The correlation of jazz music and tap dance is a tradition that has been passed along through the music. This performance is an expression of our gratitude to those dedicated to preserve this dance and this music, as well as those committed to progress the form.

Mark Shilansky - Keys

Andrew Emanuel - Sax

Scott Kiefner - Bass

Brodie Cavanaugh - Drums

Raised in NH, Ayan began tap dancing in local dance studios as a child. His first company experience was at the age of 13 when Ayan joined the New England Tap Ensemble directed by Aaron Tolson. At the age of 17, Ayan began touring across North America with dance companies, Atlantic Steps, Tap Kids and Tapestry. In 2012 Ayan was awarded a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts with blues musician and educator, TJ Wheeler. Since working with Wheeler, Ayan has strived to perform throughout New England bringing the dance to the music and those who support it.

$15/Advance

$20/Door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

"Acclaimed dancer, ethnochoreologist, and queer theorist Nic Gareiss and old-time banjoist Allison de Groot combine timeless tunes and melodies with the surprisingly lyrical, musical, and jaw-droppingly deft steps of Irish, bluegrass, old-time, and otherwise vernacular rhythmic dance."

- Justin Hiltner, The Bluegrass Situation

Allison de Groot combines love for old-time music, technical skill and a creative approach to the banjo forming her own sound – unique and full of personality. Her collaborations with musicians such as Tatiana Hargreaves, Bruce Molsky and Nic Gareiss provide spaces to explore the role of clawhammer banjo. Allison has toured all over the world, performing at events such as Newport Folk Festival, Celtic Connections, Rockygrass, Hardly Strictly, Winnipeg Folk Festival, and Tønder Festival. Shaped by the music scene in her hometown of Winnipeg, Canada, Allison also holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston where she attended on the Slaight Family Scholarship, and has been awarded the Joseph S. Stauffer Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Eisenson Family Prize for Excellence in American Roots Music. Her album with Tatiana Hargreaves won "Best Bluegrass Album" from the Independent Music Awards and was nominated for 'Liner Notes of the Year' at the International Bluegrass Music Association awards. www.allisondegroot.com

Named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch," Nic Gareiss (he/they) has been hailed by the New York Times for his "dexterous melding of Irish and Appalachian dance" and called "the most inventive and expressive step dancer on the scene” by the Boston Herald. He reimagines movement as a musical practice, recasting dance as a medium that appeals to both eyes and ears. Gareiss engages many percussive dance traditions, weaving together a dance technique facilitating his love of improvisation; clog, flatfoot, and step dance footwork vocabulary; and musical collaboration. In 2020 Nic received the Michigan Heritage Award, the state's highest distinction bestowed on traditional artists. He has performed in sixteen countries at venues including London's Barbican Centre, the Irish National Concert Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Kennedy Center. www.nicgareiss.com

$20 advance $25 door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING