Welcome to Charleston Folk
September 7, 2021
A message from Charleston Folk:
Cherished Dance Community,
The Board of Charleston Folk had hoped to resume our contra dances this Fall: we miss dancing, and more so we miss all of you! Sadly, we have had to postpone any resumption of dances due to two important issues.
1) We do not yet have a venue secured. The Charleston County School District is very hesitant to have outside groups use their facilities due to infection rates, and other facilities are far too costly to make the dance financially possible.
2) Secondly, the rate of COVID infection in the Charleston area is much too high for contra dancing to be considered safe. Remember that not only is contra dancing face-to-face and hand-to-hand with everyone in the room, it also involves people of all ages and health conditions, and it would be irresponsible of us to ignore the likelihood of contagion.
So we must postpone re-starting of dances for the time being. We will of course continue to monitor the situation closely, along with consultation with the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS), the national organization for contra dance groups. And we very much look forward to the day when we can once again take hands four!
In the meantime, please take good care of yourselves and each other and heed the advice from your health care professionals.
Sincerely,
Paul Mount, President
and the Charleston Folk Board
[When it is safe to dance again....] FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE INFO AND PRICES:
We generally dance the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month. Admission is $8 (cash or check) and the dancing begins at 7:30 pm with a beginners' walk-through. Children aged 6 to 12 accompanied by a paying adult dance for half price ($4). Children 5 and under are free. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. Children who are not able to participate in the dance must stay off the dance floor. Teens 13 and over pay full price, still a deal at $8. Family rate: $25 for up to 2 adults and all your children under 18.
A TIP FOR NEWCOMERS: Don't dance with another newbie. Ask an experienced dancer to show you around. Anyone can ask anyone to dance. It is customary to ask a different person for each dance. By the end of the evening, you will have danced with everyone in the room, and you will see why contra dance is so much fun. : )
More advanced dances will be called as the evening progresses!
SNACKS! Our dance community takes turns bringing finger-food snacks to each dance. Please consider bringing something to contribute to the snack table at the back of the hall.
Please note: Due to our concern for the environment, Charleston Folk will not provide glowsticks at our dances. In lieu of glowsticks, we suggest the use of neon body paint (if desired) for techno contras, and festive clothing. Thank you, and our planet thanks you!
Charleston Folk is a non-profit, CDSS (Country Dance and Song Society) affiliate organization with a mission to promote, sponsor, and encourage participation in American folk dancing and music traditions among people of all ages in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
A message from Charleston Folk:
Cherished Dance Community,
The Board of Charleston Folk had hoped to resume our contra dances this Fall: we miss dancing, and more so we miss all of you! Sadly, we have had to postpone any resumption of dances due to two important issues.
1) We do not yet have a venue secured. The Charleston County School District is very hesitant to have outside groups use their facilities due to infection rates, and other facilities are far too costly to make the dance financially possible.
2) Secondly, the rate of COVID infection in the Charleston area is much too high for contra dancing to be considered safe. Remember that not only is contra dancing face-to-face and hand-to-hand with everyone in the room, it also involves people of all ages and health conditions, and it would be irresponsible of us to ignore the likelihood of contagion.
So we must postpone re-starting of dances for the time being. We will of course continue to monitor the situation closely, along with consultation with the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS), the national organization for contra dance groups. And we very much look forward to the day when we can once again take hands four!
In the meantime, please take good care of yourselves and each other and heed the advice from your health care professionals.
Sincerely,
Paul Mount, President
and the Charleston Folk Board
[When it is safe to dance again....] FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE INFO AND PRICES:
We generally dance the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month. Admission is $8 (cash or check) and the dancing begins at 7:30 pm with a beginners' walk-through. Children aged 6 to 12 accompanied by a paying adult dance for half price ($4). Children 5 and under are free. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. Children who are not able to participate in the dance must stay off the dance floor. Teens 13 and over pay full price, still a deal at $8. Family rate: $25 for up to 2 adults and all your children under 18.
A TIP FOR NEWCOMERS: Don't dance with another newbie. Ask an experienced dancer to show you around. Anyone can ask anyone to dance. It is customary to ask a different person for each dance. By the end of the evening, you will have danced with everyone in the room, and you will see why contra dance is so much fun. : )
More advanced dances will be called as the evening progresses!
SNACKS! Our dance community takes turns bringing finger-food snacks to each dance. Please consider bringing something to contribute to the snack table at the back of the hall.
Please note: Due to our concern for the environment, Charleston Folk will not provide glowsticks at our dances. In lieu of glowsticks, we suggest the use of neon body paint (if desired) for techno contras, and festive clothing. Thank you, and our planet thanks you!
Charleston Folk is a non-profit, CDSS (Country Dance and Song Society) affiliate organization with a mission to promote, sponsor, and encourage participation in American folk dancing and music traditions among people of all ages in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
To get on our email list, send an email to contra-charleston+subscribe@googlegroups.com (no message needed) and then click on the link in the email confirmation you receive.
Learn more about contra at ABOUT CONTRA DANCING or LOTS OF TIPS
Join our Facebook group to receive updates and event invitations!
If you are interested in playing or calling at a Charleston Folk dance, here is more information for Bands and Callers.
If you want to nominate yourself, or someone else, for the Meet Your Fellow Dancer series, please send an email to Russ Leckie at rleck46@gmail.com.
To suggest a theme for a future dance, please contact Paul Mount at charlestonfolkcontraclub@gmail.com.
Learn more about contra at ABOUT CONTRA DANCING or LOTS OF TIPS
Join our Facebook group to receive updates and event invitations!
If you are interested in playing or calling at a Charleston Folk dance, here is more information for Bands and Callers.
If you want to nominate yourself, or someone else, for the Meet Your Fellow Dancer series, please send an email to Russ Leckie at rleck46@gmail.com.
To suggest a theme for a future dance, please contact Paul Mount at charlestonfolkcontraclub@gmail.com.
Love dancing and want to dance some more? Look here for a list of other nearby dances.
