We are planning some good times and taking a slightly different approach.
~~17 Hours of Dance and Extraordinary Music ~~
~~7 Hours of Workshops! ~~
We are going to try something different. No bands. That's right. Each contra set during the Dawn Dance will be about 1 hour and will look and feel different each time. A different caller will call each set and a different lead musician will pick the style and tunes while being joined by an ensemble of other talented musicians. So each set will have a unique flavor to make sure you can keep your feet moving till Dawn!
Our lead musicians are Edward Howe, George Paul, Rob Zisette, Mitch Reed, Sammy Wetstein, Samuel Foucher, Alex Wilder, and Logan Duys. We are expecting a few surprise guests as well. Bios can be found here.
Our callers are Bob Isaacs, Terry Doyle, Sue Gola, Kenny Greer, Amanda and Rob Setili, Stephanie Marie, Elijah Jaime, and Katie Zanders. Bios can be found here. Calling terms will be Larks and Robins.
Friday
10:00a Folk School Opens to Dancer Arrivals
12:00-4:00 Workshops/Self-Organized Excursions
4:00-6:30 Dinner
6:30-8:30 Contra Medley #1
8:30-9:00 Snacks/Waltz
9:00-10:30 Contra Medley #2
10:30-12:00a Bonfire/Songs/Snacks
Saturday/Sunday
9:00a-10:00 Waltzing
10:00a-12:00 Contra Dance
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-4:00 Workshops
4:00-6:30 Dinner/Rest/Quiet
6:30-7:00 Stretch and Fun
7:00-11:45 Dawn Dance Contra
11:45-12:45 Break
12:45-7:00a Dawn Dance Contra
7:00a-5:00p Stay and Rest, Depart by 5:00pm
Bring your instrument and play some tunes with us for one set of the dawn dance! Tunes will be selected from this list. Come early to practice a little before the dance.
You know how when you go to a dance weekend or a festival, and you have these important life conversations with folks, somewhat randomly? Sometimes these unplanned conversations about relationships, life, and struggles can lead us to make different decisions in our lives. We wanted to create a weekend where we dance, eat, and talk together intentionally about things that matter. Workshops will be led by multiple people to provide a variety of topics to dive into. More details to come. Topics will include dance techniques and culture, as well as personal development discussions such as finding your groove in life. The intention is to be reflective and explore your personal development to discover some ways to live a more joyful life off the dance floor.
We encourage folks to eat locally (restaurants 5 min from the folk school) and to bring your own food to eat and maybe create some potluck style meals with each other and share your favorite recipes ;) There are kitchens available for cooking and food storage. We are working on a food truck/catering onsite, let us know if you are interested when you register.
The Appalachian Folk School, 3142 Divide Rd, Mountain City, TN 37683.
Mountain City is situated northeast in one of the highest valleys in the state of Tennessee. It is surrounded in lush forests and mountains. Very close to the White Mountains, which has one of the most beautiful views in the US. The city also has an interesting history. One fun fact is that the town is the site of the first Fiddlers Convention, which is considered a landmark event in the modern history of Appalachian music, and contributed significantly to the development of country music.
More info on local adventures to come.
There are a few options where you can stay:
It takes a village! Help us pull off this event in exchange for a reduced ticket. There are many ways to contribute through
This event is inspired by the Dawn Dance that was hosted in Battleboro, VT for many many years. Read the interesting and well documented history of the dawn dance here. Here is an excerpt -- "There is evidence of late-night social dancing in America, going back at least as far as the 18th century. John Quincy Adams noted such events in his diary in 1787: “…At about seven o’clock we met at the dancing hall, and from that time till between three and four in the morning we were continually dancing.” Numerous other references to after-midnight dancing can be found over the next two hundred years."
Come dance till dawn with us!