“I never imagined that the fanciest footwork in this dance would be in the planning,” said my co-organizer, after I told her our sound technician had tested positive for COVID-19 that morning. She was referring to my flurry of activity in the last two weeks leading up to our August 25 Open Band Contra Dance in Central Park, Burnaby. After our original dance caller fell ill, I had found a substitute caller who happened to be passing through town on her way home to Mayne Island. Due to forecasted heavy rain on our event date, I’d also worked with a City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Culture administrator to change our dance to Sunday Aug 25. So many unplanned surprises! Now we were going to be without our sound technician, who was also responsible for providing our sound amplification system!
Was this dance going to happen? I thought about the many people who were involved: There was the 16-person strong volunteer team, taking responsibility for everything from event signage, promotion, and equipment, to refreshments and even billeting of our dance caller. There were the 18 folk musicians who had been learning, practicing, and preparing sets of traditional Irish, French Canadian, and American jigs and reels that would be enjoyable to dance to. And the 235 individuals who had registered to attend, or indicated their interest in attending, on Facebook and Eventbrite. So many community members were involved this year! Many of the volunteers and musicians had been preparing for a few months already. I needed to take their baton and get us to August 25th. I picked up my phone: “Hi Tim, I need your help.”
On the day of our dance, a caravan of dollies and wagons descended on the field between the glistening south pond of Central Park, the gravel pathway, and the traffic of Imperial Street, visible through the gaps in the bushes. As we began to set up our tables and shelters, the sun emerged from the morning clouds and dried the few drops of remaining rain from the grass at our feet. Armed with our experience from the previous year, our setup was finished quickly. This time, we had an informational table with signage and educational material. For games, we had the marshmallow war, badminton, giant bubbles, and a beanbag toss. I watched as attendees introduced themselves to each other before sitting down to listen to the musicians jamming in a circle.
The sun remained bright and warm as the substitute dance caller stepped up to the microphone to begin the dance. The dancers walked through the do-see-do, the partner swing, the right hand star, the promenade, and the allemande left–all common moves within contra dancing. Experienced dancers partnered with new dancers to guide them through moves. As the lead fiddler, I sat in my usual place, at the front of the open band, visible to the rest of the musicians and the caller, ready to cue the musicians to change tunes. The line of paired dancers stretched from the front of the band towards the back of the field. “Is the band ready?” the dance caller asked. “Yes,” I replied, before giving the four beats on my violin that set the tempo, otherwise known as the “four potatoes.” And the dance was off! Throughout the dance, three guest dance callers had a chance to lead a dance, including a new caller. The band’s preparation was apparent – all the musicians played as one – and the music was lively and energetic, just perfect for lifting dancing feet high up off the grass.
As the dance concluded, and the last notes of the waltz faded into the trees, I leapt into action from my stool. Last year I’d accidentally missed the chance to introduce the open band members, and I didn’t want to make that mistake again. I also had honoraria to disseminate to the leaders who had made the event possible – to show I appreciated them. Organizing the dance this year had been a different experience than in previous years. I had encountered the challenges of illness and weather, and relied heavily on co-organizers and volunteers. I had also felt the pressure of continuing the momentum that the previous event had sparked. Once you’ve taken some steps forward, it’s not easy to stand inert. As we packed up our equipment and instruments, people expressed their gratitude: “This was a wonderful way to celebrate the power of dancing in bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together,” said one. “I enjoyed the inclusive community feeling, plus getting to dance and play music outdoors in our brief summer window of opportunity,” said another. Many people especially cherished the mother-daughter pair who volunteered to demonstrated traditional Indian folk dancing during our intermission. The teenage daughter had giggled in embarrassment while her mother, bright eyed and confident, deftly completed the steps for the audience. Now that was an unplanned surprise we all welcomed!
Thank you Neighbourhood Small Grants for your financial support!
Photography Credit: Gloria Rogers