About Us

Dance Awakening is lovingly put on by the Butler family. We live 8 hours south of the dance camp in the hills above Ventura, at a homestead in Oak Creek Canyon. Shane is a Contractor working for  various neighboring ranches . Kelli is an part time Occupational Therapist and a full time homeschooler for our daughters Casara Moon (14 years) and Teralyn Rain (age 11)and the organizer of Santa Barbara’s Harvest Moon Dance Festival.

 We discovered the dance hall at Harbin Hot Springs back in ‘94 while participating in one of their wonderful workshops. Upon first seeing the hall we knew it would make an excellent location for a dance camp, but we had no experience in this area . We had danced at dozens of dance camps all across the country, and by borrowing many of the best ideas, we incorporated them into the kind of dance camp we would enjoy. Dance Awakening was born.

Kelli is a California native and lover of all types of dance. She has been an avid contra dancer for 16 years. Shane, a Canadian born New Zealander, has been contra dancing for 23 years. He is a carpenter by trade and splits his time working in Goleta and remodeling or home. He recently took over the running of Ojai’s longest running concert series which brings Celtic and Folk musicians from all over the world to perform in lovely Ojai (OCS). Kelli and Shane met at a Pasadena contra dance in ‘93 and recently celebrated their 14th Wedding Anniversary. 

 
T-Shirt design for 2005 by Shane Wilson Butler

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Dance Awakening 2010

Contra music of Quebec!

Although grounded in traditional Quebec rhythms and melodies, Their music is innovative and refreshing.

Tidal Wave, or Raz-de-Marée, with its cross-border personnel, Sabin Jacques and Rachel Aucoin on accordion and piano, New England contradance stalwart Stuart Kenney on upright bass and banjo and with special guest fiddler Claudine Arcand, proves that music not only transcends national boundaries, but brings people together. Prepare to be swept up in this glorious, perfect musical storm.