The Canoe Barn in northern Maine is a long drive from anywhere. The road to it and the nearest town, Willimantec, don’t show up on most maps. Once a year Garrett and Alexandra, who guide remote northern canoe expeditions (and live year-round in a tent), clear the barn of the canoes and host a potluck and dance.
I heard about the dance third hand, and called ahead to make sure I wasn’t crashing a local party. "Please, come. Did you bring a sleeping bag?" proffered Alexandra. I had already found the one lodging option within 20 miles, so I was good.
The renowned Dudley Laufman, his partner Jacqueline, and a clutch of local musicians provided the tunes. Dudley is a committed traditionalist, a direct descendent of the Ralph Page era. He is out of favor with the contemporary contra dance crowd that wants their dances modern and fast. Instead, he calls for community and family dances where many people will get their first contact with this New England social dance.
"This is not a cocktail party! Get up and dance!" No one will ever accuse Dudley of subtlety. First simple movements, then a variant of the Virginia Reel, then a Quebequoise dance that had no progression, but had enough variety of moves to keep it interesting. These were old, traditional dances; if someone had showed up from the 18th century they would have known them all. He ramped up the complexity as he got a sense of the crowd. A two year old girl and a deaf dog weaved through us as we danced.
This was the epitome of the community dance that I sought. Neighbors and friends, gathered in a barn, eating, playing music and dancing together.
(More photos on my Flickr page)
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