Country Dance*New York to Host WINTER MELTDOWN CONTRA DANCE, 3/15

Country Dance*New York will present a lively Winter Meltdown Contra Dance on Saturday, March 15, from 8:00 pm to 10:45 pm at Church of the Village, 201 West 13th Street, Manhattan. No previous experience is required and it is not necessary to come with a partner. From 7:30 pm to 8:00 pm there is a beginner's workshop, and the caller walks everyone through the patterns of each dance. Dynamic and spirited music will be performed by the popular dance band, Coracree.

Coracree is a contemporary contra dance band that melds a mixture of traditional celtic, old time, European, and original music played with driving rhythms and a creative, improvisational twist. The band brings together five talented musicians providing joyous, uplifting music: Jane Rothfield, fiddle; Sarah Gowan, guitar; Allan Carr, bass and vocals; Bill Quern, tenor banjo, mandolin, accordion, 5-string banjo; and Joe DePaolo, percussion. Bev Bernbaum, a highly regarded, Toronto, Canada-based contra dance caller, will lead the dance. She is much in demand as a caller throughout Canada and the U.S., and is known for her easy-going style and clear, straightforward teaching, making contra dancing a pleasure for all.

Contra dancing is having a renaissance around the country, thanks to a thriving youth scene; high energy, acoustic music; and joyful, fast-paced, aerobic dancing. There are lots of opportunities for flirting and fun. Contra dancing started in New England in the 1700s, but the modern version is a far cry from the Virginia Reel-type dancing done in schools years ago. The current dancing is done in long lines of dancers facing their partners and moving briskly in patterns to live music, sometimes changing partners.

Admission is $16 for the general public, and $12 for full-time students with ID and Country Dance*New York members. First timers get a free pass to use to come another time. For more information visit the Country Dance*New York website, www.cdny.org or call The Dancephone at 212.459.4080. Attendees are asked to bring a separate pair of clean, soft-soled shoes for dancing.