A Pueblo Hootenanny
Written by Derek Townley | 
Pueblo’s inaugural contra dance nearly brought down the house January 9th with the traditional acoustic sounds of the Nimble Fingers String Band. More than 130 people from all over the state, including a few of Pueblo’s dance hall regulars, packed the City Park Pavilion to dance the night away as Pat (banjo) and Kate (fiddle) McCracken, along with Randy Muniz (guitar) and Stevey Whited (standup bass) jammed some old country favorites.
The McCrackens have been together for 15 years. They moved from Washington DC and have spent the last four years here in Pueblo. “We played contra dances across the state,” said Pat, adding, “People would ask where we were from. When we said Pueblo, they asked why we don’t play a dance there, so here we are.”
“We’re just thrilled with the turnout,” said Kate, “and we want to keep it going.”
“Our long-term goal is to get new musicians here too,” added Pat. “It’s a great crowd and a great community.”
One of the most diverse and energetic crowds I’ve ever seen took the floor as the caller, Duffy Boyler, gave commands to choreograph the dancers’ steps. And while at first it resembled herding kittens or an infant juggling chainsaws, people were soon following the calls, swinging their partners and dosey-doeing in this stylized version of French country dancing.
For those with two left feet, the dancing is challenging at first. You’re in a line, then in a circle with three other people, then with your partner, then back in a line and finally you’re shuffling off to Buffalo. The pace didn’t help either, as there are two speeds: breakneck and supersonic. After lots of turning the wrong direction and not knowing my left from my right, I was finally able to make some sense of the dance and the calls.
Wallflowers beware; you will get harangued into the dance, as everyone was full of smiles, nametags, and help with learning steps. Learning basic steps is useful, as you will find that many dances use combinations of these same steps in various orders. The pavilion proved to be the perfect venue for such a spectacular evening, which is good, since, as reported in the Chieftain, the McCrackens have booked the pavilion for the next two years.
There were some clearly more experienced dancers in the crowd, which was good so that new dancers could see how contra dancing is really done. Many websites exist to explain what contra dancing is, where it came from and how it is different from square dancing or English country dancing. Basically the difference between them has to do with the partners; other than that, you’re on your own.
Future dances will be on the second Saturday of each month. An amazing night of dancing, great live music and a lesson to get to know the basics is well worth the nominal fee of $7, and there are two-for-one flyers that let you bring a guest for free.
For more information, visit fiddletoons.com, and get dancing.
