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Contra Dance in Peterborough NH on Saturday January 4th.This dance features Steve Zakon-Anderson calling with music from Anadama - Amelia Mason (fiddle), Emily Troll (accordion), and Bethany Waickman (guitar).
The dancing begins at 8:00 PM.
Workshop for dance basics at 7:30 PM.
Admission is sliding scale $12-20.$30 family, or pay what you can.
Gender neutral roles will be used for this evening, Larks and Robins
This is a mask optional event.
Contra dance is a fun, easy style of folk dance which has flourished in New England since the 1700s. Partners form lines and dance a short sequence of steps with their neighbors. Over the course of the dance, each couple travels the length of the line and dances with every other couple. Dancers are welcome to bring a partner or a group of friends but it’s not necessary – traditionally, dancers are encouraged to change partners throughout the evening.
Steve Zakon-Anderson wandered nervously into his first evening of contra dancing, in Francestown NH in 1980, completely unaware how it would alter his life. He was instantly “addicted”, began calling for contras three years after that, and has not slowed down in the 40 years since. Steve has been a regular caller for dances at the Peterborough Town House since 1985, as well as traveling widely to dance events, camps and festivals. He has called dances and taught workshops in calling, contra dancing and couples dancing, in almost every state and numerous other countries as well. Steve is appreciated by dancers for his clear teaching, energetic calling and sense of humor.
Anadama is a Boston-based contra dance band and the product of “that one time at folk-dance camp.” Amelia Mason (fiddle), Emily Troll (accordion), and Bethany Waickman (guitar) first made music together in the wild woods of Plymouth, Massachusetts while working at Pinewoods Camp in 2007. After many blissful summer afternoons spent jamming under the trees, the trio decided to take it on the road, and have since been touring the US and Canada, bound by a shared love of cheese, beer, and country radio.
Anadama finds its roots in the traditional music of New England, Ireland, and Quebec. Held aloft by the dark pulse of Bethany’s open-tuned guitar, the trio has no need for a bass or drums. They infuse old and new tunes alike with a distinctly modern kick, fiddle and accordion woven together in tight, driving harmony. It is dynamic, earthy music, all—from sweetly rolling jigs to breathless, freewheeling reels—played with vigor and honesty, and dance at its heart. In April 2020 Anadama released their debut album, Way Back When.
The dance takes place in the historic Town House in Peterborough, NH at 1 Grove Street. For more information call 603-547-5831 or visit www.facebook.com/peterboroughcontra, or www.monadnockfolk.org. The Monadnock Folklore Society has presented contra dances and concerts of traditional music since 1982.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
1 Grove St, Peterborough, NH, United States, New Hampshire 03458
