Scott Russell has been a significant caller, musician and organizer on the Atlanta contra dance scene for many years. He's featured in the Learn to Contra Dance series on Youtube. 

Mick Kinney & the HickHoppers come from Atlanta, GA area. They make an especially fun dance band because of the wide range of tunes styles they can play. Expect rags, blues and old-time tunes that simply make you want to dance!

Mick Kinney is truly a musician of many talents. He has worked with of Stranger Malone, John Hartford, Sarah Guthrie, Vic Chesnut, Victoria Williams and REM's Peter Buck. Along his musical journey, Mick has played stride piano at Manhattan's Swing 46 with veteran tap dancer Harold Cromer, fiddle with Creole jazzman Al Broussard in New Orleans French Quarter, and lap steel at Louisiana's Cajun Rendez-vous. He has performed at McCabe's in Los Angeles, the Bluebird in Nashville, and on NPR's Mountain Stage. 

A native of Wisconsin, Mick has made his home in Atlanta since 1977. He currently tours with multi-lingual chanteuse , Elise Wittas well as with his swing string band the Gypsy Hicks and his old-time band the Georgia Crackers. He teaches fiddle, piano, guitar, banjo and music theory workshops regionally and is a recipient of the Georgia Council for the Arts Folklife Grant.

Beginners should arrive promptly at 8 pm. Easier dances with more teaching are called early in the evening.