Belfast Flying Shoes and the Belfast Free Library present “Contra Connections”, a four-part series of documentaries related to contra dancing. Kicking off the series on Wednesday, January 31, is Together in Time: A Story of New England Contra Music and Dance, described as a “provocative social history of how Americans have fun, [and] how they use that fun to build community.” Directed by Steven Alves, the entertaining and informative film won multiple awards, including a Cine Golden Eagle award for excellence.
Following the film, a panel of contra dancers in their teens and 20s will share perspectives on why and how they make the first Friday contra dances in Belfast a part of their social lives. The discussion will be filmed by Ned Lightner of Insight Productions and BCTV2. Belfast Flying Shoes board member Chrissy Fowler explains, “We’re excited to enrich our local culture of traditional, participatory, social dance through this film series. It’s especially thrilling to begin documenting our own history of contra dancing, right here in Waldo County, starting with some of the young people in our community who’ve made it their own.”
The dance documentary series continues with Paid To Eat Ice Cream: Bob McQuillen and New England Contra Dancing on February 28, The Other Way Back: Dancing with Dudley on March 28, and What’s Not To Like? A Community Contra Dance on May 2.
“Contra Connections” is an outreach program of Belfast Flying Shoes, the non-profit arts organization that produces the first Friday community and contra dances in Belfast (pictured above.) Additional support provided by the Belfast Free Library and a grant from the Maine Expansion Arts Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. Each film begins at 6:00pm in the Abbott Room at the Belfast Free Library, 106 High Street in Belfast. For more info, email [email protected].