Once again, great contra dancing with live music and calling, this Saturday, April 20th, at the Grange Hall. We'll start with a newcomers' instruction session at about 7:45, led by Mary Wesley, the dance caller for the evening. If you are new to this type of dancing, or just want a refresher, come at 7:30! We'll follow this with 3 hours of fun dancing starting at 8:00. Live, rhythmic and exciting music will be provided by Russet Trio.
Mary Wesley, a native Vermonter who was a regular at this dance series before she started calling in 2008, has called here often, and we're happy to have her back! She calls at series and festivals around the country, too. She also works at the VT Folklife Center.
The band for this dance is "Russet Trio". The group includes Aldo Lavaggi on fiddle, Stuart Kenney on upright bass and banjo, and Peter Madsen on guitar and percussion. Based in the Hudson River Valley, their musical roots include Celtic, Appalachian and Blues. Their tunes are played with "generous swing, high energy, and groove!"
Contra dances with great live callers and bands like these are presented on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturday evenings, at the Capital City Grange Hall in Berlin. The Hall is located 6612 Rt. 12 (aka Northfield St), Berlin VT 05602 (for GPS) just south of the I-89 overpass, a mile from downtown Montpelier. The Contra Dance Umbrella, the volunteer committee which puts on the dances, wants everyone to come and have a good time. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids and low-income. Or be a dance supporter and pay a bit more--all of the money goes to the caller, the band, and the sound person, plus rent to the Grange.
We suggest light, comfortable clothing, clean soft-soled shoes to protect the beautiful dance floor, and a water bottle to keep hydrated--you can fill it at the water fountain/bottle filler. Come by yourself and find partners at the dance, or bring your friends!
Whoever you are, we invite you to share a warm evening of friendly, social, high-energy dancing! Questions? Call Tim Swartz at 802-225-8921 for more info, or see the Contra Dancing page on the Grange website: http://capitalcitygrange.org/dancing/contradancing