Time to Dance REFLECTIONS FROM A CONTRA DANCE CALLER by Terrence Smith
I t happened again last night. I was invited to call the dance and run the sound. It was a Community Dance in a barn outside of town on the 10th Anniversary of the Ely Folk School, where we jammed and potlucked before the dance. I’d been with EFS dances since the start, and recently I have really enjoyed the fruition of all of this time spent working with like-minded friends. In these later years of my folk livelihood, I savor relationships with those who keep the traditions alive, and am grateful for all those musicians who cross my path. I’m out to share the simplicity of creating music and dance and I’m addicted to the joy it brings to all of us. A dancing movement is a winning movement, and the least we owe each other is to celebrate the moment. The Ely Folk School band is a local group willing to play the old tunes for the reward of making the people dance. Our present crew has done over a half dozen dances, and working together is pretty seamless. All of the dances have had that high energy component, with plenty of hooting and hollering, and the band has been champion in putting up with all the commotion. Through the night, things gradually settle a bit, allowing the music to emerge and
Terrence Smith is a local contra dance caller. This essay was written by him on June 9th, 2025 for the Ely Folk School blog . Adapted and republished with permission. Photo: Brett Ross.
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