Oct062019
Join us for an experimental contra dance on a Sunday afternoon! Instead of ladies and gents, or even larks and ravens, caller Will Mentor will teach and prompt the dance using positions on the dance floor. You’ll be invited to consider the effectiveness of positional calling and give feedback during the break and after the dance.
Music by Dave Langford and Kristen Planeaux.
All experience levels welcome.
Cost: $10 for all.
Sponsored by the Friends of Greenfield Dance.
Feb292020
Save the date!
Contra Prom 2020 will feature Gaye Fifer and Eloise & Company! More details to come…
May312019
May112019
Many hands make light work when we all come together to help clean our beloved Guiding Star Grange dance hall. Join us for this once-a-year cleaning event.
Mar302019
Dec312018
New Year’s Eve, on a night when you probably have many options, you’ll find that the Guiding Star Grange is offering the best of musicians, callers and YOU, our community. It is a special night to come together and dance in the new year with your friends and dance buddies. It’s always a packed house and high energy.
This year, we have two bands and two callers:
CALLUNA with Jesse Ball, Eileen O’Grady and Gus Cantieni
GUIDING STARS with David Cantieni, Ann Percival, Cedar Stanistreet, Donal Sheets and Mark Roberts
Calling for us are GEORGE MARSHALL and DELA MURPHY.
Cost is $15-$20 ($2 discount for FGD members with membership card)
DESSERT POTLUCK at the break.
As usual, please bring clean smooth-soled shoes to protect our beautiful dance floor.
We strive to be scent and substance free.
Presented for you by the FRIENDS OF THE GREENFIELD DANCE.
Any questions: gro.e1566090610cnadd1566090610elifn1566090610eergf1566090610osdne1566090610irf@s1566090610tneve1566090610
Nov042018
It’s our 23rd annual FUNd raising dance, the FALL FROLIC. Brought to you by the Friends of the Greenfield Dance and including 8 hours of great music, friends, contra dancing and waltzing.
2:00 – 4:30
Music by Blue November (Jesse Ball, Max Newman, and Marta Bartholomew)
Calling by Adina Gordon
4:45 – 7:15
Music by Stomp Rocket (Dave Langford, Bethany Waickman, Glen Loper)
Calling by Bob Isaacs’s Callers’ Workshop graduates
7:30 – 10:00
Music by Center Street (Tim Ball, Rebecca Bosworth-Clemens, Casey Murray)
Calling by Bob Isaacs
Admission: $20
OR Join or renew your Friends of the Greenfield Dance membership for $25 (or more) and get in free!
Food available for sale thanks to the Guiding Star Grange
Dance clothes by Annie Collins for sale downstairs (cash or check only)
Please wear clean smooth-soled shoes to protect our dance floor
We strive for a substance-free/scent-free event
Questions? Contact gro.e1566090610cnadd1566090610leifn1566090610eergf1566090610osdne1566090610irf@s1566090610tneve1566090610
Oct062018
Topics will depend on the interests of the students, but could include flourishes into and out of swings, chains, roll-aways, and more! Teaching by Ryan Carollo and Ashley Tardif will emphasize consent and include techniques to decline flourishes.
This workshop is open to all, but will target intermediate and experienced dancers.
May052018
Many hands make light work when we all come together to help clean our beloved Guiding Star Grange dance hall. Join us for this once-a-year cleaning event.
Stay tuned for more details on how you can help.
Apr072018
All are welcome to join us for the Annual Meeting to learn more about Friends’ activities.
Meeting Location:
Guiding Star Grange
401 Chapman Street
Greenfield, MA
Mar312018
A blue moon and Greenfield’s 6th annual contra prom, what could be better?
When: Saturday, March 31, 2018 7:30pm to 11:30pm
Where: The Guiding Star Grange, 401 Chapman Street,
Greenfield, MA 01301
Who: Hosted by The Friends of Greenfield Dance
Calling by: Gaye Fifer
Music by: The Cosmic Otters- Eric Schedler, Meg Dedolph, & Jonathan Whitall
Admission is $15.00 ($12.00 Students/Seniors)
* Dessert Potluck at the break, please bring something to share; bring a buck or two to throw in the basket to cover snacks that the organizers are also going to provide
* Portraits by Jessica Schultz and Ryan Carollo
This event is for all ages and no partner is necessary
No dress code, but fancy and fun is strongly encouraged
(Don’t feel fancy? We’d rather see you than not, so feel free to don your daily dance duds)
Please bring clean, soft-soled shoes to protect the floor
Kindly do not wear perfume/cologne or other scented products
Questions? Contact events@friendsofgreenfield
A bit about the talent:
The Cosmic Otters make people dance. Starting with a solid rhythmic foundation of guitar and piano, they add inventive twin fiddle harmonies, and finish with juicy, pulsing accordion playing and tasteful percussion. Their tunes are from the British Isles and its relatives – Ireland, England and Scotland with side trips to Cape Breton and Quebec – but definitely their own, with an unshakable drive and playful improvisations that make dancers smile.
Gaye Fifer has been calling and teaching for many years. Her pleasant style and graceful teaching put dancers at ease and set the stage for a great dance experience. Admission is $15.00 ($12.00 Students/Seniors)
For more info, email us.
Mar172018
New to Hambo? This event is designed for you.
Already know how to Hambo? Great! Experienced dancers are encouraged to come as ringers.
Looking to make a night of it? Why not get some dinner in Greenfield after the workshop and come back for the Moving Violations contra dance!
What is Hambo?
That feeling of spinning, counter-balancing with your partner, at times almost airborn – it just can’t be beat!
It is no wonder that the Hambo is one of the most widely performed dances of Sweden and has long been popular among folk dancers of many nationalities. The Hambo contains two parts – moving forward side by side, inner hands joined, and a closed turn which is a little “tricky” in that the partners execute different, interlocking steps.
Apart from numerous historical versions, differences also exist in versions danced widely today–for example, the version danced in the Swedish Hälsingehambo competition tends to be slow and elegant with a relatively strong svikt (dip and lift) while that danced in American contradance venues is much faster with little svikt.
Challenging? Yes! But once mastered, it’s a joy that lasts a life time! Live music for the workshop will be provided by Van Kaynor!
Admission: $10/person
After the Hambo workshop go have a leisurely dinner then come back and dance to The Moving Violations. At the break they will be playing Hambo tunes so that you can enjoy your new skills.
Who Are Jen and Laine?
Jennifer Brosious and Laine Harris first met as a “tour romance” through a professional folk dance troupe, the AMAN International Folk Ensemble, in Southern California many, many moons ago.
For decades they immersed themselves in Scandinavian dance culture, in particular the dances of Sweden & Norway. Taking advantage of numerous opportunities to study with master teachers and tradition bearers, they attended week-long dance camps on both the East & West Coast of the United States as well as traveling for workshops abroad.
One Summer, Jennifer had the opportunity to participate in the Hälsingehambo competition in Sweden with a Norwegian partner, who also happened to be King’s Medal Winner. Competing with 1500 couples, they were among the few honored with a prize for their dancing.
Closer to home, Laine and Jennifer have taught Scandinavian dances, and the Hambo in particular, throughout New England, including 9 years running at the Dance Flurry held annually in Saratoga Springs.
They are fluid dancers and experienced teachers with a light-hearted sense of humor —you’re sure to enjoy learning from them!