Our 35th annual grand ball will have a steampunk theme (think Victorian + techno-punk). Dressing according to the theme is purely optional, of course. The main point will be to enjoy an evening of fabulous dancing with live music and tasty treats. We are also excited to be offering a music workshop taught by Barbara McOwen on Sunday.

We are delighted to be featuring internationally acclaimed fiddler Barbara McOwen. Barbara began playing fiddle for Scottish dancing in 1971, the same year she gained her B.A. in Music from the University of California, Berkeley. She subsequently drew upon source books and recordings, and her knowledge of Scottish country and highland dancing, when forming her first band, the Berkeley Scottish Players. Since then she studied fiddling and collected material in Scotland over the course of a dozen trips there, and has taught a number of music workshops in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. She currently leads Tullochgorum, a Scottish country dance band based in Boston, is co-founder of the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club and the N.H. Strathspey & Reel Society, and founded and directs the Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School. She also has a number of recordings and prize-winning compositions to her credit. Barbara has a full-time schedule of private Scottish fiddle students of all ages, has developed a course for teaching beginning through advanced Scottish fiddle, and recently wrote a book on the fiddle music of Highland fiddler Aonghas Grant, published by Mel Bay in 2010. In her off-hours, Barbara enjoys looking at her garden, designing databases, and reading about ancient history and Minoan archaeology.

Barbara will be accompanied by pianist Sherry Ladig. A frequent performer of many styles of folk music including Traditional Irish (Dunquin), Scottish dance and concert performance (Night Scotsman), and mid-to-late 19th century American (The New Pearl Button Players), Sherry performs Celtic and 19th-century historic music regularly in the Twin Cities. She will be familiar to most local Scottish dancers as the bandleader of Thistledown and a frequent musician for other Branch socials and performances. Also an active composer, Sherry is the composer-in-residence for the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra and composes a wide range of works for all types of instrumental and choral ensembles.

»Please print, fill in and submit the registration form.

Ball registrar: Tom Harries, e-mail: registrar [at] rscds-twincities.org

Hospitality is available for out of town guests in the homes of local dancers. Please indicate your needs on the registration form. Contact Dan Grundtner with questions, e-mail: danger [at] surfbest.net

General: Scott Marsalis, Ball Co-Chair, e-mail: smarsalis [at] gmail.com

Registration/Tickets: Tom Harries, email: registrar [at] rscds-twincities.org
Hospitality: Dan Grundtner, email: danger [at] surfbest.net
Silent Auction: Maggie Voth, email: maggie.voth [at] gmail.com

Download ball dance instructions (PDF)
[Error in "Braes of Tulliemet" corrected 8 March 2011]
[Errors in "Punch Bowl" corrected 28 March 2011]
[Error in "Anna's Wedding Cake" corrected 4 April 2011]

Download ball dance instructions (PDF)
[Error in "Braes of Tulliemet" corrected 8 March 2011]
[Errors in "Punch Bowl" corrected 28 March 2011]
[Error in "Anna's Wedding Cake" corrected 4 April 2011]