Doubleheader Contra Dance including the “FOOT BALL” on Super Bowl Sunday!
The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will hold a doubleheader contra dance on Saturday and Sunday, February 4-5, 2012 at the Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. Admission to the dances is $7, $5 for HJDS members and $5 for full time students. All dances are smoke, alcohol and fragrance free. No partner is necessary. Families and children are welcome.
Performing for the Saturday event will be The Inexplicabilies from Greenville, South Carolina. The caller will be Terry Doyle. A class for beginners will be held at 7:00pm where the caller will invite everyone to the dance floor to review calls, steps, flow and other helpful ideas to get everyone started on the right foot. The dance will run from 7:30-10:30pm with a waltz and Klondike Bar break at 9:00pm. The Inexplicabilies are David White on fiddle and banjo, Wes Maluk on tenor banjo, guitar, percussion and Joel McConnell on mandolin.
Super Bowl Sunday brings the second event of the doubleheader. It’s the 4th Annual “FOOT BALL”. While the fans of the sport of NFL Football are gearing up for the championship game of the season, contra dancers will gather at the Jonesborough Visitors Center to share potluck lunch starting at noon, waltzing from 2:00 to 2:30pm and contra dance from 2:30-5:30pm. “We did this event last year and surprisingly had over 130 dancers come for the afternoon dance” states event organizer David Wiley, President of the Historic Jonesborough Dance Society. The waltz music will be provided by the featured band of the day “Land of Sky”. The caller will be Beth Molaro.
A special treat at this year’s FOOT BALL will be the Half Time viewing of Super Bowl best and worst TV commercials from the last decade. In addition, a group of local dancers will present their own commercial for contra dance.
The dance will conclude at 5:30pm in plenty of time for dancers to change back over to football fans as the Super Bowl Game kicks off at 6:25pm or attend a post-dance meal and social at the Vega’s Fiesta Restaurant at 1976 11-E Highway in Jonesborough.
Contra dancing is a traditional form of American folk dance that evolved from the long ways country dances popular in English society centuries ago. Contra dance communities now thrive all over the country. There are websites that can direct you to contra dances in most states. The modern contra dances provide dancers of all ages and experience levels with the opportunity to smile, move, connect, flirt and create an evening of dance nirvana with each other. No previous dance experience is necessary. No fancy footwork is required. If you can walk and count to eight, you can contra dance!
Contra dances are community events. At almost any contra you will find people of all ages and all dance skill levels, from young to old, beginner to expert. Contra dancers form a very open and welcoming group of people. You can come alone or with others since it is a tradition to dance with a variety of partners throughout the night. It is perfectly acceptable for either a man or a woman to ask someone to dance. It’s a great way to make friends with someone they haven’t met before. You will find contra dancing a great way to make new friends.
For more information, contact event organizer, David Wiley, at 423-534-8879 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org an the Historic Jonesborough Dance Society on FACEBOOK. |
