Music and dance have been a vital part of the Folk School since its founding in 1925, and we continue to teach new friends how to strum along or swing their partner. Love music, dance, and community? Volunteer with us at upcoming Folk School events and be part of the magic! From setting up stages to welcoming guests, your help keeps the rhythm going.
Music & Dance
Music & Dance Events
Music and dance are part of everyday life at the John C. Campbell Folk School. From weekly gatherings to annual traditions, our events bring people together through shared rhythm, movement, and song.
View the full events calendar, learn more about Morningsong and listen to past recordings, or explore our annual Shape Note Singing tradition.
Find A Music Class
Music and dance have been at the heart of the John C. Campbell Folk School for 100 years. From traditional Appalachian styles to global dance and music traditions, our classes offer opportunities to learn, move, and make music in a supportive, community-centered environment.
Whether you’re picking up an instrument, stepping onto the dance floor for the first time, or deepening existing skills, you’ll find classes for a range of experience levels throughout the year.
Find A Dance Class
Throughout the year, the John C. Campbell Folk School offers special dance-focused weeks and weekends that bring dancers, musicians, and callers together for immersive learning and joyful community. These gatherings celebrate both Appalachian and international dance traditions and are designed for a wide range of experience levels.
Offerings include Appalachian Clogging & Flatfooting, 100 Years of Song and Dance at the Folk School, Spring and Fall Dance Weekends, Balfolk Dance Weekend, Dance Callers Week, Dance Musicians Week, Traditional Group Dance Weekend, and Winter Dance Week. Each session combines hands-on instruction, live music, and plenty of time on the dance floor.
Music & Dance Scholarships
The John C. Campbell Folk School offers limited scholarship support to help make music and dance learning more accessible.
The David Kaynor Memorial Dance Musicians Week Scholarship honors the life and legacy of dance musician David Kaynor and supports participation in the school’s annual Dance Musicians Week. Additional Music & Dance Scholarships support students attending weeklong or weekend music, dance, or lutherie classes.
Limited work exchange scholarships are available. To request a scholarship application, please email scholarships@folkschool.org.
Applications for 2026 classes open on Tuesday, December 9, and will close on Monday, February 9.
Folk School Junior Appalachian Musicians Program (JAM)
Folk School Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) offers students ages 12-18 the opportunity to learn guitar, banjo or fiddle, or to practice in a string band and connect to the musical heritage of rural Appalachia.
JAM is made possible by support from North Carolina Arts Council, Musack, and John C. Campbell Folk School.
Community Dance Teams
Community dance has long been a part of life at the John C. Campbell Folk School, bringing people together through rhythm, tradition, and shared joy. Our Community Dance Teams represent a range of historic dance forms rooted in Appalachian, English, and Anglo-American traditions and are made up of dancers of all ages and experience levels.
Folk School Cloggers, Stix-in-the-Mud Border Morris Dancers, Dame’s Rocket Northwest Clog Morris Dancers, Rapper Magic Sword Dancers, each group keeps these vibrant traditions alive through practice, performance, and community connection. You’ll often see these teams performing at Folk School events and festivals throughout the year, especially during Fall Festival.
The music and dance programs at the Folk School have supported the local community and visitors on campus for close to 100 years. Utilizing spaces that hold a deep historical significance on our campus, these programs offer unique experiences for beginners and longtime music and dance participants.
With your support, the Folk School can ensure that the music and dance programs thrive and continue to provide opportunities for the hundreds of students who pass through our program each year. Your donation to this program can provide general operating support or focus on specific needs.
Music & Dance Programs Coordinator
Wendy Graham
Music and Dance Programs Coordinator, Wendy Graham (Durango, CO) blew in to Brasstown only hours ahead of Hurricane Helene. Although new to Western North Carolina, Wendy’s folk roots go back to John C. Campbell. Her passion for music, song and dance caught fire on a Danish-American Exchange (DAE) tour led by John Ramsay (Folk School Director/Assistant Director 1966-1973) and Barbara Harding. A Berea, KY Christmas Country Dance School regular since 1991, Wendy started calling in 1997 under Bill Alkire. Now, she leads American, English Country, Community, and partner dances, and caller training at events across the US and around the world. She played piano growing up and studied accordion with Rachel Bell. Since 2004, Wendy organized events in Durango, Colorado, the southwest region (New Mexico FolkMADness, Stellar Days & Nights), and nationally (Cumberland Dance Week). She proudly served on the Lloyd Shaw Foundation and Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) boards. She was a CDSS Award Committee and is now a Nominating Committee community member.
Music & Dance Coordinator
T-Claw Crawford
T-Claw Crawford is a dance caller, musician, and community organizer. He grew up in Nashville, TN and played punk rock and jazz until he heard old-time string music. T-Claw has toured by bicycle across eight states and New Zealand with Fiddle Pie, and old-time variety show band. He is the “Johnny Appleseed” of square dancing, having instigated his enthusiastic brand of community music and dance get-togethers far and wide. T’s favorite foods are pie and biscuits, and he enjoys river sports, honky tonkin’, yard games, wildcrafting, and cribbage. He bops around Brasstown with his beloved wife and delightful daughters.
News & Stories: Music & Dance Stories
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December 9, 2025
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August 12, 2025
Dance Musicians' Week livens up...
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March 12, 2025
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February 26, 2025
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January 27, 2025
Discover the profound influence of...
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December 10, 2024
For three decades, Dance Musicians’...
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November 26, 2024
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November 6, 2024
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August 27, 2024
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June 24, 2024
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June 21, 2024
Our annual Shaker Week brings...
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June 20, 2024
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May 23, 2024
Suzy and Eric Thompson are...
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May 16, 2024
Join us for a fun-filled...
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April 10, 2024
From childhood memories of sleeping...
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March 13, 2024
We're pleased to invite longtime...
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March 5, 2024
Winning Forged in Fire and...
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March 5, 2024
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February 9, 2024
Clinton Davis is a San...
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February 2, 2024
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September 21, 2023
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September 18, 2023
Our annual Shaker Week brings...
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August 25, 2023
Angelina Elise is an incredible...
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July 24, 2023
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July 21, 2023
Folk School co-founder Olive Dame...
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July 6, 2023
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June 12, 2023
African American musical and cultural...
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May 30, 2023
Shadow Puppetry Still from Tam Lin...
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May 23, 2023
If you've come to our...
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March 27, 2023
Dear Folk School Family, One...
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March 14, 2023
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March 1, 2023
Susan Conger playing with others...
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February 14, 2023
Elizabeth LaPrelle began winning prizes for...
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February 14, 2023
Enjoy an interview with Becky...
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January 1, 2023
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November 2, 2022
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August 4, 2022
The John C. Campbell Folk...
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July 25, 2022
Building on your feedback, we're...
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July 22, 2022
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June 29, 2021
We are thrilled to announce…
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June 3, 2021
David Allen Kaynor passed away…
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May 22, 2020
Join us every Friday morning on Facebook Live for Virtual Morningsong. It’s a great way to start the day! To watch live, all you have to do is visit our Facebook Page at 7:45–8:15 a.m. on Fridays. If you miss a Morningsong, or want to re-watch, you can view the recordings by following the links in the artists section.
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May 1, 2020
Wishing you a happy May Day! We’re looking forward to dancing around the May Pole together again, but until then, we put together this post filled with photos of years past, a video from 2011, and an excerpt by Nanette Davidson about May Day from The Folk School Cookbook. Enjoy!
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May 15, 2019
We had a wonderful time at our first-ever Friends & Family Day on May 11! Community members of all ages toured our open studios, participated in hands-on making, watched demonstrations, enjoyed music & dance performances, savored local food, and learned all about the Folk School.
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April 2, 2019
Folk harp enthusiasts! Come celebrate Scottish Heritage Week with the ancient instrument of Scotland, the Celtic or lever harp, in our class Folk Harp Gathering. This class encourages harp players to come together and share the history, learn tunes of the ancient harpers, and play songs and dances from Scotland and nearby Celtic lands. It is also a time to rekindle the friendships from past harp gatherings, meet new harp enthusiasts and play together in ensemble.
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March 31, 2018
Corie Pressley has lived in tiny Brasstown, North Carolina, all her 21 young years. She commuted to college for two years but this scenic Appalachian community is where she’s grown up, developed, and matured. You might think her life experiences have been limited in this small town. But that’s where you’d be wrong.
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April 13, 2017
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April 4, 2016
On Friday, April 8, high school students in the Folk School JAM Program played a concert in the Community Room to celebrate the conclusion of the first session. Under the direction of Johnny Scroggs (guitar) and Peggy Patrick (fiddle), students spent 12 weeks learning traditional Appalachian music as part of the Folk School JAM program. We recently sat down with Program Director Hannah Levin to find out more about this wonderful program preserving traditional Appalachian music in our local high schools. Read on to find out how you (or your teen) can get involved!
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June 9, 2015
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March 13, 2015
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December 15, 2014
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October 15, 2014
I stopped by the Yarn Circle to speak with Charlotte Crittenden to talk about calling and dancing. Charlotte, a Brasstown local, is a regular caller at the Folk School on Tuesday and Saturday night dances. She is a popular regional caller who has recently called at Old Farmer’s Ball, River Falls, Grey Eagle, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Sautee and more! Enjoy our interview…
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July 2, 2014
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May 21, 2014
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March 25, 2014
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February 5, 2014
As a host at the Folk School, sometimes really incredible opportunities come your way. Karen Mueller is an innovative, virtuosic musician and highly sought after music educator. I recently took Karen Mueller’s intermediate-advanced autoharp class and weekend beginner mountain dulcimer class back-to-back. At the end of our time together, she agreed to sit down with me and answer a few of my questions about her life, career, and relationship to the Folk School.
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July 2, 2013
Using clogging, music and storytelling to charm Folk School audiences since 1996, Aubrey exudes a talent, grace, and humor unique to only the most tenured and talented of performers. Aubrey returns to the Folk School this September to teach two dynamite classes: Singing with Clawhammer Banjo (Sept. 8-13) and Clogging (Sept. 13-15 – Weekend). She is also scheduled to perform in special Thursday night concert, Sept. 12, 7 p.m. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn to play, laugh, sing, and dance with Aubrey this fall!
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June 29, 2013
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May 17, 2013
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May 3, 2013
The Folk School is so happy to welcome Annie Fain Liden-Barralon to the position of Music and Dance Coordinator! I sat down with Annie Fain to find out about her experience growing up in the Folk School community and what it’s like to return as the Music and Dance Coordinator.
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April 9, 2013
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September 28, 2012
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August 17, 2012
Brasstown Morris Dancers greeted the Olympic Torch in Kenilworth, England, and brought home the “Gold” of West Yorkshire Morris Dancing. Except it’s not gold and they didn’t bring it home. The Wickham Cup, actually a silver plated mug, remains in its place of honor in England, but newly inscribed with the name Dame’s Rocket.
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November 21, 2011
“What was I thinking?” passed through my mind several times last week while I sat in “Intro Guitar” class at the Folk School. In other studios, I imagined, students happily wove Shaker rugs or rolled polymer clay into intricate beads. Why had I signed up for a music class? My left fingers hurt from pressing on the steel guitar strings, I couldn’t change from a G chord to a D chord fast enough, and I’d probably never get “Goodnight Irene” out of my head again.
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June 2, 2011
The stories of our lives where dance and song are called for, go back to faraway lands where kings and villagers alike danced for joy. Dance as a way to express joy that cannot be contained is part of many legends across the globe. I know that you understand what I am talking about. The many threads of our Southern Appalachian story can be seen beginning with the Singing Games or Play Party Games, which are a long time part of a vibrant mountain culture. Almost any occasion where the earliest settlers and pioneers gathered, there was time to sing, clap, laugh, and stomp in time with the music they created. Not too different from what we do now, whenever we are together!
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July 16, 2010
Here we are at John C. Campbell Folk School for another week of music and dancing. This is the seventeenth year of this fantastic class, with dancing every night for everyone, and dancing and playing every day for the 21 instructors and students participating in the class.
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June 28, 2010
Summer is here and so is Little/Middle Folk School. While the campus is taken over by kick ball, card games, picnics, and the fire truck that stopped by on Tuesday to spray the kids off – there is still one adult class happening, and that’s Dance Caller’s Week.
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March 3, 2010
Music and dancing is the heartbeat of the Folk School. While students, instructors, and staff work during the week, it is at the dances and concerts when the community comes together to have fun. Free concerts are held almost every Friday night at the school and this Friday Paul and Jerry Wilson and their family will perform. Groups who play here often travel from afar to share their music, but this week the band will be coming from just down the road. Tipper Wilson writes about her memories at the Folk School:
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January 30, 2010
You meet the most interesting people here. Over the years, I’ve learned from and enjoyed talking to some of the world’s great characters right here in Brasstown. Shortly after I became the Director of the Folk School, I asked some of my musical and crafts friends to tell me great people we should try to get to teach at the Folk School. A trusted musical advisor, Beth Ross Johnson, said “Get the great ballad singer Norman Kennedy.” My weaving advisor (spouse Nanette) said, “Get the great weaver Norman Kennedy.” These two turned out to be the very same ponytailed Scotsman. So for the last eighteen years or so, he has made visits to Brasstown which are always memorable for us here, jazzing up weavers and spinners, slamming tweed on the table to the beat of the ancient waulking music, where the singing and the weaving come together, as the song propels the cloth sunwise around the table while all the hands of the people lift it up and slam it down and pass it on to the next waulker. In this way, the wool is preshrunk, softened, bonded and unified. The people likewise, except they are not preshrunk.
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Locate & Contact
Please contact Programming for more information.
The John C. Campbell Folk School
Programming
Darcy Holdorf: Programs Director
1.800.FOLK.SCH (365-5724)
Mailing Address
One Folk School Road
Brasstown, NC 28902