Name: Valley of the Moon - Music & Dance Extravaganza!
Start: 2025-08-29T19:30:00-07:00
Location: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium

Valley of the Moon - Music & Dance Extravaganza!

Tickets at: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/24049/3922
The Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle & Dance Camp is back at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium with a fresh new spirit and the same infectious energy that’s made it legendary. After a five-year hiatus from performing at the Civic, this lively gathering of over 200 fiddlers, cellists, guitarists, and more will return ‘home’ to the Civic Auditorium for an unforgettable night of music, dance, song, and audience participation on Friday, August 29. Doors will open at 6:30pm and showtime at 7:30pm — includes optional dance instruction from 6:45-7:15pm. This music and dance spectacular will bring to life the joyful connection between musicians and dancers, featuring vibrant styles from New England Contra and Scottish Ceilidh to Swing and Step dancing.

Dances will be led by acclaimed faculty dance instructors — and joined by the enthusiastic campers with live musicians — and the evening promises to get everyone on their feet regardless of their level of experience. Dance callers/instructors include Summer McCall (Ceilidh), Caleb Teicher (Swing), Ben Foss (Contra), and Nic Gareiss (Step). Full lineup and tickets are on sale now at https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/24049/3922
*All dances will be called with non-gender specific terms such as "leader & follower" or "larks & ravens".
For those who’d rather sit back and soak it all in, the evening offers an impressive lineup of standout performances by world-class musicians and gifted campers alike. Audiences can look forward to performances by award-winning Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser, the highly acclaimed traditional New England-based quartet Pine Tree Flyers, members of the Bay Area’s renowned Jazz ensemble Hot Club of San Francisco featuring Evan Price, master traditional cellist Natalie Haas, and “sonic magpie” Laura Cortese — plus nearly a dozen more exceptional faculty artists.

- Doors open at 6:30pm. An optional introductory dance lesson will be taught by dance instructors between 6:45-7:15 to learn the basic partner dance move in preparation for the evening’s dance elements.
- By 7:30pm, the “orchestra blob” of campers will surprise the audience with a lively, unconventional entrance and kick off the night’s festivities. The evening will then flow into a series of featured performances by faculty and campers, highlighting the breadth of talent at Valley of the Moon.
- As the night unfolds, some musicians will stay on stage and transform into dance bands, setting the scene for participatory social dances. The dancing begins with Scottish Ceilidh, led by caller Summer McCall and will open to all levels. Next, Caleb Teicher invites the audience to swing dance, followed by Ben Foss, who will guide everyone into the rhythmic moves of New England contra dance.
- Between the dances, audiences can catch their breath and enjoy special showcases, including a performance by Nic Gareiss’s step dance class, songs led by Laura Cortese’s vocal class, and spotlights on the festival’s lesser-known but equally vibrant instrumental classes.