Meet the MaupinFest Judges
Gina Dilg
Jacob Fennell
Jacob Fennell
Gina Dilg is an Appalachian flatfoot and buck dancer, old-time fiddler, and dance educator based in Southwest Virginia. As both a musician and dancer, Gina brings a perspective rooted in the relationship between the feet and the tune. She regularly dances in performances, at festivals, jams, and competitions, and believes that traditiona
Gina Dilg is an Appalachian flatfoot and buck dancer, old-time fiddler, and dance educator based in Southwest Virginia. As both a musician and dancer, Gina brings a perspective rooted in the relationship between the feet and the tune. She regularly dances in performances, at festivals, jams, and competitions, and believes that traditional percussive dance is as much a musical conversation as it is a visual performance.
Gina has taught flatfooting at festivals and workshops across the country, including the Swannanoa Gathering, the Floyd Country Store, Handmade Music School, and the California Bluegrass Association's Father's Day Festival. She was also featured in the PBS documentary Life in Virginia's Appalachia: Flatfooting, which explores the continuing tradition of Appalachian percussive dance.
Jacob Fennell
Jacob Fennell
Jacob Fennell
Jacob Fennell is a Traditional Dance Champion who has won numerous awards and hails from Dickson, Tennessee. Jacob is 19 years old and has been dancing since the age of 6. His flatfoot and Buck-dancing career truly started in 2017 when he apprenticed under NEA National Fellow Thomas Maupin. Since then, Jacob has won a variety of tradit
Jacob Fennell is a Traditional Dance Champion who has won numerous awards and hails from Dickson, Tennessee. Jacob is 19 years old and has been dancing since the age of 6. His flatfoot and Buck-dancing career truly started in 2017 when he apprenticed under NEA National Fellow Thomas Maupin. Since then, Jacob has won a variety of traditional dance awards. These include, but are not limited to: America's Clogging Hall Of Fame National Championship, various Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree titles, various state championships, MaupinFest, and more. Furthermore, Jacob has learned that Buck Dancing and flat footing are more than just keeping time with the music; rather, he stresses the importance of playing the tune with your feet. Jacob has traveled to various workshops teaching this old-time style, such as the American Clogging Hall of Fame Extreme Workshop, the Fontana Clogging Jamboree, Maupinfest, and the National Clogging Convention.
Mason Winfree
Jacob Fennell
Mason Winfree
Mason P. Winfree is an award-winning old-time musician and flatfoot dancer who has earned numerous ribbons, including first-place honors, at bluegrass and old-time fiddlers’ conventions across North Carolina and Southwest Virginia, such as the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention and the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention. Over the years, he has per
Mason P. Winfree is an award-winning old-time musician and flatfoot dancer who has earned numerous ribbons, including first-place honors, at bluegrass and old-time fiddlers’ conventions across North Carolina and Southwest Virginia, such as the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention and the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention. Over the years, he has performed with several groups and has shared his craft by teaching and showcasing flatfoot dancing both nationally and abroad, including on PBS’s Song of the Mountains