Spare Parts = Liz Stell and Bill Matthiesen

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audio sample (Deliciosa Polka; more samples on each CD page)

for booking, email or call Bill at 413-442-9172

Spare Parts has performed for period events, contradances, English dances, weddings, parties, concerts, and dance camps from Alaska to Maine. Our historic dance music has been used worldwide in motion pictures (Bright Star) and theater productions as well as television programs including Mercy Street (PBS), Antiques Roadshow and numerous programs on the History Channel (even SpongeBob SquarePants!).

Bill Matthiesen on piano and Liz Stell on flute combine with one or more "spare parts du jour." Some of our favorite "spare parts" include fiddlers Eric Buddington, Ruthie Dornfeld, George Wilson, Naomi Morse, Frank Orsini, Mark Bagdon, Cathie Whitesides, Susan Conger and Rebecca McCallum ... and bassists Mark Murphy and Larry Unger.

2026 schedule:

January

• Saturday Jan 10, Williamstown MA (https://northberkshiredance.org/)
  North Berkshire Contra Dance with Eric Buddington and calling by Luke Donforth
  
  
• Saturday Jan 17, Lenox MA (www.lenoxcontradance.org/)
  Contradance at the Lenox Community Center, Liz and Bill with fiddler Eric Buddington, Mark Murphy on bass and caller Maggie McRae, 7:30-10:30 pm (intro lesson 7:15)
  

February

• Saturday Feb 7, Waltham MA (https://goreplace.org/whats-on/winter-regency-ball/
  Winter Regency Ball: Get dressed in your Regency finery and dance the night away in the Great Hall of the Gore Mansion. Spare Parts will play English country dances from the Regency era
  7-10 pm
  
  
• Friday Feb 13 through Sunday Feb 15, Saratoga Springs NY (www.flurryfestival.org/)
  DANCE FLURRY! schedule for Spare Parts:
  English Country Dance 101 Friday 6 pm Saratoga Music Hall
  Tango Milonga Friday 8:45 pm City Center Rm ABC
  Waltz Book Jam Saturday 10 am Hilton Pavilion
  Intro to Folk Waltz Saturday 2:30 pm City Center Mtg Rm 1
  Waltz Dance Saturday 3:45 pm City Center Mtg Rm 1
  Build Your Own Waltz Flourishes Sunday 10 am Saratoga Music Hall
  Waltz Dance Sunday 11:15 am Saratoga Music Hall
  One Tune, Many Styles [Eric] Sunday 1:15 pm Hilton Broadway 4
  Zwinging Zweifachers Sunday 2:45 pm City Center Rm ABC
  

March

• Saturday March 14, Berlin MA (https://facone.org/programs/victorian-ball.html)
  Victorian/Civil War Ball in the 1870 Old Town Hall, with Susan Conger on violin and prompting by Chris Ricciotti, 7-10 pm
  Dance workshop 1-4 pm
  
• Sunday March 15, Concord MA (https://facone.org/programs/mostly-waltz.html)
  Mostly Waltz for Boston: a variety of waltz tunes and tempos are played during the session; every third number is a different couple dance such as a polka, hambo, schottische, swing, tango, one-step, blues or zwiefacher
  lesson 2-3 pm; dancing 3-5:30 pm
  

April

• Sunday April 5, Troy NY (www.danceflurry.org/series/capital-english-country-dancers/)
  English Country Dance with Eric Buddington on violin and calling by Martha Griffin, 2-5 pm, doors open at 1:30
  At St. John's Episcopal Church, 146 1st Street
  

May

• Sunday May 3, Wethersfield, CT (www.hcdance.org/mostly-waltz/)
  Hartford Mostly Waltz: waltzes, waltz mixers, and other dances (every third tune is a foxtrot, tango, swing or other couple dance), 3-5:30 pm, with Eric Buddington on violin. Free beginner lesson at 2:30. No need to come as a couple, there are mixers and plenty of dance partners
  

July

• Saturday July 25, Hamden CT (https://centennialball.dreamhosters.com/)
  A Centennial Ball: 1776 to 1876 in the style of 1876 dances celebrating the Centennial of the United States. A fancy dress ball: costume in the style of either 1876 or 1776 strongly encouraged, or modern formal wear. Morning dance workshop, also July 19 in Middletown. Space limited to 50 people
  

August

• Saturday Aug 1, Morristown NJ
  Centennial Ball: a Victorian ball with 19th-century dances. Formal dress in the style of 1870s or earlier encouraged, or modern formal wear. More information soon
  
• Saturday Aug 15, Lenox MA (www.lenoxcontradance.org/)
  Contradance at the Lenox Community Center with Eric Buddington
  
• Saturday Aug 29, Salem, MA (vintagedancers.org/)
  1890s Ball a late Victorian ball sponsored by the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers. More information to come
  

October

• Friday Oct 2, Cooperstown NY (https://otsegodancesociety.weebly.com/)
  Contra Dance with Eric Buddington at the First Presbyterian Church Chapel in Cooperstown
  

November

• Saturday, Nov. 14, Jamaica Plain MA (lcfd.org/harvest-ball.html)
  28th Annual Harvest Ball: Gender-role-free Victorian ball, with Eric Buddington on violin and calling by Chris Ricciotti
  candlelit potluck supper 5:30 pm, dessert potluck at the break; elegant waltzes at 7 p.m., followed by chestnut contras, quadrilles, mixers and couple dances
  elegant, period, or festive attire encouraged but not required
  

December

• Saturday Dec 12, Salem, MA (vintagedancers.org/)
  Fezziwig's Ball: an evening of dance and merriment from the era of Dickens at Old Town Hall, with Susan Conger on violin, sponsored by the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers; costume from the lifetime of Dickens (1812-1870) or modern evening dress requested
  

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