BELFAST– On Friday, July 4, experience the fireworks of folk music and dance, by letting your shoes fly at the First Friday Community Dance & Contras. The intergenerational program begins at 6 p.m., when the All Comers Band warms up and chooses tunes. The band is open to all ages, instruments, and skill levels; a collection of tunes is posted at belfastflyingshoes.org. The easy-to-learn community dance starts at 6:30 p.m. and is great for all families, singles, new dancers and experienced folks who love the joy of simple folk dances.
This month’s 8 p.m. contra dance features five beloved local heroes in the trad dance scene. Montville dance caller, Chris Ricciotti, teams up with Belfast’s own Willy Clemetson and Hope-based Elsie Gawler and Ethan Tischler of Springtide, with soundmaster Lincoln Clapp running the board. Willy’s fiery fiddle and foot percussion rises over Elsie’s reverberant cello and Ethan’s guitar rhythms, and when Willy and Elsie bring out the twin fiddle sound, dancers’ hearts will soar. Chris moved to Maine a few years ago, and has dived right into the local community, including the dance & music scene. An early advocate for gender-free folk dancing, Chris is an avid choreographer and boasts a diverse repertoire from throughout the long history of trad social dance. Besides calling for dances all over Maine and far beyond, Chris leads a monthly Midcoast Maine Community Square Dance Party.
The First Church is at 8 Court St. in Belfast. Admission is $15-25 for the whole evening. For just the first hour’s Community Dance, admission is $1 kids/$2 adults. First Friday FAQ, BFS Community Care Policy and other information at www.belfastflyingshoes.org.
Support for Belfast Flying Shoes comes from the Belfast Community Co-op, Belfast Bay Fiddlers, Colburn Shoe, GO Logic, the Green Store and Thomas Fowler PE. Contributors also include grantors, individual donors and other local sponsors. Founded in 2005, Belfast Flying Shoes builds community and cultivates well-being through the joy of traditional music and dance for people of all backgrounds and identities in Midcoast Maine. Among the nonprofit’s diverse programs is a podcast of contra dance music.
