What to Expect at a Dance

Our dances have their roots in the traditional community dances of New England: everyone is welcome; no special dress or experience is necessary; and most people will change partners with every dance. If you've never been to a square or contra dance before, you might feel strange at first, but remember, everyone there was a "first-timer" too!

When you first show up, someone will be sitting "at the gate" to greet you and charge admission (currently $6.00). We usually wear name tags to help people get to know each other. After the band warms up, the caller will suggest everyone find a partner and either "line up" for a longways dance or "form a square" for a square formation dance.

The caller will do one or two "walk-throughs", where he tells what "movements" (such as a do-si-do) the dance will consist of, and everone walks through the dance, in order to understand it. Then the music will start and the caller will "call" the dance. The caller continues to call or prompt the dance each time through until he is sure people can do it on their own and can simply dance and enjoy the music. After each dance, most people will find another partner for the next dance. We do mostly "set" dances, either in a square formation (four couples each facing another couple) or a "longways" set (also called a contra dance) where couples line up, as in the Virginia Reel. On a typical night, we might also do a polka, schottish, and/or a hambo (a traditional Swedish couple dance). It's fine to sit out a dance or two if you want a rest. We take a break in the middle of the evening, when we enjoy refreshments brought by our much-appreciated volunteers. The dance will continue until about 10:30, when it is traditional to end the evening with a waltz.

Here are some pointers

• Wear comfortable shoes and cool clothes, even in winter. T-shirts are fine!

• Try to come at the beginning. Although the caller will prompt the dances all evening, we usually start with easier ones.

• You can ask anyone to dance, and anyone might ask you. If there are more men or women, people may dance with someone of the same gender. If you are new, it's fine to ask people who look like they know what they're doing to dance - they'll be delighted!

• Kids! Many of us have them, and they are welcome at the dance. Some of us bring our children in order to expose them to traditional music in a fun atmosphere (even if they would rather build Legos than dance). A motivated child can learn to dance around age 8. There is a foyer adjacent to the dance hall at the Rossford Church where children can play quietly during the dance (and creep into the kitchen to check out the refreshments!) There is no admission fee for kids who only do a few dances.