Tag Archives: calling workshop

There Might be Cookies; There Will be Dancing

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Shall we contemplate contra dancing in February? The weather is… Oh, enough of the preliminaries! Let’s skip to the good bits.

On Saturday, February 14th, 2026, Steve Howland will call for our Williamstown dance. The evening will open with an introductory lesson for beginners at 7:15, and the main event starts at 7:30. Steve is a cheerful, homespun sort of caller. He’s been calling dances and playing fiddle for years, and has a bunch of fun dances to share. We hope you’ll come!

Music will be provided by Seamus Connor and Alex Moon, and possibly some additional musicians. Seamus and Alex are relatively young and relatively new to contra dancing, and both are enthusiastic musicians, ready to support the dance with a reliable beat and melodic flair. You’ll almost certainly enjoy listening quite as much as dancing.

Someone volunteered to possibly bring cookies. Besides that, here are the double-U(s). (Ws? How do you spell that letter, in the plural, for easy reading?)

–Where: In the Community Hall of the First Congregational Church, 906 Main Street, Williamstown, MA
–When: 7:30PM (7:15 for introductory lesson), on Saturday, February 14th
–Who: Steve Howland calling to music by Seamus Connor and Alex Moon, and you dancing with lots of other, similarly fun and interesting people
–Why: Entertainment we make for ourselves is a fine thing, and so are socializing, good cheer, and a bit of exercise in a warm place on a cold winter night
–How much: $12 – $20 suggested donation; no one turned away for lack of funds
–Role Terms: non-gendered, probably Larks and Robins

AND there will be a Calling Playgroup, from 2-4PM. Come if you’ve any interest at all in learning to call, in seeing what calling involves, or in helping newer callers learn by dancing obediently. This will be in Goodrich Hall, 863 Main St, Williamstown, MA 01267. The main door for the building is under the bell tower, near the driveway. We’ll be in the first floor meeting room, which has a piano. When you walk in, use the door to the left. You can park in the WCMA parking spots or on Spring Street.

As always, you can help us out by printing and posting our dance flyer:

More dancers means more fun.

December 14th Dance — You Need Not be Mathematically Inclined

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On Saturday, December 14th, we’re having another friendly contra dance (it’s just about habitual by now). Maggie McRae will call to music by three out of Four Musicians Walked Into Thirty Two Bars. What more would you like to know?

Where: the Community Hall of the First Congregational Church, 906 Main Street, Williamstown, MA
When: 7:30 – 10:30 PM
Who: You! (And a bunch of other lovely people who also feel like attending a low key social event with live music and dancing as an excuse to move a little while winter settles in)
How Much: please contribute what you can, $12 – $20 suggested.

Maggie McRae will call. Her fun and easy teaching style will help everyone relax and enjoy dancing.  

Music will be provided by three out of Four Musicians Walked into Thirty-Two Bars, a band of life-long musicans who enjoy playing traditional New England tunes, sometimes with their tongues in their cheeks. The three musicians are George Wilson and Rebecca Weiss on fiddle, with Becky Hollingsworth on piano.

For extra fun, we’re hosting a pre-dance calling workshop/practicum in the Williamstown Public Library, from 2 – 3:30. Bring a dance you’d like to workshop calling for in a friendly group setting – or come to see how it works, and help out as a biddable dancer on the floor.

Covid Policy: Please stay home if you feel ill or have cold symptoms. We’ll be glad to see you next month!  Masks appreciated but not required. Be aware that contradance isn’t made to social distance, as whoever your partner, you’ll wind up dancing with everyone in the room. You may wish to bring a spare mask to change into for comfort throughout the evening.

Poster: Help more people find the dance, if you feel so inclined. Print and hang our flier!  Available at  https://northberkshiredance.org/poster/