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North Berkshire Contra Dance

January 13 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Contradancers spin on the dance floor.
Courtesy photo by Sam Whited

The North Berkshire Contra Dance will hold its monthly community contra dance with family dance caller Paul Rosenberg, and live music from a band led by Berkshire fiddler Eric Buddington.

Local musicians Eric Buddington, Seamus Connor and Jimmy Bergin enjoy tweaking the traditional jigs and reels with collaborative improvisations and forays into ragtime and other adjacent genres. Their music will be lively and cheerful, they say, and attuned to dancers.

Paul Rosenberg focuses on helping newcomers discover the joys of dancing. He is one of the founders of the Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and he has called at festivals throughout the Northeast, but he says he was afraid of dancing until he found contra in his 30s. He will open the evening with simpler dances for newcomers and families with children, gradually building the dancers’ skill level and confidence while having fun. The calling will be gender-neutral.

The music is live, all the dances are taught, and anyone is welcome, with or without a partner — most people change partners for each dance of the evening. Contra dancing is the contemporary face of a living tradition. Both the dance and its music can be traced to roots in 17th century England, France, and Scotland, but have been vigorously mixed and remixed in New England and nearby regions since.

Admission is pay-as-you-can, and barter (like help with cleanup) is also welcome. Covid Policy: For this first post-holiday dance in a season of rising respiratory illness, NBCD will require masks on the dance floor. Because contradance isn’t made to social distance — whoever your partner, you’ll wind up dancing with everyone in the room.

More info »

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Event Details

Details

Date:
January 13
Time:
7:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Event Categories:
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Event Location

North Berkshire dance
906 Main St.
Williamstown, MA

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