Steve first danced to the old time Appalachian squares popular at FOOTMAD dances in the early 1980's. He has been calling square and contra dances since Hector was a pup or the the mid-1980's, depending on which came first.  His interest in calling began when he attended several Dance Weeks at the Augusta Heritage Arts Workshops, and participated caller sessions that we offered during those weeks. Since that time he has attended dance weekends whenever possible, collecting dances and enjoying music, dance and time with dancer friends. 

Steve enjoys calling old-time Appalachian squares, New England squares, contras, unusual formation dances and more. He has called community dances in and around the region. And he has been a regular caller of old-time dances at West Virginia's Vandalia Gathering in Charleston and at the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, WV. 

In recent years, Steve has led programs for youth choirs participating in the Appalachian Festival of Young Voices.  And he has been a regular for local programs of historic dances for Civil War / Military Ball re-enactment events.

The Kessinger Brothers, Robin and Dan, are native West Virginians, growing up in St. Albans, where Robin still lives.

Robin’s guitar prowess is widely known. He won the 1985 national flat picking championship in Winfield, KS and won state championships in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia. Robin is a highly regarded guitar instructor, teaching both locally and as a regular at the Augusta Heritage Arts Workshops in Elkins and at Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp in Maryville, TN.

Dan is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. He won the fiddle contest multiple times at the Vandalia Gathering and regularly places highly in the flat pick guitar and mandolin contests as well.