Folk Circle Association
Folk Circle Association
Balance The Star Dance Weekend
DANCE, MUSIC, SONGS, FELLOWSHIP, FOOD, WORKSHOPS
September 27-28 , 2024
Walk-ins welcome! No need to pre-register. Sessions may be attended a la carte.
Weather is blustery and wet but the rain has subsided for awhile.
The weekend is going forward as planned!
JOIN US!
Russel Acton Folk Center, Berea, KY
Featured caller, Darlene Underwood
and the music of the Berea Castoffs!
$40 for a weekend of dancing - adults
$18 for students
Or sign up for individual dance sessions
for more information, call 859-869-8043 or email berea.folk.circle@gmail.com
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History of the festival
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Continuing the joy of community dance begun as the Mountain Folk Festival adult section in the mid-20th century, this weekend moved to Levi Jackson State Park in London in the 1950s and became known as the Levi Jackson Dance Weekend.
It was here that a popular square dance for 5 couples was written by Pat Shaw, the Levi Jackson Rag.
In the 2010s, the Folk Circle Association brought the weekend back to Berea, calling it the Fall Mountain Folk Festival. During the height of the COVID-19 epidemic, FCA organized a virtual festival where our community shared songs, stories, and dances, a festival Dennis Jacobs coined as our Fall Mountain "Faux" Festival since we could not meet in person.
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We now pay homage to our local dance community by naming the festival for a signature dance created by the McLain Family in Berea, Balance the Star.
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Friday, September 27 ($12 adult/$5 student)
7 - 7:30pm Beginners walk-through
7:30 - 10 pm Mostly English - Darlene Underwood & local callers, Berea Castoffs
10 pm - until? Outdoors singing and campfire
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Saturday, September 28 (daytime sessions $18/$8 for all sessions or $6/3 individually, evening contra $12 adult/$5 student)
9 - 9:45 am Intergenerational dance with Jerome Grisanti, Laurie White, and others - FREE for everyone!
10 - 11:30 am Mostly squares, including Danish and Appalachian square dances - Darlene Underwood & local callers, Berea Castoffs
11:45 am - 12:45 pm Irish set dances
12:45 - 1:45 pm Lunch (pre-registration only)
1:45 - 2:15 pm Waltz & couple dances - Jan Pearce and the Lexington Vintage Dance Association
2:30 - 4 pm English dance and contra chestnuts
4 - 5 pm Singing - Laurie White, Deborah Thompson, Jennifer Rose Escobar & others - bring an instrument & your voice & join in!
6-7 pm Dinner (pre-registration only)
7:30 - 8 pm Contra beginner walk-through
8 - 11 pm Contra with Darlene Underwood & Berea Castoffs
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JOIN US FOR THIS FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT!
Dance with us!
Every 4th Saturday, we dance from 1 pm - 11 pm in the Russel Acton Folk Center: Waltz, English Country Dance, and Contra Dance. All skill levels are welcome.
Visit us on the "Berea Folk Circle Events Page" on Facebook.
"Like" this page to keep up with what we are doing.
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Enjoy the 2020 Fall Mountain "Faux" Festival, streamed live on YouTube on the Berea Folk Circle channel