We hope you'll join us on March 9–11, 2012 for our annual dance weekend at the Maplelag Cross-Country Ski Resort near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, about 4 hours northwest of the Twin Cities. Read on for more details, and check back here often for updates!

Come hear "ass-kicking old-time music" by the hottest stringband in the scene today, Foghorn Stringband. Square and contra dances will be called by former Wild Goose Chase Clogger, Sue Hulsether. Two-step the night away with hometown Cajun dance hall heroes, The Bone Tones. Workshop offerings will include fiddle, banjo, guitar, singing, and many dance forms including Cajun dancing lead by Maureen Mullen. Theres also miles of beautiful cross-country skiing, the largest hot tub in Minnesota, all the hot coffee you could imagine, and of course, a bottomless cookie jar.

Based on the number of early registrations, we anticipate a full weekend. If you are intending to come to Moosejaw, please send in your registration soon to assure your spot.

Download the MOOSEJAW 2012 REGISTRATION FORM

MooseJaw Fellowship: The WGCC and Maplelag, in Callaway, Minnesota, will cover the registration fee for up two first-time MooseJaw attendees. Applicants must be 21 years of age, cannot have attended the MooseJaw weekend as an adult, and must submit a complete, one-page application form no later than Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. Fellows must provide their own transportation to and from Maplelag Resort, and we encourage carpooling.

Download the MOOSEJAW 2012 FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION.

2012 MOOSEJAW STAFF

"Internationally acclaimed Foghorn Stringband has been at the vanguard of a revival in American old-time music for over a decade now. They've traveled the globe, been signed to a major label, and inspired a new generation of old-time musicians, all without compromising their love of traditional American music. But they've gathered new ideas and new band members too. Their unique sound still comes from the fiery, intertwining melodies of Stephen "Sammy" Lind's fiddle and Caleb Klauder's mandolin, but now they're supported by the bedrock-solid rhythm foundation of Reeb Willms' guitar and Nadine Landry's bass. And when it comes to vocals, they deliver; four powerful and exceptional voices resulting in countless combinations of harmonies. A typical Foghorn set is based around exquisitely rare old-time tunes and songs, but a vast knowledge of early country music and recent explorations in Cajun song traditions have molded a powerful new sound. Any band would be happy to have mastered one music genre, but Foghorn Stringband have a roaming spirit, and are already sparking new revivals of American roots music traditions."
- www.foghornstringband.com

When Sue Hulsether calls dances, she is guided by a passion for creating positive human connections. She is recognized for her clear teaching, welcoming manner at the microphone, engaging humor, and her uncanny ability to choose the perfect dances for whatever group is in the room. Respected and sought after throughout the Midwest as a square/contra dance caller and teaching artist in the schools, Sue has gathered her wide repertoire from callers across the country. She is also a former member of the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers, and currently dancing with ShoeFly!, of Gays Mills, WI. Making her home in southwestern Wisconsin, Sue drives far and wide to call and dance.

The Bone Tones, a Cajun dance band, hail from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, an unlikely spot, perhaps, for a band that plays the French music of southwest Louisiana. The Bone Tones use diatonic button accordion, twin fiddles, steel guitar, bass, guitar, drums, triangle and French vocals to produce an authentic Cajun sound. The members of the band have played different styles of traditional music with other groups and individually for many years and have long shared an interest in Cajun music . Performers traveling through the region to play for festivals and workshops - musicians such as Dewey Balfa, Tracy Schwarz, D.L. Menard, Charlie Terr, and others - helped stir up this interest. Trips to record shops and to Louisiana provided more inspiration. Since 1987 The Bone Tones have played to the ever-increasing crowd of Cajun music and dance enthusiasts at dance halls, festivals and taverns in the Upper Midwest. The is particular incarnation of the group will feature Eric Mohring (fiddle), Matt Haney (fiddle, pedal steel), Paul Loughridge (drums,'tit fer), Doug Lohman (guitar), and Gary Powell (accordion, fiddle, recorder).

Stay tuned for more staff announcements and the costume ball theme!