WSLR Kicks off Second Season Hosting a Monthly Community Contra Dance
WSLR continues their monthly contra dance series on Friday, October 16 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. Shwadevee, from Southwest Florida will provide the music for this Dance. The band’s three members: Debra Zanders on fiddle, Rich Blasich on Dulcimer, Mandolin, Tenor Banjo and Dwight Sullivan on Rhythm Guitar, share almost 90 years of experience in Contra Dance music. That’s a lot of Jigs, Reels, and Waltzes! Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets are available at www.wslr.org or by calling 941-894-6469. Students are half price and kids 12 and under are free. The next two dances will be held on the third Friday of the month: November 20th and December 18th.
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.
For information contact: David Beaton, 941-894-6469
photo from YouTube, Christof1887’s channel