I’m still in recovery today after spending a wonderful time last evening at a small hall at the East end of Vancouver at an Old Time dance.  The event included a real live caller (The amazing Charlaine Slaven from Seattle), a real live band (Shout White Dragon, with banjo, fiddle, guitar and bass) and a large enough throng of humanity, old and young and very young, to stuff the hall with happy energy for 3 hours of fun and bouncing around to the old rhythms.

Old Time Dances are a rare and needed commodity in our world – that of the disconnected urban environment where communities have become unknown and neighbours are strangers.  These events have been designed and honed into a way for people to melt together into a common group who show the best side of their humanity to each other and then leave the evening with this imprinted on their minds and bodies.   A significant group of participants at the dance have been there before and start the evening with smiles and a bounce in their step.  Strangers (you can tell them by their distance and scowls) start out on the outside, fearful of looking like fools and fearful of the strangers and the environment that they’ve been dragged into. (ick!).

Charmaine, the WonderCaller

The caller invites people to the floor and the experienced ones jump at the opportunity dragging the less reluctant with them.  The others watch.  Squares form and people call out, “We need 2 more here”, “We need a couple here”.  Gradually more skeptics are coaxed out.  Now the caller does her magic – first some introductions – “Bow to your partner and say “Hi”", simple “join hands and circle left” and then 10 minutes of “OK, here’s what we’re going to try…”.

People are confused but others smile.  Charmaine, the caller jokes with everyone.  People relax.  Now it starts.  The band kicks in and bedlam ensues.  Some squares move like a tuned clock.  Some move like a car with a flat tire.  Some stutter and crash.  The caller takes over, simplifying the calls until all of the squares start moving nicely.  People smile.  Those on the sidelines are curious, some now envious.  With the simple strong beat of the music, nobody is distracted – no texting is occurring in the hall!

Shout White Dragon - The engine that pulls the train

First dance is done and everyone is talking and sweaty.  Rinse and repeat. After an hour, the hall more represents a steam bath than a polite tea party.  Almost everyone in the room has had a few dances which means that the floor is now jammed with groups of 8, formed into approximate squares, the more experienced quickly teaching the novices which way to turn.  Mistakes become jokes and when the squares stall, people start improvising, laughing all the time.

By the end of the evening, no one is a stranger.  No one will pass by anyone here on the street and not smile at them and maybe even say,”Hi” and “Thanx for the dance”.  It’s hard to hate your neighbour when you’ve seen them laughing while they’re Doe-See-Doe’ing arm in arm with other strangers, now friends.

This is how to construct a community!  The method is centuries old, designed by people for people.  It makes strangers into acquaintances into friends into partners into…..families.

Old Time Dances are thankfully enjoying a resurgence all over North America and further.  If you hear of one in your area, get down to the hall, stick your head in and I dare you to not be swept up in the joy.