Each month Chili Jam holds a Contra Dance at Saint Michael's
Church Hall in the Wellington suburb of Kelburn. The steps are easy walking steps and involve simple figures (
do-si-do, balance & swing, circles, and stars). Dancers of all ages and ranges of ability, from complete beginner to highly
experienced, join in the fun. It's a great way to meet people. Dancers switch partners often and many dancers come to the
dance without a partner.
Chilli Jam is composed of musicians from diverse musical
backgrounds who play and jam on swinging Contra tunes with Celtic, Old Time, Balkans, Jazz and other influences.
Bernard Wells- flute, fiddle, guitar and mandolin
Jonathan Berkahn - accordian, piano
Mark Howell - hammered dulcimer, mandolin, guitar and banjo
Peter Rochford - bass
Kevin
McLoughlan - Guitar and Ukelele
Visiting musicians are often invited to play along with the band.
The dances are called by Cashy Yates, Janie Cook and Mike Savage
(updated June 2014)
