All Soles Columbus Contra Dance

Please join us on the beautiful wooden dance floor at First UU!
Homebaked snacks, free childcare , and warm, welcoming dancers.
No partner needed!
[A suggested donation of $7 ($4 for those under age 25) will be asked to fairly compensate our talented bands and callers.]

This is an intergenerational, beginner-friendly, welcoming dance community. Please join us!

Summer Dance Dates

• Saturday, June 28 – Josh Moses of Cincinnati will call with the irrepressible Scalar Scalawags of Ann Arbor, whose music has been described as “a touch of classical meets traditional, Celtic, Eastern European, rock, and pub.” Members include Neil Epstein (piano, percussion), Elisabeth Ashman Epstein (flute, guitar, percussion), Dave Sebolt (whistles, bamboo saxophones, percussion), and Mark Hillegonds (hammered dulcimer, percussion).

• Friday, July 11 – Kate Power of Columbus will call with The Gypsy Stars, a new band on tour from Charleston, WV, consisting of Paul Epstein (fiddle), Paula Bickham (accordian, hand drums), and Rita Ray (keyboard). Hand drums and accordion add a dynamic element to the traditional Celtic, New England, French Canadian, and Applachian tunes that contra dancers love to dance to. Paul is also the fiddler for The Contrarians, one of the region's most popular contra dance bands.

• Saturday, July 26 – Annual Summer Potluck & Contra Dance! Open mic for callers; great music provided by the huge sound of Pocketful O’ Gimmick in their Columbus debut. Potluck at 6:30 (beverages and table service provided, bring a dish to share), dancing from 7:30 to 10:30.

• Saturday, Aug. 16 – Eric Conrad of Columbus will call with the Timbre Wolves, a five-member, high-energy contra dance band playing good old 'old-time' music! Featuring Carl Yaffey on banjo, Jim DeGrand on fiddle, Andy Verhoff on guitar, Sid Omasta on fiddle and mandolin, and Pam Spence on bodhran.

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All Soles Contra Dances are sponsored by the Social Committee of First Unitarian Universalist Church, and attract from between 50 to 100 dancers, one evening a month (the evening varies, so check the dance schedule above). Contra dance is a highly social form of early American folk dance in which partners change frequently, no special dress is required, and almost all ages can learn. It is said about a contra dance that by the end of the evening, you will have danced with everyone in the room!

If you'd like to know more about contra dance, follow this wonderful link: http://www.childgrove.org/gregsarticle.htm

For a photo gallery of contra dancing, check this out: http://www.dougplummer.com/dance/index.html

No partner is required, and all dances will be taught -- no special dance skill or background needed. Dress in lightweight clothing because things will heat up! Please wear clean, non-marking shoes to protect the beautiful new wooden dance floor.

More opportunities to contra dance in Columbus! Big Scioty Barn Dance is a larger, established contra dance community, dancing on the first and third Saturdays from September through May in downtown Columbus. Visit their website to see the schedule of live bands and callers from all over the midwest: http://www.bigscioty.com

For a wealth of information on contra dancing, and a nice tribute to the First UU leadership for supporting the creation of All Soles, visit the new website of First UU's own Kate Power at http://www.powerkate.com

Children who are interested in and able to join in the dancing are welcome.

Childcare is provided for the very youngest at no charge.

Questions: call or email Kate Power -- 614-789-0652 (kate@powerkate.com)

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Last update: 2008-07-08 0025 EDT (kco)