The NYC Barn Dance - bringing people together to have a great time dancing to great music!!!
The caller, musicians, and dancers will always welcome newcomers to our dance party!!!
The NYC Barn Dance was created by David Harvey in October 2006 as a monthly event designed to give New Yorkers an opportunity to experience through dance the traditional dance music being played in the city and elsewhere. This experience stands in stark contrast to how this music is often experienced in NYC: at spaces where dancing is difficult or prohibited. Solid turnout, strong reviews by attendees and musicians, and the recent award of a New York State Council on the
Arts grant have all served as proof that the event is a welcome and valuable addition to the New York City social landscape.
The Barn Dance is a fully participatory, traditional, social dance event, and attendees are invited to participate as dancers regarldless of experience, and in some instances they participate as dance callers and musicians, as well. The traditions featured at the event thus far have included New England, Southern, Mid-Western, Irish, and Cape Breton Scottish. Dances led by callers include traditional squares, circles, contras, whole sets, quadrilles, and waltzes, and step dancers demonstrate and teach traditional solo dance styles that correspond to the music tradition featured that evening. Musicians play traditional dance tunes featuring the fiddle, with accompaniment including guitar, banjo, mandolin, accordion, upright bass, and piano.
The focus of the event series is to offer a dance program that is at once traditional, inclusive and engendering of community. Minimal skill and no experience to join the dance, but the dance imparts both. We offer the microphone to callers who are competent, knowledgeable, and supportive of newcomers, and the stage to talented musicians who continue a tradition of dance music or who wish to sit in with the band. In short, we attempt to create community at all levels of the event by creating an environment where existing groups can come to celebrate community, and where a new community can be formed which can be celebrated further elsewhere.
New to this year's program is an open session of old-time music preceding the dance which all interested musicians are invited to join. All others are invited to come out early to enjoy this music before the dance begins. Through this we hope to further support and promote the old-time music community in NYC as well as introduce musicians to the enjoyment of playing for dancing or dancing themselves! Who knows? Dancing may become an integral part of the session as well!
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The caller, musicians, and dancers will always welcome newcomers to our dance party!!!
Dances like the Virigina Reel can be danced by anyone! All dances are taught, so no experience is necessary!!
No need for a date! Come alone, bring a friend, or, better yet, bring everyone you know!!
The caller has experience with beginners and frequent dancers, so don't hesitate to come out and give it a try!!!
Better keep every second Thursday of the month open, because we're sure you'll want to come back!!!
Our musicians are experienced dance musicians, and play with gusto and drive! Perfect for dancing!!
Over the course of the year we plan on featuring musicians and step dancers that represent a variety of traditional musical styles including Southern Appalachian, New England, Irish, Cape Breton and French-Canadian.
A core of paid musicians lead the band but they are also invited to bring fellow musicians to join in at their side.
We hope to create a community of musicians as well as of dancers!
If you or your band are interested in performing, let us know!