"Dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire, legalised by music." - George Bernard Shaw
Who we are
Probably the UK's most high-energy contra band, Vertical Expression is what happens when you take two English ceilidh musicians on fiddle and melodeon and put them with a guitar and double bass rhythm section with a love of bluegrass and gypsy jazz, all of whom have backgrounds in playing for various kinds of dancing, throw in some old time music and foot percussion, a bit of French-Canadian one-row box, a few Irish fiddle tunes, some Django Reinhardt-style guitar, a bit of creativity and a lot of energy and fun...
Vertical Expression are:
Charley Roberts - fiddle
Ian Roberts - one- and two-row melodeons and feet
Ian Benton - guitar
Margaret Benton - double bass
Upcoming gigs
Friday 18th May 2012 Alcester Contra with caller Jim Kitch
Saturday 26th May 2012 private party
Sunday 3rd June 2012 Gate to Southwell Folk Festival with caller Andrew Swaine
Saturday 6th October 2012 London Barndance with caller Lynne Render
Previous gigs
• Saturday 3rd March 2012 Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival 2012 with caller Rhodri Davies
• Charley and Ian with Gareth and Linda of English Contra Dance Band:
- Friday 25th November 2011: Alcester Contra with caller Ian Wilson
- Saturday 10th December 2011: London Barndance with caller Rhodri Davies
• Friday 10th June 2011 Alcester Contra with caller Geoff Cubitt
• 28th-30th May 2011 Chippenham Folk Festival
• Friday 24th September 2010 - Alcester Contras, Alcester, Warwickshire, with caller Geoff Cubitt
• Saturday 8th May 2010 - London Barndance, Cecil Sharp House, London, with caller Rhodri Davies
• Sunday 4th April 2010 - Mumpers, Derby, with caller Bob Morgan
• Saturday 6th March 2010 - IVFDF 2010, Durham, with caller Adam Hughes
• Friday 6th November 2009 - Alcester Contras, Alcester, Warwickshire, with caller Rhodri Davies
• Saturday 24th October 2009 - Leeds Contra, Leeds, with caller John Turner
• 31st July - 7th August 2009 - Sidmouth Folk Week, Devon
- Saturday 1st August 2009 - Lunchtime Contra Dance, Blackmore Gardens Marquee, Sidmouth, with caller Wendy Graham
- Saturday 1st August 2009 - Evening Contra/Square Dance, Methodist church hall, Sidmouth, with caller Rhodri Davies
- Monday 3rd August 2009 - Evening Contra/Square Dance, St Teresa's hall, Sidmouth, with caller Wendy Graham
- ... plus workshops (see working programme for details)
• Saturday 14th March 2009 - London Barndance, Cecil Sharp House, London, with caller Lynne Render
• Friday 9th January 2009 - Phoenix Ceilidhs, Horwich, with caller Rhodri Davies
• Saturday 11th October 2008 - London Barndance, Cecil Sharp House, London, with caller Andrew Swaine
• Saturday 1st March 2008 - IVFDF 2008, Sheffield, with caller Andrew Swaine
• Saturday 24th November 2007 - Leeds Contra, Leeds, with caller Rhodri Davies
• Sunday 26th August 2007 - Towersey Village Festival, Towersey, Oxfordshire, with caller Andrew Swaine (workshop 10am, dance 3:15pm)
• Sunday 3rd June 2007 - Mumpers, Derby, with caller Geoff Cubitt
• Saturday 3rd March 2007 - IVFDF 2007, Edinburgh, with caller Rhodri Davies
What's contra?
It's what the Americans do instead of ceilidh dancing. It's fast, flowing and spinning, usually done to a walking step, and you don't have to have done it before to join in. For the technically minded, it's usually danced to reels and, to a lesser extent, jigs.
Contra tends to appeal to ceilidh dancers who like their dances a bit more complex, as well as people who enjoy other sorts of dancing such as ballroom or salsa.
(Vertical Expression tends to appeal to ceilidh dancers who like their dances a bit more complex but still like their music high-energy and their fellow dancers equally so.)
Having said that, knowing what you're doing is not a prerequisite to coming along to a contra dance! If you've never danced contra before and want to have a go, we recommend coming along to one of the public contra series such as Alcester Contra, London Barndance, Leeds Contra or Contrafusion (Ashford), arriving at the beginning so you can pick up the basics before the event really gets going (standing near the front so the caller can see you also helps) and dancing with people who have done it before so they can guide you through the dances.
If you don't know anyone who's done it before, stand near the dancefloor looking a bit lost and one of the regulars will no doubt claim you. Contra dancers tend to be friendly like that, and the all the events we've mentioned here are very welcoming of new dancers.
There is always a caller who will teach the dances before they're done to music and will continue to call for at least the first few times through the dance (or until everyone looks like they've got the hang of it!).
A number of folk festivals include contra dancing in the programme, such as IVFDF, Sidmouth, Chippenham and Towersey, and there will also be workshops for you to learn how it's done with more instruction at a more relaxed pace.
Can I buy your CD?
Yes. Email cd@verticalexpressioncontra.co.uk to order a copy or buy one from us at a gig. It's as live as is possible to get on a recording - what you hear on a CD is what you get at one of our gigs, no polishing or editing, just genuine, all-together-round-one-mic musical foot-tapping goodness.
Say hi
Email us at info@verticalexpressioncontra.co.uk