Swingin' Tern: Promo for The Star Charters & Michael Karcher Double Dance June 7, 2025.

This was a promo video for the Double Contra Dance with The Star Charters & Michael Karcher at Swingin' Tern Dances held on June 7th, 2025.

Find your North Star as The Star Charters go supernova as Karcher calls a constellation of contras. Michael brings Andromeda allemandes and Betelgeuse balances in Cassiopeia contras. A syzygy of sound occurs when twin fiddles, Castor and Pollux, and the Gemini guitar align to pair celestial chords for a galaxy of tunes. You’ll fall to Pieces and join Canis Major and Minor in the doghouse if you get sucked into the black hole of inaction. Fasten your Orion’s belt as your Taurus or Vega attains warp speed for a cosmic experience.

Michael Karcher has been having the time of his life calling dances and weekends around North America since 2011. He has honed a warm and concise style of teaching and calling, to the delight of dancers across the continent.

Cecilia Vacanti (of Kingfisher) and Jess Newman and Mark Price (of Cojiro) have teamed up to play contra dances in a high energy, dynamic trio known as The Star Charters. They wowed us at Swingin’ Tern’s Anniversary Dance. With Cecilia and Jess on fiddle and Mark holding down rhythm on guitar, The Star Charters bring to the stage a rock-solid groove and level of technical prowess that is complimented by their combined versatility, lyrical twin fiddle harmonies and joyful, off-the-cuff improvisation. This bopping team-up will send dancers over the moon!

Swingin' Tern Dances is held the first and third Saturday evenings of every month year-round in Chatham, NJ. More information at https://folkproject.org/swingin-tern/