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Oct. 9th, 2005 07:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkaMy father is totally fine. Thank you, all of you, for the good thoughts and the handholding.
Yesterday we went dancing with the Baltimore Folk Music Society. This is the same organization that I used to do English Country Dancing with, and hope to again. On the second Saturday of every month, they have an family dance from 5-6:30, followed by a potluck, which in turn is followed by a contra dance for adults.
About 35 people attended the family dance - mostly families with children, but also some adults on their own. Alex was the youngest baby there. There were a few toddlers and preschoolers, a whole gang of kids aged about 5-10, and even a couple of teenagers. The band for the contra dance played the family dance as well - a professional-quality string band with guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and bass. Instead of "children's music," they played country jigs and reels. The dancing started out very, very simple - a long line of people holding hands and snaking around the room in time to the music - and then progressed to circle dances and a contra. The dances were well-chosen for children's participation, but they were definitely fun for adults as well.
Alex had a blast. She kept shrieking with excitement, especially when we did a circle dance with lots of stamping and turning. She'd get so happy that she'd have to bury her face in my shoulder for a moment before looking around again. I just carried her in arms for the first couple of dances, and then put her in the sling in a kangaroo carry - cross-legged and facing out, with her back against my chest. She loves people, so dancing in a large group was a constant feast of entertainment for her. Everyone seemed happy to see her. Even though she was the youngest, we didn't get the slightest feeling that the caller or the other dancers thought she was too young.
I think we're going to make this a monthly event. It'll probably be a while before we can even stay until the potluck - Alex wore down by around six, from a combination of overexcitement and closeness to bedtime. But even an hour of dancing felt great. It also convinced me that I need to get back to English dancing. Michael can certainly take Alex on Monday evenings.
Yesterday we went dancing with the Baltimore Folk Music Society. This is the same organization that I used to do English Country Dancing with, and hope to again. On the second Saturday of every month, they have an family dance from 5-6:30, followed by a potluck, which in turn is followed by a contra dance for adults.
About 35 people attended the family dance - mostly families with children, but also some adults on their own. Alex was the youngest baby there. There were a few toddlers and preschoolers, a whole gang of kids aged about 5-10, and even a couple of teenagers. The band for the contra dance played the family dance as well - a professional-quality string band with guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and bass. Instead of "children's music," they played country jigs and reels. The dancing started out very, very simple - a long line of people holding hands and snaking around the room in time to the music - and then progressed to circle dances and a contra. The dances were well-chosen for children's participation, but they were definitely fun for adults as well.
Alex had a blast. She kept shrieking with excitement, especially when we did a circle dance with lots of stamping and turning. She'd get so happy that she'd have to bury her face in my shoulder for a moment before looking around again. I just carried her in arms for the first couple of dances, and then put her in the sling in a kangaroo carry - cross-legged and facing out, with her back against my chest. She loves people, so dancing in a large group was a constant feast of entertainment for her. Everyone seemed happy to see her. Even though she was the youngest, we didn't get the slightest feeling that the caller or the other dancers thought she was too young.
I think we're going to make this a monthly event. It'll probably be a while before we can even stay until the potluck - Alex wore down by around six, from a combination of overexcitement and closeness to bedtime. But even an hour of dancing felt great. It also convinced me that I need to get back to English dancing. Michael can certainly take Alex on Monday evenings.
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Date: 2005-10-10 12:48 am (UTC)