A SQUARE DANCE IN WINTER? YES!!

Above photo: Margaretville Square Dance, 2025

For years in the Catskill Mountains, family and community dances were often scheduled in winter, in contrast with the current schedule that follows tourism’s warm weather surge of festivals and entertainments.  On Saturday, February 21 at 7 pm, Catskills Folk Connection returns to the old practice, that used to follow the agricultural calendar, by offering a square dance at the Bovina Community Center, 1866 County Route 6, Bovina Center NY  13740. The dance will feature the Tremperskill Boys with John Jacobson, Dane Scudder, Amy Lieberman and Patti Sellevold, playing and calling dances still popular in the mountain region. For more information, contact Ginny Scheer, 607-238-9162 or gcheer.mcs@gmail.com.

Why winter?   Early settlers from New England or from Europe no doubt brought with them to the Catskills certain dance traditions common to gatherings on farms and villages. Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, two factors affected the timing of gatherings: the agricultural work schedule, and access via existing roadways. Times of major agricultural processes, like haying, might  inhibit scheduling a gathering, but haying might end in a communal meal of the workers and neighbors, and maybe some music and dance. . 

The seasons before and after heavy summer work might have offered more opportunities for gatherings but roads, until some time in the 20th century, were notoriously difficult for wagon travel in rainy and muddy seasons.  So a midwinter dance might have been an attraction, traveling by sleigh on snow-covered roads, whenever there wasn’t a storm or extreme cold. 

Today, winter roads are plowed and maintained for car travel by intrepid road crews.  And now as the bitter cold of January and early February seems to have made a pause, why not take advantage of 21st century travel technology? Join Catskills Folk Connection on February 21 at the Bovina Community Center for a traditional Catskills square dance in the manner of  the late, legendary Hilt Kelly and the Sidekicks. Seize this opportunity to emulate the early settlers and get together to enjoy music, movement and interacting with neighbors from the region!  

Catskills Folk Connection’s square dance programs are funded in part by a Tourism Grant from the Delaware County Department of Economic Development, by a  FairGame Arts Grant, by the O’Connor Foundation and by the generosity of its mailing list members