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WSLR Hosts Community Contra Dance

| Sande Caplin |

WSLR continues their monthly contra dance series on Saturday, April 18 at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center.  Everyone is welcome from experienced dancers to dance newbies. There will be instructional walkthroughs starting at 7:30pm with regular dancing at 8pm. The Terra Ceia Twisters will be providing the music. Tickets are $8 and are available at www.wslr.org or by calling (941) 894-6469.   Students are half price and kids 12 and under are free.

Contra dancing is social interaction, meeting people, and making new friends, set to music.  A caller, usually working with a group of live musicians, guides new and experienced dancers alike through a variety of dances.   A dancer and his or her partner dance a series of figures, or moves, with each other and with another couple for a short time. They then repeat the same figures with another couple, and so on. The figures are similar to those of old-time square dancing. The figures are combined in different ways for each different dance.  The caller teaches each dance before it is actually done to the music. This gives everyone an idea of what to expect so the movements can be easily executed. The caller leads the dances while they are being done to music, so dancers are able to perform each movement to the music.  People of all ages and lifestyles, including children, are welcome. Contra dances are a place where people from many walks of life come together to dance and socialize. Children as young as seven can participate in adult dancing.  First-time dancers will likely find experienced dancers extremely friendly and helpful.

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