Barn Dance:
Dudley Laufman
run a public barn dance. Here in New Hampshire we play for barn dances all
the time, but they are almost all private events...weddings, family
reunions, school dances etc. Whatever public dances we do are always billed
as "contra" dances, even though we do not do contras, at least not of the
modern sort. If we do contras they will be like Lady of the Lake, Pop Goes
The Weasel, The Tempest. Mostly what we do are the various and sundry
Virginia Reels, Portland Fancy, Paul Jones, and some old time NE square
dances, polkas, schottishes, waltzes We do not like to use the word "contra"
because that is not really what we do. But most of the public dances we
do...the sponsors somehow are afraid of the word "barn", or "old time square
dance" so somehow the word "contra" gets slipped onto the billing.
THE BAHN DANCE
Dudley Laufman
If a modern urban contra dance were held in a barn, would it be called a
barn dance? I doubt it.
If a modern western square dance were venued in a barn, would it be called a
barn dance. Probably not.
What about an old time eastern square dance? Possible.
Or a rock & roll party? No way.
The Concord Scottish Dancers sometimes dance in Dr. Black's barn, but I
never heard them call it barn dancing. Heaven forbid!
Most people think a barn dance is where folks come dressed like cowboys and
there are bales of hay etc. The program consists of various and sundry
reels, two steps, circle dances. If a caller is present, some square dances
might be done. If it is in Maine, most likely a Lady of the Lake is
attempted. John Reay says in his BARN DANCE BOOK, "...it means an evening of
older social dances....". Even if the dance is held in a gym, some folks
will call it a barn dance, and decorate with cornstalks, bales of hay, and
pass out cowboy hats and red neckerchiefs at the door. But these trappings
are not really necessary. It is the dances that are done that make it a barn
dance, say as opposed to a contra dance or whatever.
We used to go to a dance at Folkways Studio held on summer nights at Bell's
Studio in Peterboro, NH. It was in a barn with a spring floor. (This was
without a doubt THE best dance I have ever been to. Ralph Page and Gene
Gowing were the callers. The music was by Page's Orchestra ... Dick
Richardson, Russ Allen, fiddles, John Twombley, piano, Junior Richardson,
bass, Bob McQuillen, accordion. The music, calling, dances, dancers, spring
floor, old wood, created a very rich tapestry.) The program was mostly
square dances, many of them singing calls, but with several contras ...
Hull's Victory, Durang's Hornpipe, Money Musk, Lady of the Lake, and some
couple dances. We never said we were going to a contra dance. Or to a barn
dance. Many said they were going to the square dance. Some would say they
were going out to dance at the barn.
In Scotland they had the Kirn. "They took place in the barn ... and began
with a supper of curds and cream, after which there was dancing, the floor
was treated with French chalk or candle scrapings, seating provided by
planks supported on chairs, decorations of evergreens and cornsheafs. After
supper dancing began with a Circassian Circle. Music was by a fiddler who
sat at one end of the room."*
In the 1600's on the frontier of New England's wilderness barns were not a
priority at first. What livestock they had, goats, sheep, poultry, were kept
in their homes, which were cabins. When they did get around to building
barns, they might have had a dance the day it was built, but after that the
structure was for housing cattle, horses, pigs, hay, grain, and wagons.
Dancing was done in the home. (At Mistwold Farm when I was a kid, we had
three barns to choose from, but we never danced in them. Cows, tractors,
hay, sawdust, etc took up the space. We always danced in the kitchen, and we
never called our dances barn dances, even though they were the dances
usually associated with a barn dance.)
Some barns have been built especially for dancing. More often old barns were
remodeled, some even winterized. They were named after their owner ... ie
Fortune's Barn, Bedell's Barn, or after some landmark like the Painted Barn.
Many of these still exist today, but not many are used for dancing.
Folks from the flatlands buy a country place for a summer home or even year
round, and, after cleaning out the old barn.. Wouldn't it be quaint to have
a barn dance..and we get the gig. Many times they try it in November and the
frost is heavy, maybe even snow. No heat in the barn except maybe a gas
blower. Too many Currier & Ives prints for an influence. In spite of all
that, we always have a good time.
We have found for many of the dances we play for, public or private, that
Barn Dance is a good name for what we do. Many times we do not have any
duple progressive contras, or any square dances on the program. Saying it is
a contra dance or a square dance is not honest advertising for an evening of
various and sundry set reels, Portland Fancy, Paul Jones, waltzes and
polkas. Barn dance covers the bases pretty well, no matter where the dance
is held. Except in a kitchen.
Person called the other day said they wanted to have a contra dance outdoors
or under a tent if it rains. Do you want a real contra dance or a generic
contra or square dance? What's the difference? A real contra dance is for
folks who take it seriously and do just contra dances, some of them
difficult. A generic contra or square dance has Virginia reels .... That's
what we want, Virginia reels like when I was a kid. We had a woman here last
year, she must have been a real contra dance caller, spent all her time
teaching us stuff, when we just wanted to clap our hands and stamp our feet
and holler and have a good time. Tried her again this year cause we didn't
know anyone else, she said she couldn't do it, recommended you, can you do
it. No, says I, already booked, can you change the date? No, says she, can
you name some other callers? Not really, says I, although there are a few
coming along who are catching on. Wish you could change the date, we would
love to do it; book us now for next year, etc.etc.
Happened to be talking with their caller from last year, asked her if she
used Virginia reel type dances. Sometimes, but most of them are boring and
not challenging. I like to do challenging things,** and besides, if I can
get one, only one, person excited enough to come to a real contra dance,
then the contra gods will have been served.
What about the barn dance gods?
Well anyway, if you can deal with the barn dance, the old time square dance,
here is a sure fire formula of what to do for a program.
If the person hiring you says, Oh we went to a contra dance in East Concord
and really had such fun and we want to have a private party in our barn with
you to teach us; there will be kids and people who have never danced before
and we will have wine and a keg, a real party and you can teach us to contra
dance. Right off you will know the drill. Either tell them no you will not
teach them to contra dance like they danced in East Concord, but you will
get them to dance some reels, etc. Either that or say, yup, you bet, we'll
be there and show you. And just go and do the Virginia Reel etc. What with
the beer etc. they will not know the difference.
When you have gigs like this do not think of the dancers as beginners. They
are not beginning anything. The dances you do are not in preparation for
anything else up or down the ladder of dance. These dances are an entity
unto themselves. They have their own life.
So what you want to do are the various and sundry Virginia Reels, Brandy,
Portland Fancy, Paul Jones, Big Circles and La Bastringue, Grand March and
circle.*** Don't waste time trying to teach everyone how to swing. Just let
them have a go at elbow hooks and all that. Don't teach anything. Just do
it. When you have done the above dances, don't be afraid to do them again.
Kids are always asking can we do that again? You bet.
_________________________________________
*from Traditional Dancing In Scotland by JF and TM Flett
**Someone once said to me when we had the Canterbury Orchestra playing, too
bad to waste such great music on these simple dances. Nonsense. The music is
never wasted, even if it is only a couple of fiddles and tapping feet.
***These dances can be found in the Community Dance Manuals, and BRANDY,
WHITE MOUNTAIN REEL (Laufman)
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www.laufman.org
TWO FIDDLES
Jacqueline & Dudley Laufman
PO Box 61
Canterbury, NH 03224
603-783-4719
lau...@totalnetnh.net
Aylwen Garden
everything a bush dance - when we do contras, waltzes, schottisches,
mazurkas, polkas, quadrilles and heaps more!
We are labelling our dances differently - next one up is a Winter Solstice
Dance that falls directly on the 21 June - mid-winter here in Australia.
Many thanks,
Aylwen Garden
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http://www.earthlydelights.com.au
Music, Dance & Costumes
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LaBerge
Great to read your post and descriptions of barn dances up your way.
I'd call one every weekend if I could and have done it on many a
freezing night when everyone danced them all 'cause it's the only way
to stay warm. There being still pretty many barns in SE Pennsylvania,
we've zeroed in on some really good ones over the years. Bank barns with
the
horses down below. We had a regular barn dance years ago where we lived
and the musicians played around a coal stove and we danced well into
Winter. We were younger then, but don't seem to have learned any better.
Simple dances do it, as generally these folks may only dance a few times
a year. I understand why, but am fairly immune to the demanding nature
of some who dance a lot. Doing the Virginia Reel for the millionth time.
Boring? If you're connecting with the music, your partner and some other
folks in the set, that's always been enough for me.
For me, variety is the spice, so I try to give em Reels, Big Circles,
Southern
Squares, Quadrilles, Waltzes and maybe a Polka or Schottische if the
band
is up for it. If I'm lucky, I can have dances in 8-10 barns a year.
Tonight is
one for a birthday party in a fancified barn (sanded and varnished
floor).
But even with that, the "feel" is right and a good time will be had.
Another one a few weeks ago is an annual barn dance known to many in the
old-time music community hereabouts. Everyone brings their best dish
and food and beverage is always top notch. People ask me when the dance
is going to start and it's always just when we get around to it.
Counted 14 musicians playing in a circle for the dance - a monstrous
sound that
required no amplification. We danced 3 1/2 hours straight and I burned
out before the dancers. Enthusiastic teens to geezers whooping it up.
The keg flowing
and the occasional snort of distilled beverage to clear the throat.
Simple needs.
Hard to get that same feel at a public dance in a gym or Grange Hall,
though
it can be done and I know that you and Jacqueline get it done in many
a different venue. So, I applaud the California "Barn Dancers" and hope
to check it out personally. Found out recently that there are proponents
of this style, who do a Barn Dance at The Cecil Sharpe House in London,
which
I suspect is not too reminiscent of a barn. But here again, I think it
is the "style" that they're referring too.
On the other end of the spectrum, we did a recent dinner dance at a
fancy restaurant where ties were required. A friend came by, but was
turned away at the door
because he didn't have a tie. He went back to his car and came back
shortly with some jumper cables tied around his neck. The maitre'd
looked
at him and allowed that he could come in, but he'd better not try to
start
anything. Ba-dump bump bump.
Barn dance gods, eh. Sounds good to me.
Best to you and Jacqueline,
Pete LaBerge
Peter Jackson
> Whatever public dances we do are always billed
> as "contra" dances, even though we do not do contras, at least not of the
> modern sort.
Where are these dances advertised and are any in the direction of East Mass?
We have recently moved here from UK and we miss the variety of the
Ceilhd/Barn Bance and find the intensity of the Contra scene a little
overpowering.
S Miskoe
calendar. Boston and environs have many dances.
Sylvia Miskoe, Concord, NH
Dudley Laufman
are public events. For the mosr part, Bahn Dances are the order of the
event. cheers, Dudley
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Upcoming dances:
June 27 Eagle Square, Concord
July 19, August 2 & 30 Tamworth
Sept 1 Canterbury Kitchen Junket
Dance schedule on our website www.laufman.org