English Country Dancing
2nd Fridays - Elks Lodge (2nd floor)
112 N. Pattee St
This fall, on second Fridays at the Elks Lodge, Bev Young, Mark Matthews, and Christa Torrens will teach fun, easy-to-learn, English country dances to live music. Beginners, singles, and couples are all welcome. No experience necessary. Come join us!
Details:
Day: 2nd Fridays, Oct - May
Next Dance: Friday, Dec 8
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Location: Elks Lodge
Suggested Donation = $ 5 - $10
English country dancing, as the name implies, was the social dance of country folk in England and the Colonies. Dances run the gamut from elegant to rowdy, stately to silly, simple to complex, and have fun, varied tunes to accompany them. But country dancing wasn’t only for farmers and milkmaids. Henry VIII enjoyed country dances, as did George Washington more than 200 years later. In fact, if you’ve ever watched a historical drama, such as any film adaptation of Jane Austen’s novels (e.g. Pride and Prejudice), then you’ve likely seen some English country dancing.
A Bit More ...
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Easy to learn, fun to dance. The primary goal of English country dancing has always been to have fun. A simple walking step will get you through most dances. A caller teaches each dance and then prompts while you dance, just like in contra.
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No need to bring a partner. In our dance community, we frequently change partners after each dance, and we make sure everyone who wants to dance gets to dance.
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Beautiful music. One of the many joys of English country dance is the beauty and variety of the music. Each dance has its own tune. Here's the dance and tune, "Juice of Barley."