Janet Dillon passing - Announcement by Chris Ricciotti (please forward this to all our dance lists).

[Christopher Ricciotti]

It is with great sadness that I report that on Wednesday, January 25th, 2023, we lost a longtime member of our dance community, Janet Dillon.  She died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family and friends.  Janet was a long time dancer at the Boston Gender-Free Contradancers of Jamaica Plain, MA.  Janet was a member of the Boston Gay and Lesbian Folk Dancers at Harvard University in the late 1970s, and then started dancing with us in Jamaica Plain in the Autumn of 1988, soon after the dance started.  Not only was she a dancer in our community, she also was an organizer and board member in its early days, helping to create the inclusive and welcoming philosophy of our community dancing that continues today.   At dances, Janet would frequently welcome people new to our community by asking them to dance with her. She was passionate about ensuring that everyone who came to our dances felt welcome and warmly included. 

Janet also made a big impact on our community by asking by asking me as a caller, to change the gendered terminology we had initially started with, to gender neutral language more appropriate and relevant to our community.  It was her passion and foresight that was the start of the use of gender-free language at the JP Gender Role Free Contra Dance, as well as the Lavender Country and Folk Dance (LCFD) community, starting in January of 1989.  Thanks to the passion and foresight of dancers like Janet, this idea of gender-role free terminology has now spread beyond our community, to dances all over the country.  

Janet was also passionate about singing, leading and sharing rounds at LCFD dance camp and other song and dance related events.  Her love of song and dance were passed down to her daughter Ani and her grandson Avian who joined her at our dances over the years, 

For those who would like to pay their respects, visiting hours will be held this Tuesday January 31st 4pm - 8pm at the Mann & Rogers Funeral Home, 44 Perkins St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.

As we continue to share our joys of singing and dancing together, remember Janet, and all those wonderful folks who have passed from our community over the years, each one a blessing.