LEAF Celebrates the Blues:
Your Spring LEAF 2012 Performing Arts Lineup
From the dark, smoky clubs of Chicago & St. Louis, all the way down through the Hill Country and into the bayous of the Deep South, you'll be introduced to a sampling of Blues artists, intermingled with the diversity of cultural names and faces you've come to love at LEAF.
[Lineup subject to change.]
Come spend your weekend with us and take a tour of music traditions from all over the world. Explore a cultural cornucopia of sounds - a soulful kora from Mali, some fiery salsa from Latin America, a parade of brass from New Orleans, and even a little bluegrass banjo from our own backyard. LEAF has a variety of intimate stage settings ~ Lakeside, The Barn, Brookside Dance Hall, Eden Hall, The Sundance Jam Tent and two LEAFlet Kids Village stages. You lose the crowd at LEAF, and the experience is up close and interactive.
Some of us like to listen, while others like to dance 'til we drop! Twice a year, we create one of the South's largest dance floors in Brookside Pavilion and offer up a healthy dose of Contra, Cajun, Swing, Celtic, African, Latin, Clogging, Hip-Hop, Step Dance, Zydeco, Waltz, and the list goes on and on. “LEAF is the danciest festival that I've been to!" - Dancing Dave
Looking to keep the little ones entertained? The LEAFlet Kid's Village boasts two stages of their own, offering up all sorts of kid-friendly fare, including workshops, puppets, juggling, storytelling, and a sampling of music for kids of all ages. It's a family affair!
Discover a myriad of LEAF traditions by the lake, under the sun & stars, in the mountains. Bring your African djembe and become part of the community drum circle. Hone your pickin' skills with various workshops and jams under the Sundance tent. Lace up your boogie shoes and join the revelers at the Eden Hall late-night dance parties. The opportunities for fun AND learning are nearly limitless - that's why we're here twice a year!
LEAF Contests| FIDDLE STEP DANCE POETRY SLAM
LEAF Fiddle & Step Dance Contest 
Two of the many great traditions at LEAF are the fiddle and step dance competitions that take place in the Sundance Jam Tent. We'd like to congratulate the winners from this May's festival and encourage all of you talented ladies & gentlemen & boys & girls to sign up and participate in the fall!
May 2011 Fiddle Contest winners
Old-Time (i.e. Appalachian-style)
1st – Nathan Taylor (Black Mountain, NC)
2nd – Grayson Wickel, age 11 (Asheville, NC)
Non-Traditional (i.e. non-Appalachian-style)
1st – Will Byers (Black Mountain, NC)
2nd – Kelty Oringderff, age 12 (Maryville, TN)
May 2011 Step Dance Contest winners
American Step Dance
1st - Dane Summers - Durham, NC (Flatfooting)
2nd - Helen Abbott - Asheville, NC (Precision Clogging)
3rd - Ambra Lowenstein - Asheville, NC (Tap Dancing)
Anglo/Celtic Step Dance
1st - Piper Call - Gainsville, FL (Sean Nos Irish Step Dancing)
2nd - Helena Marmolejos - Black Mountain, NC (Modern Soft-Shoe Irish Jig)
3rd - Jen Hyde - Asheville, NC (Highland Fling)
#2 Theresa Davis, Atlanta, GA
#3 Carlos Robson, Cashiers, NC
