Old-Time Family Dance

Through some sleuthing and networking, I found this awesome family in my town who loves old time family dance. They host these dances with family friends and had started some events in town. We paid them a small compensation ($50) for an hour program last winter, before Covid-19 was really big here in the Midwest.

The dances they do feature simple traditional folk dances (lines, circles, squares, etc) that are fun and engaging for kids and their parents! Some are quite simple, others much more intricate and take some practice. I could see this becoming a really popular program series (when the pandemic is less of a concern). The performers brought a banjo, an accordion, and the talented caller, who explained the dances and directed people in their movements.

Our goals during this program were pretty basic:

• Caregivers and children will increase bonding through the activity of dance. 
• Caregivers and children will increase activity and support in their social groups and community.
• Caregivers and children will increase their awareness and opinion of the library as a fun, educational, and safe space.
• Caregivers and children will learn about traditional dance and its benefits.

We set up chairs along the walls for people who needed a short break during the dancing and had snacks and lemonade in the back for everyone to enjoy. Our caller started out the program with one large dance. We all stood in a circle as the caller shouted out activities. If the activity brought you joy, you’d do a movement. Then every five activities she listed, we’d all move inward toward the center of the circle and give a whooping shout. It was a nice way to break the ice and act a little silly. Most of the remainder of the songs were done in two to three lines or formations, with the caller demonstrating each movement before having the participants join in.

The whole program went really well! A lot of people showed up, about 70 in total. We advertised it as an all-ages program, so we had a wide range of ages. Tiny toddlers, school age kids, and even senior citizens! We got a lot of fantastic comments from the program-goers. It was a really great, active program, especially for winter time, when it’s too cold to do much outside here in the Midwest. Hopefully after covid, we’ll be able to go back to doing amazing programs such as this!