Montpelier Contra Dance at the Capital City Grange
Presented by the Contra Dance Umbrella
1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays, all year ’round!
(Except right now)
Following guidelines from the CDC and the VT Dept. of Health, the Contra Dance Umbrella (CDU), the volunteer committee which runs this dance series has decided to cancel all dances until public health officials allow close-contact events like these.
Our goal is to help “flatten the curve” of Coronavirus infections, so that we can all get healthy as soon as possible. One of the things we love about contra dancing is the contact with others; unfortunately that is currently an especially efficient way in which this virus can spread! We recommend that people in the dance community stay in touch, and check the Contra Dance page on this Grange website for the latest information.
You can also sign up for the CDU email list, and get periodic updates. Just send an email to: cdu.tim@gmail.com.
Information will also be posted on the Montpelier Contra Dance Facebook Page
We also recommend that, if you can, you go to the website of your favorite musicians, callers and sound-people, and send them some financial support. All of the greatly talented people who perform at our dances, for the pleasure of all, have lost all income from dances and other performances. One place to find a list of people needing support is on the website of the Country Dance and Song Society: https://www.cdss.org/covid19/send-love-to-freelancers
The CDSS also publishes a list of dance series, festivals, weekends, etc. which have been canceled: https://www.cdss.org/covid19/events-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus
Please contact Tim Swartz: cdu.tim@gmail.com with any questions, as we all get through this rough time together.
Posted Oct. 2, 2020
CDU email list: sign up to get email reminders about dances, notifications about cancellations, and other dance info. No information is shared or sold from this list! Email Tim Swartz: cdu.tim@gmail.com
Contra dancing brings joy and laughter and friends into your life. It is fun beyond words. Contra dancing is done to live music – guitar and fiddle and other instruments, playing jigs and reels. A caller teaches each dance, and tells you what to do. You just need to know how to walk! No need to bring a partner.
Contra dances are 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays at 8 PM at the Capital City Grange in Berlin (located on Northfield Street/Route 12 just south of the I-89 overpass), 8–11 p.m. Admission is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for kids or low-income, $15.00 for dance supporters–choose the right price for your budget! We suggest light, comfortable clothing, and bring a water bottle to refill at our water fountain/bottle filler. And please bring clean, soft-soled shoes!
Larks & Ravens–non-gendered role terms
at the Montpelier Contra Dance
We did a trial of using “Larks & Ravens”–non-gendered role terms–at our dance, at the 3 dances in March 2019. We surveyed dancers at all of the dances, and at the first April dance after the trial. There was very strong support for making this a permanent change. The Contra Dance Umbrella decided to make a permanent transition to using “Larks & Ravens”. Starting in January, 2020, we have asked all callers to use these non-gendered role terms.
What the heck is going on? You can find out more here: Larks & Ravens FAQ
We are a friendly and open dance community! Beginners, singles, and all ages are welcome; all dances are taught. Whoever you are, we invite you to come share the joy of dancing with us!
Contra dances are done in lines of couples. All ages -from 5 to 105. Each couple follows the calls, dancing with another couple. After you and your partner have done the dance figures with one couple you do them with the next couple in line. By the end of the dance you have danced with everyone in your set. There are about 9 or 10 dances in an evening. The convention is to ask a different partner for each dance and to ask people you don’t know to dance. You get to hear lively music, enjoy some exercise, meet your neighbors, and build our community. What more could you want!
Please help us preserve our dance floor! Bring a pair of clean, soft-soled shoes, and change into them downstairs before joining the dance on the main floor.
For more information about Contra Dance Umbrella dances, call 802-225-8921 (Tim), or email him: swartztim15@gmail.com.
For information about booking Contra Dance Umbrella bands and callers, contact Dana Dwinell-Yardley at danadwya@gmail.com.
Your admission goes to pay the caller, the band, the sound-person, and rent payments to the Grange. Pay a little more if you can, to provide a little more for the great performers who help us all have fun!
The Contra Dance Umbrella is a volunteer group of Montpelier dancers who organize the CDU dances. If you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or want to know more about the Montpelier dance at any time, feel free to talk with one of these lovely people or call 802-744-2851.
- Dana Dwinell-Yardley
- Kurt Giavara
- Patty Giavara
- Jody Pettersen
- Emma Schoenberg
- Alice Smolinsky
- Tim Swartz
- Todd Taska
- Thomas Weiss
If you’d like to get reminders about upcoming dances, news about special events (New Year’s Eve, Halloween, etc.), plans for Montpelier Contra Dance nametags, and more, you can sign up for the CDU newsletter, by emailing CDU Newsletter. This will come as a Mailchimp email newsletter, and of course you can unsubscribe any time; no one’s name or any other information will be given or sold.
If you’re interested in other dances nearby, visit the Dance Gypsy website (www.thedancegypsy.com), which has lots of local listings for dancing of all kinds!
