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We are pleased to have pianist Dave Wiesler and fiddler Mara Shea on board for the October 2006 ball!
   
For over a decade Dave Wiesler has been building a national reputation for his rhythmic and innovative piano playing. At home in a huge range of styles, Dave plays for events ranging from studio work to concerts to dances of many flavors -- contra, swing, vintage, couple dance, English and Scottish country dance. He has given concerts at venues including the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, the Washington Folk-Life Festival, and the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and for two years he led popular performance tours on antique pianos for the Smithsonian Museum's Piano 300 Exhibit. Dave has played at festivals and camps across the country as well as in Canada, Scotland, and England. He is a prolific composer of tunes and songs, and is also a capable guitarist and singer. He lives in Newark, DE, with his wife Julie MacRae, their son Samuel, and two beloved cats, Bonker and Ceilidh. More information on Dave can be found at: www.azaleacityrecordings.com/davewiesler/
    
Since the early 1990s, Mara Shea has been playing for dancers—ceilidh,
contra, English country, and Scottish country dance. Her classical training
has given her a solid technical foundation, and her experience at festivals
and camps throughout the US and Canada has taught her well how to play for
dances in a wide range of styles. She has been on staff at Pinewoods,
Ramblewood, and the John C. Campbell Folk School, has played for the
Teachers' Association of Canada (TAC) summer workshops, and took first place in several Scottish fiddle competitions, including the Loch Norman and
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. With her guitar-fiddle duo band, The
Elftones, she has made a number of recordings (www.elftones.com) and can
frequently be heard at dance weekends and concerts. When she isn't
travelling and playing for dances, she enjoys teaching and mentoring
students, travelling with The Little German Band and Dancers (with her
husband, John Barnum), and growing flowers for the deer and rabbits to enjoy in their backyard. More information on Mara can be found at: www.elftones.com/Mara.htm
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