Carlisle Church

The Carlisle Dance

The Carlisle dance has a different, more homespun feel than some of the large dances in the greater Boston area.

The Carlisle dance takes place in a classic New England setting - an early 19th century white church on the town green. We gather in Union Hall on the first floor, which has a new wooden floor and will hold about 100 comfortably.

This is one of the few dances that still has a potluck supper before the dancing begins; the food is varied and tasty, and the conversation is lively.

The crowd is a friendly group of 30-50 dancers, all of whom are willing to help newcomers learn the figures and have a good time. All ages are welcome on the dance floor. Those who choose not to dance have fun socializing on the side.
Carlisle Dancers

Dancing is in the traditional New England style, with contras and usually a set of singing squares. We begin and end the evening with a waltz. Dancing runs from about 8PM to 10PM with no break. Sue Rosen is a regular caller at the dance along with other local callers.

The Carlisle dance band consists of David Titus on fiddle, Debby Knight on fiddle or piano, and Walter Lenk on mandocello, and sit-ins are welcomed - if you play an instrument and know some of the tunes or have a good ear, come join us. We often end up with half a dozen fiddles, as well as assorted other instruments such as mandolin, whistle, accordion, and clarinet.

The greater Boston area has many options for dancing, but if you want an old-fashioned social experience, give the Carlisle dance a try.

    Click here to see the flyer for the dance

    What is contra dancing? - CDSS has some explanations here

Details:
   When: Second Fridays October through June
   Potluck 6:30 PM; dancing 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
   Where: First Religious Society, 27 School Street, Carlisle, MA 01741
   Cost: $6.00
   More information: 617-547-7781


Photos by Ellen Huber and Priscilla Stevens, text and editing by Anne Ketchen
This page last updated 08/29/2016