Rasa String Quartet presents: Counterpoint in Bloom

Every musical masterpiece begins with a simple line, groove, or pattern. In Counterpoint in Bloom, Rasa String Quartet explores how that nascent seed can flourish into a boundless ecosystem. Featuring Bach and Beethoven alongside Guns N’ Roses, Prince, and foot-stomping folk traditions from around the globe, this genre-blending program takes you on a journey from humble riff to full-throttle banger!

Emma Powell(violin),Maura Shawn Scanlin (violin),Kiyoshi Hayashi(viola), Mina Kim (cello)

The Program:

J.S. Bach: The Art of Fugue – Contrapunctus I

Guns N’ Roses: Sweet Child O’ Mine

The Fretless: Birds’ Nest

Alexandra Vrebalov: Pannonia Boundless

Prince: Purple Rain

J.S. Skinner: Bovaglie’s Plaid (arr. Ben Plotnick)

The Fretless: Alphonso McKenzie’s / Salkantay

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 59 No. 3, Mvt 1

Danish String Quartet: Shore

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 59 No. 3, Mvt 4

$26 advance | $32 day-of | $15 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Beats by DJ MAM • RSVP online • Donation at the door
Join us for a joyful evening of music, dancing, and community as we come together to support our friend, neighbor, and teacher Namory Keita.

Namory, a master drummer from Sangbarala, Guinea, has been teaching weekly classes at TDH with Seacoast West African Dance + Drum since 2012, sharing not only music and tradition but generosity, patience, and his deep cultural knowledge with our community. After years of effort and significant expense, Namory has finally been able to bring his family from West Africa to begin a new chapter together here in southern Maine.

To celebrate and support Namory and his family, we’re hosting a community dance night featuring DJ MAM, an evening to come together, dance, and give back to someone who has given so much to this community. Funds raised will help support Namory and his family, helping to cover the many costs that come with relocation.

If you’ve taken a class with Namory, you already know his warmth and extraordinary musicianship. And even if you haven’t met him personally, you’ve likely felt the joy he brings while performing at events like the Kittery Block Party, NH BIPOC Fest, and beyond. 

Let’s show up for Namory the way he has shown up for us!

Come dance. Bring friends. Give what you can.

"Low Lily brandishes their formidable individual Folk foundations within a collective sound that’s as smart with sense of pop phrasing and flair as it is roots-savvy."-Roots Music Report

With the release of their new record ‘Angels in the Wreckage’ (produced by Dirk Powell), the Vermont-based American Roots band LOW LILY brings their infectious sound to a new level. With the energy of fiddle music, the introspective quality of contemporary folk, the precision of bluegrass, and the drive of Americana, the members of Low Lily (Liz Simmons, Flynn Cohen, and Natalie Padilla) combine their individual talents into one stunning soundscape.

Low Lily has shared their signature sound with enthusiastic audiences throughout North America and the UK, garnering two #1 songs on international folk radio and two Independent Music Award wins. In 2018, the band released a full-length album with 2X award-winning title track “10,000 Days Like These" and their original song “Hope Lingers On”, which has been sung by choirs around the world as an anthem for peace and justice.

Elsie Gawler is a multi-instrumentalist and songster rooted in Maine's traditional folk music and culture. With her family, the Gawler Family Band, she has played throughout the state and beyond, sharing traditional fiddle tunes, songs, and original works since she was 6 years old. From this foundation she has branched out and launched her debut solo album, Sweet As Honey. The album is a collection of 9 original songs inspired by sacred connection to earth and community. While continuing to play regularly with The Gawler Family Band, her other projects include duo Elsie & Ethan , and trio The Gawler Sisters. She has also been a long-time member of the group Childsplay .

$20 Advance | $25 day-of | $15 Student

*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

SUGARCANE premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Directing Award and over a dozen other awards.

A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life, SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning.

In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was discovered on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada. After years of silence, the forced separation, assimilation and abuse many children experienced at these segregated boarding schools was brought to light, sparking a national outcry against a system designed to destroy Indigenous communities. Set amidst a groundbreaking investigation, SUGARCANE illuminates the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to persevere.

Rated: R

107 Minutes

$16 general admission | $10 student (Children under 18 to be accompanied by guardian)

*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Join PMAC at The Dance Hall for the Jazz Institute Spring Show!

Featured Student Ensembles:
Brewery Lane Big Band
Jazz Pioneers
Sat Teen Jazz Ensembles
Wed Teen Jazz Ensembles

About PMAC:
Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) is a 501c3 nonprofit community music and arts school serving the Seacoast. PMAC’s mission is to build community through the arts by providing all people with the opportunity to achieve their full creative potential, regardless of their age, ability, or economic status. We accomplish this through high quality music and visual arts education programs and by creating ensemble, performance, and exhibition opportunities for students, professionals, and audiences.

$10 general admission
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Square & Round Dancing with caller Grace Clements feat. Ruth and Ben String Band. 7:30-9:30pm.

THE DANCE Ben and Ruth (who run The Somerville Square Dance down in Bean Town) are bringing the good times to Kittery. They’ll be starting off with a beginner's lesson for about 20 minutes, after which anyone and everyone joins in. Grace Clements will call easier dances (mostly squares with some rounds and waltzes prinkled in) then morph into more difficult ones as the night goes along. None of the dances will be hard, this is meant for beginners and veterans alike! These dances are not gendered, you don’t need a partner, and you don’t need to have done this before!

THE BAND Led by guitarist Ruth Rappaport and her fiddler son, Ben Wetherbee, this intergenerational band's repertoire includes rousing, powerful old-time fiddle tunes and traditional, modern, and original songs that feature tight harmony singing. They are very spirited and people of all ages love their enthusiastic and innovative music.

Ruth Rappaport lays down the beat behind some of the best fiddlers, old-time string bands, and other traditional instrumentalists active today. For 15 years she traveled widely with the acclaimed eclectic string band The Poodles. Ruth shines as a vocalist with a repertoire that ranges from mountain ballads and gutsy blues to honky tonk hits and old folk songs.

Ben Wetherbee has made a mark for himself as a popular old-time, roots rock, Cajun, and alt music fiddler. His fiddling is inspired by traditional Appalachian music; Northeastern old-time music from Ithaca, Vermont, and Massachusetts; Bluegrass; Cajun/Creole music; New England contra dance music; experimental music; and more. He is also a singer/songwriter, guitar player, poet, and artist. His other musical combos include The Ben Wetherbee Honky Tonk Band, The Queens County Rat Club, Hell and Scissors, and I Want a Cat.

Ruth and Ben are joined byJoel Wennerstrom on clawhammer banjo. His playing is featured on various recordings, including Hammer & String’s “The Girl Who Broke My Heart” with Rhys Jones and Cleek Shrey, “Wooden Nickels” with Laura Feddersen and Owen Marshall, “The Pleasure of Your Company” with Harry Bolick, and “All in Good Time" with Alan Kaufman and Don Stratton.

$20 general | $15 student | Children 10 and under FREE
*fees not included (+$3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Join PMAC for the Spring 2026 Adult Rock and Blues Show, featuring the Classic Rock Band, Alt Rock Band, Roots Rock Blues and Beyond I, and Roots Rock Blues and Beyond II bands.

About PMAC:Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) is a 501c3 nonprofit community music and arts school serving the Seacoast. PMAC’s mission is to build community through the arts by providing all people with the opportunity to achieve their full creative potential, regardless of their age, ability, or economic status. We accomplish this through high quality music and visual arts education programs and by creating ensemble, performance, and exhibition opportunities for students, professionals, and audiences. 

PMAC's Adult Ensemble program covers a variety of genres, instruments and is open to a variety of playing levels. For more information about PMAC’s adult ensemble opportunities and more, please visit pmaconline.org.

$10 general admission
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

A swath of talented local artists and crafters will be at Spring Arts + Drafts 2026!

Stop by 11:00 - 3:00PM for :

• Fine Art

• Jewelry

• Prints

• Ceramics

• Vintage Clothing

• and more

  
  

  Flyer by Jade

Presented by The Dance Hall, little house dance performs "they have taken nothing" (2017) and "to quiet the marks II" (2023). ~CONTENT WARNING : Partial Nudity~

they have taken nothing (2017)and to quiet the marks II (2023)are intimate performances that explore themes of resilience, bodily autonomy, and feminine strength. While the remount of these works has been a part of our plans for a while, there seems to be a certain amount of divine timing in our decision to perform these works at this moment in history. The creation of they have taken nothing began in the wake of the 2016 election, and to quiet the marks II was initially developed in the weeks leading up to the overturning of Roe v Wade.

about little house dance

Founded by Heather Stewart (she/they) in 2020, little house is a professional dance company established on principles of democratic process, collaboration, sustainability, and high caliber dance performance in service of a strong arts ecosystem in Maine. After several years of working as an independent artist Heather established little house in order to formalize her collaborative relationships with other dancers, musicians, visual artists, and writers. As an organization, little house exists to challenge the notion that quality dance can only arise in cities that have already been categorized as designated dance hubs.

little house seeks to build mindful working partnerships with venues, presenters, audiences, patrons, and production, particularly in Maine. Our aim is to create meaningful and deeply physical dance experiences with the people around us. The company's model primarily functions as a platform for the creation of new dance works led by choreographer and artist Heather Stewart. Work from little house is made for audiences who are invested in seeing performance that stretches the boundaries of movement potential, while touching on experiences that are uniquely human. Additionally, the company is committed to fostering community growth by offering classes, workshops, and opportunities for our artists to develop and present their own creative work. little house is a queer-led company, and our work strives to elevate and center the work of LGBTQIA+++ artists.

$26 advance | $32 day-of | $20 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

~CONTENT WARNING : Partial Nudity~

Come enjoy a fun-filled, belly-laugh-inducing evening with a PLAY READING of G Matthew Gaskell's hit comedy "All the Rage".

About the play:

It’s finally here! George and Rhonda’s wedding day!--which means the brothers are headed back to the church to make sure everything is perfect. There’s only 90 minutes to go and nothing will stand in the way of the bride and groom and their special day… except an ancient curse, a mysterious box, and-- of course-- the Cone of Silence.

About this event:

Perhaps you attended last summer's play reading of Gaskell's Sharp Dressed Men at The Dance Hall and laughed so hard your cheeks hurt! Well, All the Rage is the sequel to that story, and packs a comedic punch just as hard as its predecessor!

**Worth noting- this play stands on its own, so fear not if you haven't seen Sharp Dressed Men (...but if you HAVE, you'll appreciate some of the deep cut jokes & references.)

Featuring:

G Matthew Gaskell as Henry

Andy Fling as Tom

Christopher Savage as George

Whitney Smith as Sally

Jamie Bradley as Victor

Phil Hobby as the Reverend

Christine Penney as Celeste

and Stage Directions by Alex Picard

What people are saying:

"The style of this comic marathon is somewhere between Seinfeld and Monty Python... This comedy is wild throughout."

-Maine's Journal Tribune

"'All the Rage' is a slick, clean, hilarious machine...comedic jewels, comedy on smart pills. The dialogue is crisp, the humor largely quick even when characters aren't, and the individuals lovable — always.”

-Seacoastonline.com

“Gaskell, a keen observer of the human condition in his role as a playwright (the SHARP DRESSED MEN trilogy, AS TIME GOES BY, YE MERRY GENTLEMEN, RAY OF LIGHT, WHERE'S WALDO, BACKGROUND CHECK and more) just can't write his plays any other way: he serves up the funny until you expose your soft underbelly laughing, then comes up from the dark depths and slides the point home with something that's keen enough to cut, but not blunt enough to bludgeon. If it bedevils us, Gaskell's not afraid to write about it: whether a key moment in one of his plays turns out funny, poignant, or a bit of both, is anyone's guess as to what's going to come at you- but that's also part of the fun.”

-Caught In The Act Blogspot, Michael J. Curtiss

Ida LeClair "the funniest woman in Maine” returns to the Seacoast in a brand new show!

Written by Susan Poulin with Gordon Carlisle

Performed by Susan Poulin

Directed by David Kaye

Join Ida as she celebrates her fifty years as a cashier down to the A&P. She'll fill you in on how she got started, what keeps her coming back year after year and how she's feeling about that old question of retirement. Down to the A&P, there are lots of laughs, of course, and more drama and intrigue than you'd think. Heck, as the only supermarket in Mahoosuc Mills, everyone passes through, eccentric locals and wacky tourists alike. And Ida has a front row seat to all of it: the good, the bad and the ugly. Ida just loves the A&P, and you will, too!

Selected by Portland Magazine as one of the "Ten Most Intriguing People in Maine,” award-winning writer and performer Susan Poulin is the author of fourteen plays, seven of which feature her alter ego, Ida LeClair, “the funniest woman in Maine.” She writes the popular Maine humor blog and podcast, Just Ask Ida, and is the author of Finding Your Inner Moose: Ida LeClair’s Guide to Living the Good Life and The Sweet Life: Ida LeClair’s Guide to Love and Marriage published by Islandport Press. Susan continues to be a leader in bringing a female voice to New England storytelling and humor, and sharing the healing power of laughter with audiences. For the latest on Ida, visit: idaswebsite.com

$19 advance | $24 day-of | $12 student

*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Based out of Southern Maine, Old Hat fuses tight vocal harmonies with a driving acoustic rhythm section. With a sound draws from folk, old time, bluegrass, and country traditions, the band is comprised of Whitney Roy (Guitar, Vocals),Steve Roy (Mandolin, Fiddle, Vocals), Amanda Kowalski (Bass) and Julie Metcalf (Fiddle, Vocals).  

Whitney’s lilting vocals provide the backbone of the vocal blend, while her solid rhythm guitar anchors the band’s pulse. Steve is a veteran of New England’s acoustic music scene, and has performed and toured with many of the acoustic world’s top acts. Amanda is one of the more sought after bass players in the worlds of bluegrass and old time music, and her rhythmic drive and energy on stage are second to none.

Old Hat has performed on world class stages such as Prescott Park Arts Festival, Ossipee Valley Music Festival, Portsmouth Music Hall, Stone Mountain Arts Center and Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival.

$20 advance | $25 advance | $12 student
*fees not included ($3 TDH facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Led by guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jarred Garneau, the band makes their debut at The Dance Hall joined by Max Chase & Friends.

The Jarred Garneau Group brings soulful songwriting and fiery musicianship together in a blend of blues, rock, soul, funk, and jazz. Featuring a lineup of some of New England’s most seasoned players, the group thrives on deep musical chemistry and a shared passion for improvisation and storytelling.

They’ve shared the stage with members of the Allman Brothers Band and performed at respected venues and festivals across New England, building a reputation for shows that pulse with groove and emotional honesty. Whether on stage or in the studio, The Jarred Garneau Group crafts music that’s groove-heavy, soulful, and rooted in emotional honesty—music that connects as much through its feeling as its fire.

Max Chase & Friends Featuring:
Mike Carter (guitar), Barrett Goeman (drums), Matt Lavigne (bass)

Max Chase is an American musician, singer, songwriter known for his exciting, spirited performances on the Hammond Organ. The established and in demand keyboardist and singer brings over twenty years of extensive live performance and session work together with an all-star band and a soulful blues-rock set in his latest project, Max Chase & Friends.

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Sam Amidon is a singer and multi-instrumentalist (banjo, guitar, fiddle) from Vermont, US, now based in London, England. His most recent solo album “Salt River” was released by River Lea / Rough Trade in January 2025. In February 2026 he was featured on the album "Willows" alongside violinist Pekka Kuusisto and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, and in December 2025 Amidon and Ganavya released a pair of co-written and performed songs, "Would Be Better" and "Willow Street". He has previously released seven acclaimed albums of songs on Bedroom Community and Nonesuch Records. 

Amidon's material for these albums often consists of adventurous reworkings of traditional American ballads, hymns and work songs, with the New York Times writing that Amidon "transforms all of the songs, changing their colors and loading them with trapdoors." The albums have been deeply collaborative in nature, inviting contributions from musicians such as Nico Muhly, Shahzad Ismaily, Bill Frisell, and on “Salt River,” saxophonist/producer Sam Gendel.

The release of “Salt River” comes on the heels of Sam’s work with choreographer Michael Keegan Dolan on the dance theatre music show Nobodaddy, for which Sam was nominated as “Outstanding Creative Contribution” by the National Dance Awards Critics Circle in the UK. He also worked on the recently released film “History of Sound,” starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, wherein Amidon served as a music advisor as well as performer on the soundtrack. The film had its premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. 

Previously, Sam Amidon has recorded or performed as a guest artist with musicians such as Bon Iver, The National, Dijon, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Gloaming, Lonnie Holley, Manami Kakudo, Jacob Collier, Marc Ribot, and Beth Orton, among many others. He has appeared internationally as a soloist with ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet, The Aurora Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra with Pekka Kuusisto, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, The Oregon Symphony, Roomful of Teeth, and the Britten Sinfonia. 

$25 advance | $30 general admission | $17 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Dance Hall brings you Daisy's Big Parade, a story about the internal struggle between being who you are & who the world tells you to be.

Taylor O’Donnell: voice/piano
Mike Effenberger: keys
PJ Donahue: Drums
Brad Myrick: guitar
Scott Kiefner: upright, electric bass
Stefanie Guzikowski: voice
Nate Laban: guitar/voice

ABOUT THE ALBUM:The two main characters in the story are Daisy and Anna Lee. They are in fact, the same person. Daisy is the mask we put on to please the world. Daisy seeks fame, fortune, attention and will mow down anyone in her path to get it. She is a reckless addict who cares about one thing- herself. Daisy wants the world to adore her. She wants her big parade.

Musically, Daisy is represented by the bluesy band pieces. The first three tracks give us a good glimpse at the loose cannon that Daisy is. It’s not until track 4 that we start to see the other side of Daisy, the side she does not want the world to see- Anna Lee.… read more about the project and Daisy’s storyHERE.

$20 advance | $25 day -of | $12 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Soggy Po Boys are back at The Dance Hall with their new line up, ready to bring the party, New Orleans style.

The Soggy Po Boys, native to New England, have become an institution. They are spreading the good news of New Orleans music across the northeast and beyond, playing at concert halls and street corners; music festivals and burlesque festivals; bars and libraries; wherever the party requires. Part of the beauty of New Orleans music is that it's celebrated and appreciated wherever it goes, from the street to the theater.   

Exploring the vast musical traditions of New Orleans and expanding their repertoire to look beyond NOLA jazz, the band includes traditional Caribbean tunes (it’s been said that New Orleans is the northernmost city in the Caribbean), as well as Meters funk, soul, and brass band / street beat music.

$20 adv | $25 day-of | $12 Student

*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Dance Hall invites you into the world of choreographer and dancer Ali Kenner Brodsky and filmmaker Rich Ferri. **Free workshop (60-90mins) starting at 12:30. Reserve your spot at checkout. Detials below**Q&A with Ferri and AKB to follow screening**

Known for her gesturally rich and layered movement, Brodsky invites quiet reflection and a tender confrontation with what it means to love, to grieve, and to remember.

your love: beside me (2025) is a triptych of narrative dance films that capture the life cycle of love. Divided into three chapters: walking, sitting, and lying, each work is at once tender and evocative. As a collection they are reflective and evoke memories of times passed. Each section of the triptych honors a different point in a relationship- from the giddiness of a first glance, to settling into a common rhythm, to the final good-bye.

The film production team was composed of Ali Kenner Brodsky (co-director and choreographer), Rich Ferri (director of photography and editor), MorganEve Swain (composer), and Jessi Stegall and Ilya Vidrin (performers).The making of your love: beside me was made possible with generous support from Movement Arts Creation Studio.

to be near you., a dance film, recalls memories and embodies emotion, and is based on a live duet between Ali Kenner Brodsky and Jenna Pollack. to be near you. honors the memory of those that we have lost, collapses distance by energizing the spaces between, and demonstrates how people can find connection through physical separation.

between silences(2018) is a dance film based on a Ali’s live work the most depressing piece… and made in collaboration with filmmaker Rich Ferri and composer MorganEve Swain. There is a richness in isolation as trauma is relayed through the body and in conversation with her surroundings. between silences portrays her journey through grief as she investigates how to love, to lose, to grieve, and to pick up the pieces.

$15 general admission | $10 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

—————

***WORKSHOP DETAILS : Expressing Stories Through Movement

In this workshop, participants use their personal narrative as seeds for creating movement phrases. Through guided explorations, participants will be encouraged to use memories to develop a movement story—movement organic to the individual creating it. We will utilize imagery as the impetus for movement phrases.

Open to all skill levels and geared toward all interested in movement as a means of expression.

We’re hosting our 2nd annual Open House, and invite you to swing through any time between 5:30-7:30PM to share your ideas and excitement for this special place!

5:30PM- Musical guest Dan Blakeslee will kick off the event

6:00PM- Jen Scumaci will guide an open conversation with guests and Dance Hall staff, who’ll share updates on last year’s Open House take-aways, as well as highlights from the new, Board-approved strategic plan which will shape the organization’s bright future. We'll also be sharing some hot-off-the-press news regarding new initiatives and events happening at The Dance Hall this year that we know you won't want to miss!

All are welcome and complimentary beverages will be offered. Please reserve your free ticket so we know how many people to welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Kotoko Brass returns to The Dance Hall with their unique, joyful, and improvisational style of West African dance music along with singer and percussionist Mohammed Alidu:

Mohammed Alidu is a celebrated singer and percussionist from Tamale, Ghana, born into the Bizung lineage of talking drum chiefs. Kotoko Brass is a high-energy global music band based in Boston, featuring musicians from Ghana, Antigua, Japan, and the US. The two have joined forces to write and record a new album entitled Kalan Pini,a groundbreaking presentation of Dagomba music and culture for new audiences. Join us on Saturday 4/4 for the premiere performance of their new music in Kittery, Maine.

Mohammed Alidu was born and raised in Tamale, into the Bizung lineage of talking drum chiefs of Northern Ghana – a lineage that dates back over 1000 years. He learned to play talking drum from his father who was a renowned drum chief in Tamale and started to perform with him at a very young age. Since 2005, Alidu has resided in the U.S. where he formed his own band, The Bizung Family Band, and has been a sought after collaborator on diverse music projects with artists such as Playing For Change Band, Peter Gabriel and Baaba Maal.

Inspired by the traditional drum rhythms of Ghana, Kotoko Brass has created a unique, joyful, and improvisational style of West African dance music described by the Boston Globe as “propulsive, infectious party music”. The drums provide the heart and soul of Kotoko Brass — merging syncopated African percussion polyrhythms with hard-hitting dance grooves on the drumset. The horns blend traditional sounds of New Orleans with the famous West African brass band sound heard from Ghana to Nigeria, and the guitar, keys, and bass evoke classic African and Caribbean styles of highlife, afrobeat, and reggae. A celebratory and energetic synthesis of music, people, and cultures from around the world, Kotoko Brass features musicians from Ghana, Antigua, Japan, and the United States playing together in unity. In the US, Kotoko Brass has shared the stage with Angelique Kidjo, Femi Kuti, and Vieux Farka Toure, and on their debut tour of Ghana in 2023, they had the honor of performing for Ashanti King Nana Osei Tutu II.

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $15 Student

*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

*Jen & Ray of Lindy Maine will be teaching the basics of swing before the show, so come early and learn a few steps! Open to all. 7pm. *

Annie and the Fur Trappers are a Boston based traditional jazz and blues band which formed in 2016. Originally founded in St. Louis, Missouri, the band currently includes clarinet, trumpet, trombone, bass, banjo, guitar, washboard, and violin. Annie and the Fur Trappers is dedicated to performing and preserving the music of the 1920s and 30s today. The band plays traditional jazz, delta blues, ragtime, and swing music. Their version of "Delta Bound" was selected to be displayed at the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in Meridian, Mississippi. Annie and the Fur Trapper's original song "You Break It, you Buy It" was selected for the St. Louis Blues Society's 17 in 17 compilation album.

Annie and the Fur Trappers have performed at a variety of music festivals including the Big Muddy Blues Festival, The Whitaker Jazz festival The Apple Butter Festival, Cherokee Street Jazz Fest, HONK!TX, Musikfest, The Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, and The Rosebud Cafe Music Festival, to name a few.

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Dance Hall welcomes back Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba featuring Ben Baldwin, Marty Quinn & Lisa Marshall.

Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba perform South African, Zimbabwe and Popular Songs on handmade South African Marimbas, Trinidad/Tobago Steel Pans, World Percussion and Vocals. Their exciting collaborative concerts include performances with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops! and with choruses Voices from the Heart, Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells, Songweavers, and the WorldBeat Marimba Singers. When listening and experiencing this upbeat and vibrant music, you will want to get up to dance and sing! It is a celebration of life and the art of unified ensemble playing. Weekly Classes and Rehearsals Available. The only South African Marimbas made in Cape Town in New Hampshire USA!

THE STORY: Marimba bands can be heard and experienced throughout South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Southern Africa. Even in the United States you can find Marimba bands—from the Pacific Northwest to New England—inspired by many African musicians who have taught the tradition and instruments at universities and cultural institutions in the U.S. for decades.

Randy has been a performer, teacher and student of the balafon which is the West Africa marimba/xylophone style instrument similar to the South African marimbas for over four decades. While on tour in South Africa as an accompanist for the women’s chorus, Voices From The Heart in the summer of 2018, Randy experienced the dynamic and joyous music of Marimba Bands at concert halls, churches, schools and street performances.

At a concert Voices From The Heart performed with the Archbisop Desmond Tutu and his family in attendance, a young group of talented and energetic South African Marimba players performed traditional songs and pop tunes that had the entire audience singing and dancing together. Even Papa Tutu got up to dance to the song, PATA PATA made famous by South African singer, Miriam Makeba and played brilliantly by the Marimba Band.

At that moment, Randy was inspired to commission a set of South African Marimbas handcrafted by ethnomusicologist, Gavin Coppenhall—African Ethos Instruments in Cape Town. The Marimbas arrived at the Port of New York on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018 and the journey began.

$25 advance | $30 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Dance Hall is excited to welcome back The Mountain for a night of rippin’ old-time pickin’, luscious harmonies, and intimate vibes.

The Mountain is Phil Boyd (banjo, mandolin, octave mandolin), Colin Vandenbergh (mandolin, fiddle), Chris D’Amore (bass, guitar) and Joe Kenneally (guitar, banjo, octave mandolin). Don’t be shocked to see onstage hugs. The band was born out of spending a little too much time picking tunes in Joe’s barn during that time we couldn’t go out.

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Dance Hall is excited to present guitarist and songwriter, Lyle Brewer.

"staggering– each note both runs into the next and seems to stand out on its own. The melodies take the place of lyrics. The songs tell stories without words."

-USA Today

Lyle Brewer is a guitarist and songwriter from Massachusetts. He has released several instrumental guitar albums and has performed all over the country with such artists as Neighbor, Ryan Montbleau and Lori McKenna. For the last decade Brewer has been a professor of guitar at The Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has released three transcription books and maintains a hearty teaching schedule.

Check out this great interview of Lyle with Fretboard Journal: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/features/discussing-lyle-brewers-graphics/

$18 advance | $22 day-of | $10 Student
fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Brooklyn’s Kaleta & Super Yamba Band are fronted by Afrobeat and Juju veteran Leon Ligan-Majek a.k.a. KALETA. The singer/guitarist from the West African country of Benin Republic lived his adolescent life in Lagos, Nigeria where Afrobeat was born. Kaleta's guitar chops earned him decades of touring and recording with

• FELA KUTI

• KING SUNNY ADE

• LAURYN HILL and more.

Kaleta got his start in the late 70s performing in church and was soon after picked up by iconic Juju master and world music pioneer King Sunny Ade. A few years later Fela Kuti came calling. Kaleta would go on to tour the world playing guitar for the King of Afrobeat in his storied band Egypt 80 through the 1980s and into the 1990s.

Now based in New York City, Kaleta has been leading Super Yamba Band since 2017. Their debut album "Mèdaho," which was released by California indie label Ubiquity Records, draws on the group’s shared reverence for the raw, psychedelic sounds that captivated Kaleta as a music loving kid in 1970s Benin.

The members of Super Yamba Band have honed their craft performing with a diverse range of artists such as David Byrne, Rubblebucket, Yeasayer and Between The Buried And Me to name a few. Collaborating over several years with Senegalese griot and talking drum master Modou Mbenge, known best for his work with African pop star Abdou Guite Seck, was a defining moment in the development of Super Yamba's sound and the musician's understanding of the African music tradition. Super Yamba has also collaborated with Ghanaian singer Osei Korankye and Guinean singer Ismael Kouyate.

$25 advance | $30 day-of | $18 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Dance Hall presents the Brian Shankar Adler Trio- blending jazz, Indian classical music, and tango with cinematic improvisations.

Brian Shankar Adler Trio
Featuring: Helen Sung (piano) and Fernando Huergo (bass)

Brian Shankar Adler is an award-winning, interdisciplinary percussionist and composer. Described as "a polyrhythmic force… New York City gritty yet still somehow capable of evoking the delicacy of a summer breeze…” (JazzTimes), his work transcends the terrain between genre and geographic region.

Adler has performed in caves, forests and adjacent glacial ice fields as well as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and The Stone. He has been recorded on over fifty albums including his solo works: Echoes of the Gomero (Adhyâropa Records, 2025), For a Gallery on the Moon (Chant Records, 2020), and Fourth Dimension (Chant Records, 2019).

Playing primarily a hybrid drum set that includes North Indian tabla, Argentine bombo legüero and an array of found objects, Adler's work explores the perception of time, the communicative properties of gesture and the anthropogenic footprint on regional ecosystems. With equal focus on improvisational and compositional practices, he uses rhythm as a tool for collaboration.
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Helen Sung is an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer and a Guggenheim Fellow. Helen was also part of the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance (renamed the Herbie Hancock Institute in 2019) and won the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition. A Steinway artist, “Sung plays with crisp swing and elegant invention, her rhythms drawing from the music’s deepest blues roots – and setting listeners’ heads bobbing – while she explores her own fresh ideas, often inspired from her classical training.” (New York Times)

"As a classical-turned-jazz artist, one of the things I have come to love the most about this American art form is its generous, communal heart: this is music made together, played together, and enjoyed together. Tenor legend Jimmy Heath told me (during my studies at the then Monk Institute) the jazz bandstand exemplified true democracy, where the musicians each had a role to play, everyone got a chance to shine and have their say, but in the end they create something greater together than they could on their own. "

-Helen Sung
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Fernando Huergo is a bassist, composer, and educator from Córdoba, Argentina, now based in Boston. He has recorded over 160 albums, including 11 as a leader and co leader. Fernando has toured and given clinics in North, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. An active performer on the jazz scene, he currently plays with Guillermo Klein y Los Guachos, Mehmet Sanlikol, Jason Yeager, El Eco, Yulia Musayelyan, Pablo Ablanedo Octet, Macuco Quintet, Maxim Lubarsky, Leo Blanco, Daniel Ian Smith and Jim Kelly among others.
Fernando teaches bass at New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music.
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$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Get ready for some chills

Noir at the Bar is where horror, suspense, and thriller writers step into the spotlight—and straight into your nightmares. Ten local authors will read chilling excerpts from their work, serving up twists, dread, and delicious unease in one unforgettable night. Come prepared to be scared, mystified, and maybe just a little unhinged (in the best way).

Books will be available for purchase directly from the authors or through Literally Kittery, so you can take the terror home with you. Drinks (wine and beer, because bravery requires backup) will be available for purchase, and we’ll have complimentary snacks to keep you fortified between frights. Tickets are $10—an absolute steal for an evening of suspense, spirits, and stories that will follow you home.

Doors open at 6 pm while the reading will start promptly at 6:30.

Kalos is drawn to water. Every performance is like stepping into a river—they never play a song the same way twice. Their album titles—Harbour and Headland—honor the meeting point between the land and sea and they sing songs about shorelines, seafarers and drownings. They revel in the driving danceability of Irish tunes, but also take inspiration from the pastoral melodies and naturalistic metaphors of Scottish music. But while the music they write is forged in tradition, it is nonetheless cast and tempered in new and unexpected ways.

The trio spans three generations, three cities and two countries. Ryan McKasson (violin, viola, voice), Eric McDonald (guitar, mandolin, voice) and Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano, voice) met over the years at highland games, contra dances and fiddle camps across North America. They made their first recording in 2016 and have been touring together since 2019. Kalos prizes the magic of live performance—breathing, dancing and weaving together like high-wire acrobats. They are as generous as they are virtuosic. Like nature itself, their music is full of chaos and chance yet always feels spacious and balanced. Their concerts are more an exposé than a performance—they are immersive, trance-inducing experiences.

Kalos appreciates how acoustic music can be a balm, a respite in the midst of our radio-static modern life. “As noisy as music is, it feels like meditation compared to the clatter of social media,” McLane muses. All three band members come from Scottish immigrant families, so even when they venture beyond the edges of traditional Celtic music they remain deeply connected to past centuries and forgotten folkways. The acoustic instruments they play are made of sonorous wood—mahogany, spruce, ebony—and the band is always attuned to the sonic quality of the spaces they play in. They love a reverberant church or a forest green encircled by the far-off hum of cicadas.

**EARLY BIRD TICKET PRICE AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME**

$25 advance | $30 day-of | $15 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Each generation, perhaps once a decade, bluegrass experiences a band or an artist that redefines and recenters the genre itself. Della Mae is one such band. 

The GRAMMY-nominated string band was founded in 2010 and over the next decade and a half they’ve demonstrated to the roots music world, once and for all, that a band of all women is not, nor has ever been, a mere novelty. They remain at the forefront of the explosion of women instrumentalists and all-women acts in roots music and their impact is striking and measurable – not just in North America, but around the globe.

Now 15 years since their origin, Della Mae can boast their strongest lineup yet. Founders Kimber Ludiker and Celia Woodsmith are joined by guitarist and songwriter Avril Smith and vocalist and two-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Vickie Vaughn.

There has never been a band like Della Mae in roots music before, but thanks to Kimber Ludiker, Celia Woodsmith, Avril Smith, Vickie Vaughn – and all of the women who have been part of this band over its long life – we know there will be many more bands, singers, songwriters, and pickers just like Della Mae in the future.

Comedian, disruptor-extraordinaire Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show), and Abortion Access Front crisscross the U.S. to support abortion clinic staff and bust stigma. Pop culture icons and next-gen comics fuel this six-year road film activating small-town folks to rebuild vandalized clinics, exposing wrongdoer politicians, anti-abortion extremists, and media neglect as the race to the bottom ensues and our rights burn down.
No One Asked You is a bold call to action driven by the power of humor in social change, where joy prevails.

*Post-screening panel discussion moderated by Billie Butler, with a panel curated by Lovering Health Center.

$15 General Admission

*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Ruth Leitman is the founder of the production company Ruthless Films. An award-winning filmmaker, she is recognized for highlighting social justice issues in feature documentaries over the past 25 years, with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation, Paul Robeson Fund, Tribeca Film Institute, Fledgling Fund, and Illinois Humanities Council.

Abortion Access Front is a team of comedians, activists, writers, and producers that uses humor to destigmatize abortion and expose the extremist anti-choice forces working to destroy access to reproductive rights in all 50 states.

​They do the job that the media doesn’t, creating provocative and hilarious videos and social media content that educates people about the pervasive, discriminatory abortion laws that profoundly and disproportionately impact the poor and people of color. Another crucial part of AAF’s mission is to support and raise awareness about independent abortion providers.
These clinics bear the brunt of anti-abortion legislation and harassment.

Join us for the David Surette Mandolin Festival Kick-Off Concert!

Founded in 2001, the David Surette Mandolin Festival is an annual weekend of mandolin-focused workshops and concerts in Seacoast Maine and New Hampshire. Presented by the Burke-Surette family, The Dance Hall, and Concord Community Music School.

Glen Loper is a mandolin and tenor banjo player and teacher living in Portland, ME.  Best known in the contra dance world, Glen brings his lively and exuberant playing to dances, festivals, and camps across the Northeast and beyond with bands including Stomp Rocket and Frigate. He plays Irish, New England and Quebecois tunes and styles, among others. He also is a longtime teacher at Maine Fiddle Camp, where he and David Surette taught together and annually took over the stage for "Maine Mandolin Camp"!  We're thrilled to have Glen back at the festival again!

We're so excited to have Chris Moore at the festival for the first time this year! Chris returned to his home state of Maine in 2013 to work as the Director of Music Education for 317 Main Community Music Center in Yarmouth. He plays and teaches a variety of music styles including traditional Shaker music, English country dance music, and bluegrass. Chris is also a songwriter whose songs have been recorded and performed by Adrienne Young, Mark Erelli, Rani Arbo, Dennis Brennan, Joe K. Walsh and others.

We have another wonderful new instructor this year in Noah Fishman! Noah is a performer, composer, and educator rooted in Maine. At home on a number of stringed instruments including mandolin, bass, and guitar, Noah is known for his instrumental creativity and fluid improvisation across folk, chamber, and jazz styles. Noah has played across the United States and Europe with his own projects and with bands like Frigg, Alisa Amador, and Mike Block Trio. He also writes music for film and television and teaches at music camps.

And lastly, we're so thrilled to have our longtime friend Steve Roy back at the festival. A multi-instrumentalist who plays and teaches mandolin, bass, guitar, fiddle, and ukulele, Steve is fluent in a wide array of musical styles, including bluegrass, jazz, folk, jam, country, old-time, and rock. Steve is a member of Old Hat Stringband, and has been a sideman with many national and local acts. He regularly teaches at many music camps. Steve was one of David's dearest friends and favorite musical collaborators, and we're so glad he's returning to the festival this year!

This event sells out early, so don't wait to buy your tickets!

$25 advance | $30 day-of | $15 student
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)