The Reel Thing is a western Connecticut-based band specializing in music for traditional social dances, costumed, authentic colonial dances and music from the 18th century, workshops for children and adults, and community “barn” dances. The group is made up of experienced, professional musicians who have a passion for folk music, dancing and performing.
Fran Hendrickson has been a dance musician since 1977. She enjoys playing for Colonial Social Dancing, Traditional Squares and Family Dances on either piano or accordion, and has recorded with Connecticut groups Jackson Pike Skifflers and Spring Fever. With her husband Chip, she formed the Hendrickson Group, The Colonial Dancing Master, in 1988 to research and publish social dances and music from the second half of the 18th-century from primary sources. Fran recorded several albums of 18th-century dance music to accompany the choreography in Chip’s books. The Hendricksons taught and performed up and down the East Coast, for Loyalist Days in Saint John, N.B., and in France. Their specialty was the Minuet, and Fran continues to give lessons in the Minuet.
Fran was the Coordinator of the Danbury Senior Center for 30 years where, among her duties, she organized a musical band called The Cellmates, (as the senior center was in the historic old Jail) playing continuously from 1984 – 2013. This was a lively group of senior citizens ages 60 into their 90s who played old time music, danced, and sang, bringing joy to all ages. Fran conceived, organized and managed the NOMAD Festival which ran for 20 years, fulfilling a dream to bring an all-volunteer, participatory festival to life, to share with others and to carry on the various folk traditions to the next generation. Fran re-organized her business in 2012 as “Hendrickson Group LLC – The Colonial Dancing Master” to continue her late husband’s research and to perform and present programs on 18th-century civilian life.
Ginny Worrell, the newest member to join the Reel Thing in 2014 plays keyboard and fiddle. A talented musician from New Britain, she grew up in a family dedicated to music. Her mother was a piano teacher and brother and sister both very accomplished musicians too. Her music studies started at the young age of 3 at the Hartt School of Music. Music has always been a huge part of her life as she participated in the Hartt Youth Orchestra, the CT All State Orchestra, and at 13 was the youngest member of the New Britain Symphony Orchestra. For many years, she was piano accompanist for the New Britain Musical Club, the Newington Choral Society, the Plainville Choral Society, Plainville Youth Theater, and a church organist for several local churches. Recently Ginny has been changing her style of music and has had great fun participating in fiddle contests and won 1st place in the Roxbury CT Fiddle contest and 2nd and 3rd places in the Fiddle Festival at the Blandford MA Fair. Ginny performs Irish Music with “Stringing You Along” and is currently studying fiddle with Jeanne Freeman of the Connecticut Academy of Irish Music.