Asheville Midwinter Weekend February 7-9, 2025

The Performers 

Gene Murrow has been an English Country Dancer and musician since 1965 and has taught and called since 1988 at clubs, workshops, festivals and balls throughout the U.S. as well as Britain, Europe and Japan. As a dance musician he performs on recorders and concertina and has made four CD recordings.

Gene approaches English country dance as a medium in which dancers and musicians alike participate in the realization of works of art. His dance workshops strive to make their richness of structure, musical form, texture, and affect enjoyable and appreciated by dancers of all abilities.

Gene is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Gotham Early Music Scene, a service and advocacy organization for early music in New York City, and has served on the Board of Directors of CDSS, Early Music America, American Recorder Society, and Pinewoods Camp, Inc.


Mara Shea
Mara Shea

Music by Mara Shea, Julie Gorka & Dean Herington 

Mara Shea has been happily playing for dancers since the 1990s—mostly English, Scottish, and contra—and is frequently heard at balls, dance weekends and concerts in the US, Scotland, and Canada. She has been on the music staff at Pinewoods, John C. Campbell Folk School, and Harvest Moon ECD Weekend, among others, and has played for many Regency and English country dance workshops and balls. With pianist Dean Herington, Mara led musicians’ workshops for the Scottish country dance group in Lisbon, Portugal. She has many recordings with her contra dance band, The Elftones, as well as with other wonderful musicians such as Dave Wiesler, Rhiannon Giddens, and Julie Gorka. Mara decided to take a year off from teaching in 2018-19 and earned an MLitt in ethnology and folklore at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

For more on Mara, and to listen to some of her music, visit her website: marashea.com.

Julie Gorka is a musician with a wide range of musical interests. She plays Scottish, English, historic, contra dance, and Irish music on piano, harp and fiddle. She’s known for her lively piano back-up style, with driving rhythms and interesting harmonies. She judges around the country for the national Piano Guild.

Julie has made several recordings ,including A Sheep at the Wheel (Scottish and English music) and a waltz CD, In 3/4 Time, with fiddler Mara Shea, and help from Walt Robinson, Ted Ehrhard and Dean Herington.

They will be joined by Dean Herington, Dean has played clarinet and piano for English Country dancing for many years.  He also enjoys playing for contra, Scottish, international, and couples dancing.  Dean has performed frequently at the Christmas Country Dance School in Berea, KY, at Regency balls in Petersburg, VA, and Chapel Hill, NC, at Scottish balls in North Carolina and elsewhere, and at Victorian balls in Carrboro, NC.  He was a longtime member of the Footloose contra dance band and has organized community dances in the Triangle area of North Carolina.  Dean plays several other types of music as well, but especially cherishes opportunities to inspire joyful dancing.

COVID Safety Information

The Dance Hall

The event will be held again at the beautiful Masonic Temple in the heart of Asheville.  Beautiful hardwood dance floor, high ceilings, turn-of-the-century ambience – and mostly, room to dance! All dances and workshops will be held on the main floor.

The Schedule

Friday

7:00 pm Welcome and Check-in
7:30 – 10:30 pm Evening Dance

Saturday

Workshops
10:45 – 12:30 noon

Note: $15 extra charge. Extra challenging dances for experienced dancers who are in tune to the music and their fellow dancers, and who enjoy both familiar favorites without teaching and complex dances which reward attentiveness to teaching. Cheerful recovery skills and knowledge of ECD figures and basic repertoire are expected.

Actual Workshop topic TBD

12:30 – 2:00 : Lunch Ramble

Restaurants on your own. You’re right there in downtown Asheville – wander and enjoy!

2:00 – 3:45: ECD Workshop ~ Actual Workshop topic TBD

Actual topic will be determined closer to the event, but we know it will be fun!

Saturday Evening Dance Party

7:15 – 7:30 pm Evening Waltz

7:30- 10:30 pm Evening Ball

Elegant attire welcome but not required.
Enthusiastic attitude absolutely required!

Sunday

11:00 am – 1:30 pm Morning Dance

Although we would love for you to come for the whole weekend, tickets for individual dances may be available at the door. We’ll update this as we get closer to the event.

Logistics

Where to Stay

There are a number of hotels and Bed and Breakfast accommodations are located in or near downtown Asheville, several within walking distance of the dance hall. There are several more budget-friendly hotels are located on or near Tunnel Road, a 5-10 minute drive.

Staying with people in town is always a good idea too. Call your Asheville friends early!

Where to Park

All events are at the Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801. If you’re staying at one of the nearby hotels, use their lot of course.

Otherwise, there is parking available at 35 Woodfin St. for a nominal fee, 2 blocks East. Metered spaces are free after 6PM, and all day Sunday. Parking at Home Trust bank, right across the street, is now $3/hour. If you choose to utilize other parking lots or public garages, note the hourly and daily rates which will be more costly. The best rate at the garages seems to be the garage at 164 College St. – $2 first hour, $1 each additional hour. Street parking on Central Avenue near the YMCA is free, though it requires a window sticker during the workday. There is also free parking in the lots on Cherry Street, just north of I-240, close to the skate park.