VOORHEESVILLE — Two of the area’s leading proponents of traditional dance, Old Songs Inc. with underwriting support from Homespun Occasions, host a new season of Old Songs Community Dances, starting Saturday evening, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m.

Admission is $8 per person; children age 12 and under get in for free.

New this season, a potluck for desserts and snacks will be held during intermission.

The first dance will feature caller Paul Rosenberg and music by Will Welling & Tamarack at the Old Songs Community Center, 37 South Main Ave., Voorheesville, NY 12186. The season continues monthly on first Saturdays every month through May.

“We have had very enthusiastic reaction by the participants, and attendance has exceeded our expectations,” said Rosenberg, in a release from Old Songs Inc., describing the first two seasons of community dances. Rosenburg, of Homespun Occasions, is the founder and organizer of the Flurry Festival. “The mix and ages is more diverse than any other dance in the region, because the focus is as much on community as it is on dancing,” he said.

The series features dances from the United States and around the world in circle, square, contra, and other configurations. Community dancing brings people of all ages together in an evening of dances that anyone of any age can do, whether they have ever danced or not.

Rosenberg says, “There’s a long tradition of the old-time community square dance as a way to relax and socialize...You see, back before ‘labor-saving’ devices, people worked pretty hard just to make it through the day. An evening of socializing with friends often included dances that were simple and fun as a way to relax. Today, many of us want to move and have fun, but don’t have lots of time to commit to learning complicated figures. Because of this, community dancing is making a resurgence. Indeed, the future of community dance is rooted in the past!”
Further information concerning the Community Dance may be found at Old Songs’ website, oldsongs.org, or by calling 765-2815.