "a much happier, feel-good and conscious hip-hop," a time when having fun and getting uplifted by hip-hop music was part of the norm.

The Washington Area Music Association named Storm the 2002, 2003, and 2004 Hip Hop Artist of the Year. He also received the 2002 and 2003 Hip Hop Recording of the Year award given by that same organization. Storm's music has received praise from XXL, The Source, Elemental and Insomniac magazines as well as The Washington Post, Washington City Paper, and various other print and Internet magazines/newspapers. Radio listeners across the country and worldwide have heard his songs on stations such as Hot 97FM in New York and both WPGC and WKYS in Washington, D.C. His previous single, Get Your Weight Up (Big Girl Anthem), won the WPGC 95.5 Homejam's competition enabling him to open up for their Springjam concert alongside Ludacris, Fabolous, Ashanti, and others. The single was released in October 2002 and rose to number 2 on the national college charts. It was followed by Storm's first full-length CD, Amalgamation, in February 2003. His latest single, Y'All Know the Name, off the 3 Piece Extra Mumbo EP rose to number one on both the Rapattacklives and Rapnetwork national college radio/mixshow charts the week of January 24, 2005.

http://www.michelleswan.com
Introduced to the guitar at age 9 by her father, Michelle Swan has pursued a musical path ever since. After studying classical musical and clarinet performance at Towson State University in Maryland, Michelle entered the Baltimore-Washington music scene in 1990, performing at local open-mikes and coffeehouses.

Classifying herself as an "urban acoustic singer/songwriter," Michelle's influences include artists as divergent as Cheryl Wheeler, Cat Stevens and Lucinda Williams, but her performances center around her own compositions, displaying both a prolific talent for song-writing and an infectious love of music. Self-reflective and acutely observant, Michelle deftly weaves lyric and note together to create intensely personal songs that tell of sentiments and circumstances nonetheless familiar to everyone.

http://www.mandoleers.org
The Takoma Mandoleers performed in the first Takoma Park Folk Festival in 1978. The orchestra was established in 1923 in Takoma Park as an offshoot of the larger Nordica Club. The orchestra has rehearsed in Arlington, Virginia, since 1953 and currently meets at the Clarendon United Methodist Church.

Playing instruments of the mandolin family (mandolin, mandola, and mandocello) and guitar, the Mandoleers continue the musical traditions of the early 20th century, when many towns, schools and colleges had a mandolin orchestra. Their repertoire includes marches, dances, ragtime, and international and classical music.

The orchestra has hosted conventions of the Fretted Instrument Guild of America and the Classical Mandolin Society of America, and has organized two pairs of exchanges with L'Ensemble à Plectre de Toulouse, France.

Recent performance venues include churches, retirement communities, Brookside Gardens (Maryland), Lake Accotink Park (Virginia), Mason District Park (Virginia), the Washington Folk Festival at Glen Echo, Maryland, and the Classical Mandolin Society of America's convention in Philadephia, Pennsylvania.

http://www.tinsmith.net
Tinsmith is a high-energy folk band playing traditional music of Ireland, Scotland and Appalachia. Citing influences from blues to bluegrass, from funk to jazz to mountain music, they bring traditional songs and tunes into the new century. Known for their fun and energetic performances and for the taste and delicacy of their arrangements, Tinsmith has been making audiences dance since 1997. They are three-time invitees at the North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas and have played prestigious gigs as The Barns at Wolf Trap Park for the Performing Arts, Potomac Celtic Festival, the Institute of Musical Traditions and BlackRock Center for the Arts. Tinsmith has numerous Wammie (Washington Area Music Association) awards to its credit.

Led by core members, multi-talented Rowan Corbett (guitar, bouzouki, bones, djembe) and vocalist Brooke Parkhurst (banjo, Irish flue, tinwhistles), the group also includes superb bassist Henry Cross and their talented guitar-and-mandolin virtuoso, Avril Smith.

http://www.justintrawick.com
Justin Trawick's performances are a full-bodied blend of silky tune, gritty vocals and shoulder-dancing beats. Walking the tightrope between various genres, Justin's music fluently balances between sometimes rowdy, other times consoling, forms of folk, bluegrass, and hip hop, bestowing upon listeners an incorporated and organic form of poetry.

Justin has been tunefully hitting local clubs, coffeehouses, and bars since November 2004, quickly expanding his range to larger venues up and down the East Coast and opening for the honorable likes of Pat McGee, Bob Schneider and Brett Dennen. He plays both solo and with his band, The Justin Trawick Group, consisting of quite the velvety brew of piano, cello, violin, mandolin, upright bass, hand percussion, and drums. Trawick's debut album, How to Build a Life With a Lemonade Stand was recorded live in 2006 and warmly eased its way into the driver's seat of a fine folk, hip-hop combination, taking all thirteen tracks on a first-rate drums-on-the-steering-wheel ride. With smoothed-out Dylanesque vocals skipping over his effortless guitar playing, Justin released the CD in March 2007 and has continued to bolster individual lives ever since.

http://www.bodylovebellydance.com
Triple Goddess Tribal Belly Dance was founded by artistic director Maya Taahira in 2006 and is derived from several previous belly-dance classes and troupes in the D.C. area. Triple Goddess Tribal gets its name from a celebration of the three stages of a woman's life — innocent youth, fertile middle-age, and wise elder years. Triple Goddess Tribal performs traditional folk dances of the Middle East and North Africa, updated with elements of American Tribal Style (ATS) belly dance. Triple Goddess Tribal seeks to empower its performers and delight its audiences with dances that are both exquisite and playful, that connect performer and audience, and that stay true to their folkloric roots.

http://www.uliners.com
Joe Uehlein has lived his life at the confluence of art and activism. He is the founding President of the Labor Heritage Foundation, and recently founded a new organization, CultureWorks, dedicated to integrating art and activism in ways that help unite and inspire people to achieve progressive change. Joe spent over 30 years working as a labor organizer, and as a musician, and currently fronts his roots-rock ensemble, The U-Liners. Joe is a 42-year member of the American Federation of Musicians. As a solo artist, Joe has performed in a dozen countries on three continents, and The U-Liners have played the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Mercury Ballroom in New York City, at Yale University, and in all of the D.C. area's finest venues, including the Birchmere, the IOTA Club, and Jammin' Java. Joe met Joe Glazer in January of 1960 at a party celebrating the Steelworkers' victory following the longest strike in the history of the steel industry. Joe Uehlein's dad worked in the steel mills in Lorain, Ohio, and Joe later went to work in an aluminum mill in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Joe started playing guitar at the age of 12. Work and music have always played a central role in his life.

http://www.uliners.com
The U-Liners play a wide variety of music in the roots-rock genre including country, rock'n roll, swing, bluegrass, rock, folk, folk-rock, country-rock, blues, rhythm & blues, soul, and more. The U-Liners have a broad and deep repertoire ideal for dancing or listening. From their sold-out shows at the IOTA Club in August '05 and '06, paying tribute to Jerry Garcia, to their performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, to energetic standing-room-only crowds at Jammin' Java, Half Moon Barbeque, the Birchmere, the Rodeo, and McGinty's in Silver Spring, The U-Liners always offer up a full dose of variety and energy! The U-Liners have also performed at the Mansion on O Street, The Millennium Arts Center, the AFL-CIO, the Mercury Ballroom in NYC, and Bally's in Las Vegas; and individually members of the band have also performed at the Birchmere, the IOTA Club, the State Theater, Wolf Trap, and many other fine venues throughout the country. The U-Liners have performed several times with Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers, and with Jill Sobule, Boots Riley of The Coup, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Pete Seeger, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, and Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion. A rare specialty of this group is songs of hope, peace, justice and equality — political and protest songs — both old and new. The U-Liners have performed at many rallies, conventions, conferences, educational seminars, and other places where people gather to create a more just and humane society. The U-Liners consist of Joe Uehlein (guitar & vocals), Avril Smith (guitar, mandolin, & vocals), Larry Ferguson (drums), Mindy McWilliams (fiddle & vocals), and Barry Warsaw (bass & vocals).

http://revelsdc.org
An established cultural institution in the greater Washington area since 1983, Washington Revels creates community celebrations based on traditional music, dance, stories and drama from around the world, often handed down over centuries. Staged or informal, large or small, Revels celebrations involve adults and children of all ages, mixing professionals and nonprofessionals alike. Audience participation is a hallmark: whether singing, dancing or becoming part of the drama, Revels audiences are always an integral part of the community. For the 2007 TPFF, the Young Revelers will present "Saint George and the Dragon," a compilation of several medieval mummers' plays and traditional English folk songs celebrating the seasons, with children selected from the audience as the dragon's tail!

http://www.ZISD.org
Ziva explores the roots of flamenco while also incorporating other dance forms into the Ensemble's performances. Guest artists have come from a variety of dance and musical fields such as jazz, modern, tap, Indian, African, and Moorish.

The Ensemble was established in 1995 by Ziva Cohen, its artistic director. The Ensemble's dancers have diverse and international backgrounds. Most have previous experience in dance forms such as ballet, modem, ballroom, and folkorico.

The Ensemble has appeared in a variety of venues in the D.C. area including the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Publick Playhouse, Lisner Auditorium, the Alden Theatre, First Night Annapolis, and the Jack Guidone Theater at the Joy of Motion Dance Center.