Spring Dance Romance (SDR) 2026

Triangle Country Dancers invites you to join us for Spring Dance Romance 2026, our annual spring weekend!

Dates: Friday, April 24th - Sunday, April 26th, 2026

We’ll be dancing to:

Spintuition: Samuel Foucher, Willy Clemetson, and Silas Hamilton (contra)

Potato Factory: Audrey Jaber, Brian Lindsay, Alex Sturbaum, and Ness Smith-Savedoff (contra)

Karen Axelrod and Molly Tucker (English)

With calling by:

Janine Smith (contra), Mary Wesley (contra), and Gaye Fifer (English)

We’re dancing in Carrboro again this year! In addition to our usual full weekend of contra dancing, we have a lovely English Country Dance program, with evening ECD in our second space both Friday and Saturday evenings as well as some workshops throughout the day Saturday.

Register online here or pay by check here, and see below for more about our amazing talent! We love these bands and callers and we think you will too.

**Spintuition**

From Quebec to Georgia and everywhere in between, Spintuition has been making a splash on the dance scene. With Samuel Foucher on accordion, Willy Clemetson on fiddle and foot percussion, and Silas Hamilton laying down the groove on Guitar, this trio has a grasp of dynamics and dance energy that has been honed over many years of playing dances together. Based in the Northeast, Spintuition was formed in 2018 and has gone on to be featured all over at festivals, dances, and dance-weekends, such as Rocky Mountain Rendezvous, New World Festival, and nearly every New England dance you can think of. In addition to playing dances, they also sing in bold three part harmony. Presenting a compelling mixture of spicy new tunes and songs and glorious old ones, Spintuition has cultivated a vital sound that will leave you hungry for more.

**Potato Factory**

Contra dance supergroup Potato Factory is made up of Audrey Jaber, Brian Lindsay, Alex Sturbaum, and Ness Smith-Savedoff! Combining fiddles, banjo, guitar, button accordion, and percussion, this quartet got its start at the SuperSonic dance weekend in Seattle and are now bringing their signature blend to the Triangle area.

**Janine Smith**

Janine Smith calls contra, square, ceilidh, and family dances mostly in the Washington, DC, area, but she shares her humorous and infectious passion for music and dance with folks from Glen Echo, MD, to Seattle, WA. Specializing in Singing Squares and in generally whoopin’ it up, Janine is known for her calm, unflappable demeanor and for her skill at knowing just which dances to teach and call, whether it’s to a room full of new and never-danced wedding guests or a group of skilled contra dancers looking for a challenge.

**Mary Wesley**

Raised in the cradle of Vermont's Green Mountains, Mary Wesley loves to share her infectious joy for traditional dancing with dancers of all ages and she has something to offer every crowd. She calls contra, square, family and community dances with great joy and finds “chestnuts” absolutely irresistible. In recent years Mary has also become enthralled with Breton (northwestern France) and Balfolk dancing and also enjoys teaching this repertoire. When not calling, Mary works for Vermont Folklife and produces “From the Mic,” a podcast about dance callers for the Country Dance and Song Society.

Gaye Fifer

Gaye Fifer is an accomplished caller from Pittsburgh, PA. An active dancer herself, she understands the subtleties of making dances particularly satisfying for dancers. Her instructions are clear and concise, as she is a teacher by profession. An easy smile and delightful sense of humor are part of Gaye's relaxed, pleasant style at the microphone. Gaye calls contra and English dances throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Karen Axelrod and Molly Tucker

Karen Axelrod left the world of classical music over 40 years ago, and has found her home in the folk world. She is highly regarded for her creative piano playing at English, American and Scottish dance events around the U.S. (including Pinewoods Dance Camp, Ogontz, Buffalo Gap, Berea Christmas Country Dance Week, The John C. Campbell Folk School, and BACDS events) and abroad. Her improvisational playing is lyrical yet touched with humor and whimsy. Karen is a member of the bands: Alchemy, Peregrine Road, Night Heron, Murmuration and 3rd String Trio. She also plays accordion and tours with the renowned longsword team, Orion.
Molly Tucker is a fiddler, composer, and educator based in Boston. Growing up studying classical violin, she spent a great deal of her childhood listening to and playing fiddle tunes and awaiting the next contra dance. With a love for many styles including New England, Celtic, and old-time, her fiddling is sonorous, yet full of energy and groove. She performs regularly with folk duo Casey Murray & Molly Tucker, as well as contra dance trio Northwoods, touring across the US and Canada. She loves sharing the joy of musical discovery through teaching, whether teaching private students, workshops, or at fiddle camps.

This weekend will be called using non-gendered terminology.