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.
2025 schedule:
January
- Saturday, Jan 18, Lenox MA (www.lenoxcontradance.org/)
Contradance at the Lenox Community Center, Liz and Bill with fiddler Eric Buddington, Mark Murphy on bass and caller Quena Crain, 7:30-10:30 pm (intro lesson 7:15)
February
- Saturday, Feb 8, Berlin 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
SOLD OUT!
- Friday Feb 14 through Sunday Feb 16, Saratoga Springs NY (www.flurryfestival.org/)
DANCE FLURRY! schedule for Spare Parts:
Renaissance Love Chase Friday 6 pm Saratoga Music Hall
Waltz Music Styling Friday 8:30 pm Hilton Whitney
Zwinging Zweifachers Saturday 8:15 pm City Center Rm ABC
1930s English Sequence Dances Sunday 11 am City Center Rm ABC
Cross-Step Waltz 101 Sunday 10 am City Center Rm ABC
Waltz Book Jam Sunday 3 pm Hilton Pavilion
March
- Saturday, March 8, Williamstown MA (https://northberkshiredance.org/)
North Berkshire Contra Dance with Eric Buddington and calling by Luke Donforth
- Saturday, March 29, 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
August
- Saturday, Aug 16, Lenox MA (www.lenoxcontradance.org/)
Contradance at the Lenox Community Center with Eric Buddington
October
- Saturday, Oct 4, Cooperstown NY https://otsegodancesociety.weebly.com/
Contra Dance with Eric Buddington at the First Presbyterian Church Chapel in Cooperstown