Dave Bartley

Dave Bartley plays guitar, mandolin, cittern, and several other stringed instruments. He has played many styles of music over the years and continues to range over several genres. He has performed throughout the US and Canada, and in England, Australia, France and Greece. It is difficult to count the number of bands in which he plays.

Dave has composed nearly 400 dance tunes. A waltz he wrote and KGB recorded, The Clock Stopped, is used to teach cross-step waltz in much of the US and other parts of the world. A reel he wrote, Vladi on the Trans-Siberian, seems to be popping up at dances and jam sessions all over the place, including on five recordings (see below).

Find Dave's upcoming gigs here.
Dave plays in these bands and on these recordings.
Dave's biography is here.
Contact him for information or bookings.

Calendar and News

October

• Fri, Oct 31, 7:30pm, Sky Leuba, Todd Citron, and Dave play for the Emerald City Contra Dance, Seattle, WA, Sherry Nevins calling

November

• Sat, Nov 1, 7:30pm, Keltoi plays for an SFS concert, Seattle, WA
• Sun, Nov 9, 1:00pm, Wergleyburg plays for the Waltz Café, Seattle, WA
• Sat, Nov 15, 7:30pm, Sky Leuba, Todd Citron, and Dave play for the Bellingham Contra dance, Bellingham, WA, Maya Roe calling
• Wed, Nov 26, 7:30pm, Marni Rachmiel, Dave, and players TBA play for the Lake City pre-Thanksgiving contra dance, Seattle, WA, Lindsey Dono calling

December

• Fri, Dec 5, 6:30pm, Keltoi plays a holiday concert, Vashon, WA
• Sat, Dec 6, Anita Anderson, Sande Gillette and Dave play for a JASNA Regency Ball, Seattle, WA, Laura Mé Smith, dancing master
• Sat, Dec 13, 7:30pm, Brian Lindsay and Dave play for a contra dance, Olympia, WA, Shannon Horst calling
• Wed, Dec 31, 9:00pm, Hayden Stern, Rosie O'Neil, and Dave play for a New Year's Eve contra dance, Olympia, WA, Eric Curl calling

2026

• Sun, Jan 3, 1:00pm, The Tricky Brits play for the Washington Regency Society'sTwelfth Night Ball, Seattle, WA, Laura Mé Smith, dancing master
• Sun, Feb 8, 1:00pm, The Paris Quintet plays for the Waltz Café, Seattle, WA
• Sat, Apr 18, Anita Anderson, Susan Larkin, and Dave play for the Vancouver English Ball, Vancouver, BC, Renée Camus, dancing master
• Fri, May 1 - Fri, May 15, Contra Sutra Trio featuring Ben Schreiber returns to England:
  • Fri, May 1 - Mon, May 4, May Heydays, Evesham, UK
  • Fri, May 8, 7:45pm, Contra dance, Alcester, UK, caller TBA
  • Sat, May 9, 8:00pm, London Barn Dance, London, UK, caller TBA
  • Sun, May 10, 2:30pm, Ashford Contra dance, Englefield Green, UK, caller TBA
  • Mon, May 11 - Fri, May 15, American Spring Contra, Halsway Manor, Somerset, UK
  • Fri, May 15, 8:00pm, Contra dance, Bristol, UK, caller TBA
• Sun, Jun 21 - Sat, Jun 27, Contra Sutra with Ben Schreiber and Richard Scher plays for Lady of the Lake June Week, Lake Coeur d'Alene, ID
• Sun, Dec 27 - Fri, Jan 1, 2027, Dave Langford, Jonathan Jensen, and Dave play for Winter Dance Week at John C Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

Dave is a member of these bands

• The leading edge contra and English band KGB has retired, but their 30 year legacy remains. Claude Ginsburg and Dave will continue to play for contra, English, and couple dance in:
  • Pachelbel's Bazooka with Anita Anderson
  • Wergleyburg with Terry Wergeland
  • GinSu with Marni Rachmiel
• Keltoi - traditional music of Scotland and Ireland, with Richard Hill, Bill Woods, Cameron St. Louis, and Vienna Scheyer (Richard, Cameron, and Dave also play as the Beltane Boys)
• Contra Sutra - An exciting contra dance band with Marni Rachmiel, Ryan McKasson or Ben Schreiber and often a percussionist. Contra Sutra has a few variants, including Condor Sutra with Hayden Stern and Julie Bennett, and Three Piece Sutra with any of various other fiddlers.
• Roguery - A versatile English (and contra) dance band with Anita Anderson, Shira Kammen, and Jim Oakden
• Bag o'Tricks (aka Tricky Brits) - A contra dance and English Country Dance band with Anita Anderson, Betsy Cooper and Sande Gillette
• Joy Street (formerly Valse Café) Orchestra - Viennese waltzes and other ballroom dance music from latin to swing
• The Irish Experience, electric Celtic music
• Bands with fiddler Rodney Miller: SPIN with Anita Anderson; The Intoxicators with Marni Rachmiel
• Dave plays occasionally with Rouge, French cafe music featuring chanteuse extraordinaire Elle Rayor
• Bands with other names and other people.