IT’S SQUARE DANCE TIME!!!!

Come out and shake a leg to one of Virginia’s hottest stringbands, Ragged Mountain, with Hannah Johnson hollering out square dance calls. Never square danced before??? No problem, Hannah will teach you everything you need to know. No partner??? We got ya, there will be lots of fun folks who are eager to dance with you. Can’t tell your left foot from your right???? No worries, we’re just here to have a good time!

Hannah Johnson hails from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She fell in love with old time music as a teenager attending fiddlers’ conventions in the region, and promptly took up the fiddle, banjo, and guitar, learning from local old timers and musicians near and far. Her passion for music and longtime love of dancing led Hannah to start calling square dances. Her calling repertoire and style are heavily influenced by friends and mentors Ellen and Eugene Ratcliffe of Monterey, VA, with whom Hannah apprenticed in 2016-2017 through the Virginia Folklife Program. The Ratcliffes grew up dancing and calling in Highland County, VA, and are still the driving force behind the local square dance scene. Hannah calls the traditional Highland County big circle dances, featuring playful figures like Birdie in the Cage and Chase the Rabbit, Chase the Squirrel, as well as the 4 couple square dances that many people are familiar with. Though she still lives in her same old home town and remains dedicated to her local traditions, Hannah has traveled the world playing in old time bands, swapping tunes, dances, and songs along the way.