November 2 & 3:  Old-Time Music Weekend with Tom, Brad and Alice:
    Friday, November 2: Concert at Birmingham Botanical Gardens Auditorium, 8 p.m. $10
    Saturday, November 3, 9 a.m.-noon:  Instrument and vocal workshops with Tom, Brad and Alice
    Saturday night, 7:30 p.m.  Dance at YWCA with Jef Hodge calling
See Below for details of this weekend.

December 31-New Year's Eve Dance and Cabaret featuring Bill and Libby Hicks with calling by Scott Russell and Susan Davis.   Bill, long-time fiddler with the Red Clay Ramblers and the Fuzzy Mt. String Band, and his multi-talented wife Libby, will play for the dance as well as perform a set of their wonderful songs for us in cabaret setting.  YWCA, Warm-ups at 8:30 p.m. Dance at 9. $10 (includes food).  Read the Hicks' amusing account of their lifetimes by clicking here.

Dance Dates, Year 2002

January 12:  Carnival Knowledge with Janet Shepherd calling.

February 9:  Cattywampas with Susan Davis calling

March 9:  Red Mountain White Trash with Susan Kevra calling

April 13:  Vulcan's Britches (Last dance for this fine band) with Becca Impello and Archie Faulkner calling

May 11:  Atomic City Rhythm Rascals with Janet Shepherd calling

June 8:  Stripling Brothers II with Martha Phillips

July 13:  Laurie Fischer and Karen Gaughan with Seth Tepfer calling        

August 10:  Curley Fries and the Idaho Boisies with Jane Ewing calling

August 16-18:  Old Time Music and Dance Weekend at Camp Riverview in Mentone.  Click here to read about the 2001 weekend. In 2002 the bands will be For Old-Times' Sake, Red Mt. White Trash, Carnival Knowledge and callers will be Susan Kevra and Cis Hinkle.  Fliers will go out in early June.  To get on the mailing list, e-mail  ptfoster@bellsouth.net.

September 14:  Leo's Fantastic Six  with Archie, Becca, and JoAnna calling

October 12: Rhys Jones (fiddle), Jeff Miller (banjo) and Jim Nelson (guitar)--super players from St. Louis with caller Deborah Hyland

November 30, Turkey Trot: Red Mountain White Trash  with Cis Hinkle calling

December 13:  Concert by Bruce Molsky, 8 p.m. Unitarian Church (directions below), $13.

December 14: Peavine Creek (from Atlanta) with Doug Singleton calling

December 31: The Rhythm Extras (Carter Laney and Joanna Laney, Ricky and Mary Stone and Bob Weather) with Scott Russell and Susan Davis calling.  9 P.M.  until after midnight. (Instruction at 8:30)  $10.  Food will be served in a cabaret setting with an open-mike.  You are invited to do a short performance, tell a joke, entertain us.

2003

Jan 11-Ed & Elsie with Chrissy Davis-Camp

January 24:  Unplugged at Unitarian Church--bring your instruments, dancing shoes and dances to call, 8:00 p.m. $3

Feb. 8-James Bryan, Rachel Bryan, Russ Barenberg and Mike Compton with Susan Kevra.  This will be a benefit for City Stages with opportunities for you to get framed art poster signed by City Stages performers in 2002 as well as an Alvarez guitar and lessons, a piece of art by Tracy Martin and 2 massages by licensed massage therapist Patty Covington. . .and more!

March 8-Flying Jenny--Dance and CD Release Party with Becca Impello calling.

March 22-Unplugged at Unitarian Church--bring your instruments, dancing shoes and dances to call, 8:00 p.m. $3

April 11-12-Old Time Music and Dance Institute featuring dance band, caller, and sound system workshops led by Susan         Davis,  Scott Russell, Ann Whitley, Phil Foster, Reggie Bolton  and More.   Details and Registration Form.

April 12:  Saturday Night Dance featuring STARS OF THE FUTURE, ie. the callers and musicians  who have participated in the dance band and callers workshops above.

April 26-Unplugged at Unitarian Church--bring your instruments, dancing shoes and dances to call, 8:00 p.m. $3. Call Patty at 205-540-6726 for more info.

May 10-Magic Truck with Barb Kirchner and--that afternoon--a special waltz workshop taught by Steve Gester. The Workshop is from 4 to 6 p.m. and costs $3.  The Saturday night dance follows at 8:00.

June 14-Curley Fries and the Idaho Boisies with Archie Faulkner calling

June 28-Unplugged at Unitarian Church--bring your instruments, dancing shoes and dances to call, 8:00 p.m. $3. Call Patty at 205-540-6726 for more info.

July 12-Huntsville Night!  Tom Kat & the Fiddle with Jan Ewing calling

July 26-Unplugged at Unitarian Church--bring your instruments, dancing shoes and dances to call, 8:00 p.m. $3. Call Patty at 205-540-6726 for more info.

August 9-Carter's Little Pills aka Carter Laney's Rhythm Extras with Seth Tepfer

August 15-17:  Old Time Music and Dance Weekend at Mentone.

Sept. 13-Leo's Trio with Jef Hodge

Sept. 27-Unplugged at Unitarian Church--bring your instruments, dancing shoes and dances to call, 8:00 p.m. $3. Call Patty at 205-540-6726 for more info.

October 11-The Avant Gardeners with Beth Molaro

November 8-The Melmac Lickers with Chrissy Davis Camp 

November 29-Red Mountain White Trash with Barb Kirchner.  Bring Christmas gifts for homeless children to this dance.  They will be distributed by the YWCA in a program called Santa's Workshop.  Gifts for teenaged girls are especially needed.

Holidays 2003 

FOOTMAD Christmas Party at the Botanical Gardens
 December 13, 7:30-10:30

Don’t automatically go to the YWCA for a Christmas dance on December 13.  We’re throwing a Christmas party at the Botanical Gardens.  We’ll be in the Garden Center --the large building with the gift shop, auditorium, etc. in it.  When you come in the front door, you’ll be directed to our party room. There we’ll have a chance to get to chat with each other and learn more about the folks we’ve been dancing with all these years (or months).  Bring your non-dancing family members; this will be a good chance for them to meet your dancing friends.

Around nine p.m. Verna Gates will tell festive stories accompanied by Timothy Hogan, fiddler.  Then we’ll sing Christmas carols, accompanied by Suzanne Beaudry on piano.  All the Unplugged musicians are invited to bring instruments and have an old-time session before and after the stories and carols.  If you can’t come for the whole time, drop in for awhile. 

And, of course, bring wonderful goodies.  FOOTMAD will furnish spiced (not spiked) holiday drinks and you are invited to bring homemade desserts or cheese & crackers, dips, nuts--that sort of thing.  See you at the Botanical Gardens on Dec. 13th.

Directions to the Botanical Gardens

New Year’s Eve Dance & Cabaret, December 31
at the YWCA, 8:30 p.m.

Cattywampas, one of our long-time favorite bands from Atlanta and caller Susan Davis will help us welcome 2004 in grand style.  Usually a two-piece band, Cattywampas is rumored to be enhancing itself with one or more great musicians.  We know they’ll be fantastic in whatever formation they present themselves.  We’ll dance awhile then fortify ourselves with food and drinks in a cabaret setting.  You are the talent for this portion of the evening.  We’ll have an open mic ready for your songs, jokes, recitations or poetry reading, instrumental music, belly dancing, arm-pit music, amazing ear wiggling prowess--whatever. Don’t keep your talents (we know you have them) to yourself. Let us enjoy them. 

Following the cabaret we’ll dance in the New Year.  Again, bring your favorite refreshments.  We’ll furnish ham, cheese, nice breads and other hearty foods to enjoy during the cabaret. You supplement that with foods you like to eat on New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve warm-ups start at 8:30 ; the music starts at 9 p.m. and lasts ‘til after midnight . $12 per person; $10 for members (children under age of 16 are $3).    

2004 Dance Schedule

January 10: Ed and Elsie with Vicki Herndon calling

February 14: James and Rachel Bryan with Edwin and Karen and Bill Martin.  Archie Faulkner calling.

February 28:  Unplugged at YWCA

March 13: Carter's Little Pills with Becca Impello calling

March 27: Unplugged:  Bring your shoes for dancing, your notes for calling a dance, or your instruments for playing for the dancers, and come to the YWCA. We'll be dancing in the small room (formerly the chapel) off of the gym where we usually dance. 7:30  p.m.  Admission $3.  Call Patty Covington for more info: 205-540-6726

April 10: The Tune Dogs with Susan Davis calling

April 23-25: Wild Asparagus 'N Ham: A unique Birmingham Dance Weekend featuring Wild Asparagus with George Marshall calling. This event is now full and no more reservations are being accepted.

May 8: The Little Egypt Pep-Steppers featuring Chirps Smith, Fred Campeau and Jim Nelson with Susan Kevra calling.

May 9:  A Sunday Afternoon House Concert (Actually Front Porch concert) featuring the Little Egypt Pep-Steppers at the home of Joyce and Jim Cauthen in Bluff Park.  2:00 p.m. $8.  Bring your own folding chair and beverages. Call 822-0505 or E-mail for directions.

June 12: Curley Fries and the Idaho Boisies with Archie Faulkner

July 10: Keith Cornett calling with The Red Mountain White Trash

August 14: Shady Groove with Barb Kirchner

August 20-22--Our Old-Time Music and Dance Weekend in Mentone, featuring the ILL-Mo Boys and more!

September 11: The Jakes (Jamie/Jim/Joyce and Karen, Edwin) with Jef Hodge

Sept. 25: :  Unplugged: Bring your shoes for dancing, your notes for calling a dance, or your instruments for playing for the dancers, and come to the YWCA. 7:30  p.m.  Admission $3.  Call Patty Covington for more info: 205-540-6726

October 9: Leo's Trio  with Vicki Herndon

November 13: Ed and Elsie with Becca Impello 

November 27: Turkey Trot with Red Mountain White Trash with Cis Hinkle

December 11  Christmas party at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.  Not a dance, but a party, starting at 7 and going until 1.  Drop by even if you can't stay the whole time.  Bring snacks, musical instruments, jokes and chat with folks you've been dancing all year with.

New Year’s Eve Dance & Cabaret, December 31
at the YWCA, 8:30 p.m.

The Melmac Lickers will help us bring in the new year with their sprightly old-time music and callers Scott Russell and Susan Davis of Atlanta will do the calling honors. We’ll dance awhile then fortify ourselves with food and drinks in a cabaret setting.   A troupe of singers, jokesters, etc. will entertain during this break.

Following the cabaret we’ll dance in the New Year.  Again, bring your favorite refreshments.  We’ll furnish ham, cheese, nice breads and other hearty foods to enjoy during the cabaret. You supplement that with foods you like to eat on New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve warm-ups start at 8:30 ; the music starts at 9 p.m. and lasts ‘til after midnight . $10 per person; $8 for members (children under age of 16 are $3).

Year 2005

No Jan. dance

February 12:  Featuring the music of "Notorious,"  consisting of  musicians Larry Unger and Eden MacAdam-Somer, and the calling of Cis Hinkle.

March 12:  Stone's Throw (Leo McDermott, Carter Laney, Ricky & Mary Anne Stone) with Reuven Anaf Shalom calling.

April 9:   Music by James & Rachel Bryan and Bill Martin with caller Susan Kevra

May 14:  Contradance 101--A workshop for beginners, new dancers and experienced dancers who want to brush up on their moves or help the new dancers. It'll be taught by the Congenial Janet Shepherd from Atlanta with music by our own Unplugged band.  4-6 at the YWCA, $3.  Join us as we eat dinner at downtown restaurants and return for our Saturday night dance.  Music by Huntsville's Wolves A'Howling with calling by Janet Shepherd.

June 11:  Curley Fries and the Idaho Boisies with Vicki Herndon

July 9:  Carter's Little Pills with  Jane Ewing 

August 13: Corner House  with Becca Impello, caller 

September 10: Smoke & Mirrors (Sandy Goldring and Ann Whitley) with Doug Singleton, caller

October 8: Crosstown Traffic with Jef Hodge, caller

November 12: The Fiery Gizzard String Band with Becca Impello 

November 26: Turkey Trot--Red Mountain White Trash with Gary Nelson  Bring gifts for Santa's Workshop: New unwrapped gifts for homeless children, infants through teenagers.  Also coats and jackets for Katrina victims (these do not have to be new but should be nice).  You are also invited to bring holiday snacks.

No Dance on December 10.

December 11: A Sunday Afternoon Christmas Party and Jam session at the Botanical Gardens.  Bring your favorite homemade or store-bought Christmas goodies.  Come chat with folks you've danced with all year, sing carols, and join the "Doublewide Jam," if you'd like.

December 31: A Tim Cape Band with callers Scott Russell and Susan Davis.  This dance will start at 9 p.m and continue until after midnight. Nice food is provided.  Admission is $15/$12 for members.  (For this dance we do not have room for the children's area at the end of the hall.  If you bring small children, bring toys and games they can play at their seats).

Year 2006

January 13, 2006:  Ed and Elsie and calling by Jef Hodge

January 29:  Sunday afternoon concert by Alan Jabbour and Ken Perlman at Bare Hands Gallery; 4 p.m. $12
Alan is a fine fiddler and scholar who collected from North Carolina fiddlers many of the fiddle tunes  played today.  He was director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.  Ken Perlman is a banjo virtuoso who brings scholarship as well as musicianship to the concert.

February 11: James Bryan, Rachel Bryan and Bill Martin with Jef Hodge calling

March 11:  Red Mountain White Trash with Cis Hinkle calling

April 8: The Stripling Brothers with Bruce Reid and Bonnie Zahnow; Tony Mates calling.

May 13: Carter's Little Pills with Doug Singleton

June 10: Herb Trotman's Band with Vicki Herndon calling

July  8: 25th Anniversary Dance with Stone's Throw.  Becca Impello calling.

August 12: Crosstown Traffic with Chrissy Davis-Camp  

August 18-20:  Our Mentone Dance weekend. Go to Dance Weekend for details.

September 9:  The Stephanie Coleman, Jim Collier, Jim Nelson Band with  Scott Russell and Susan Davis calling.

October 14: Smoke and Mirrors with Doug Singleton

November 11: Sons of Anak (Timothy Hogan and Friends), Becca Impello calling

November 25: Turkey Trot with Red Mt. White Trash and calling by Doug Singleton

December 9:  No Dance--Please come to the Footmad Christmas party on Sunday.

December 10:  Christmas party at Barehands Gallery, 109 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. S, (205.324.2124), 2:00-5:00 pm.
A time to socialize and get to know the folks you dance with. Bring goodies to eat, instruments and Christmas cheer.

December 31: New Year's Eve Dance featuring Jamie Laval and Ashley Broder, Calling by Scott and Susan

Dances and Concerts in 2007 

January 13:  Ed and Elsie with caller Jef Hodge  

February 10: Adam Hurt, Beth Hartness and Jim Holland with caller Becca Impello 

February 11:  Concert by Adam Hurt and Beth Hartness, 4:30 p.m. at Fretted Instruments of Homewood. $10. 

March 10: Flying Jenny with  caller Jef Hodge

April 14:  Wolves A'Howling with caller Jane Ewing

May 12: Sons of Anak with Reuven calling

June 9: Rocky Hollow String Band with Chrissy Davis Camp calling

June 15: RMWT and Becca Impello at Dance Depot of City Stages.  See Photo.

July 14: Whistling Rufus with Jane Ewing calling

August 11: Herb Trotman Band with Vicki Herndon calling

August 17-19: Old Time Music and Dance Weekend in Mentone featuring the Queen City Bulldogs

September 8: The Carter Laney Band with Becca Impello calling.

October 13: Fiddlin' in the Parlor (Kenny and Suzi Spencer), with caller John Sharlet

November 10: Stephanie Coleman,  Jim Collier and Jim Nelson with caller Susan Kevra

November 24: Red Mountain White Trash with Jef Hodge calling

December 8: Ghost of Christmas Dances Past, music by Ed and Elsie and calling by Archie Faulkner. Bluff Park Community Center. 

December 31: Footcape with Susan Davis calling

Dances and Concerts in 2008

Jan. 12:  The Megahurts (Adam Hurt, Beth Hartness and the Cauthens) with Janet Shepherd  

Jan. 27: Herb Trotman Band  with Jef Hodge*

Feb. 9: Wolves A'Howling with Jane Ewing 

Feb. 24: Fiddling in the Parlor with Chrissy Davis-Camp*

March 8: Carter Laney Band with Doug Singleton

Cancelled due to Illness of Performers:  Concert featuring Gail Heil and Bob Bovee   

No Dance on Easter

April 12: Flying Jenny with Jef  Hodge, 8 p.m.

April 27: Sons of Anak with Becca Impello, 4 p.m.*

May 10: Footcape with Susan Davis, 8 p.m.

No Dance on Memorial Day Weekend  

June 14-15:  Dance  to the music of  Notorious at the Dance Depot of City Stages on Saturday and Sunday with Doug Singleton calling.

June 22: Ed and Elsie with (Huntsville)  4 p.m. with Rob Harper (Atlanta)

July 12:  ***Waltz Workshop taught by Gary Nelson, 4-6:00 p.m. $2.00**** 

Dance with Potlikker String Band (Memphis) with Gary Nelson (Huntsville),  8-11 with beginner's session at 7:30 p.m.

No Sunday Dance in July

August 9:  The Herb Trotman Band with Vicki Herndon, 8 p.m.

August 15-17: Our Old Time Music and Dance Weekend in Mentone featuring the New Southern Ramblers and more. (Click here for complete details)

December 31: A big night on the Town for New Year's Eve, featuring Just Add Water with Robbin Shaffer calling.  For this we transform the YWCA gym into a glittery dance hall and cabaret.  There's food and non-alcoholic beverages (and you are invited to bring your favorite snacks and sweets as well).  Instruction is at 8:30. The music starts at 9:00 p.m. and goes until after midnight. Admission is $18 ($15 for Footmad Members and students);  $3 for children ages 3-15.