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
Visiting
musicians are often invited to play along with the band.
The
dances are called by Cashy Yates, Janie Cook and Mike Savage
(updated February
2012)
