FRI 20 FEB 2004
Palouse Folklore Society does more than hold dances
By Jon HammondArgonaut Staff
If you walk past the 1912 building on Third Street some Saturday night, you just might hear “Do-si do, swing that partner” coming from its walls. No, this isn’t a hallucination. These are the sounds of a traditional contra dance.
Founded more than 30 years ago, the Palouse Folklore Society has been promoting contra dance, an old-time dance style that originated in New England.
COURTESY PHOTO / Palouse Folklore Society members and guests shake a leg at one of their monthly contra dances.
Contra events feature partner dances, but arriving with a partner is not required, because everyone dances with everyone else. This goes along with the open-door policy and hospitable environment that the group likes to promote.
To encourage visitors to attend its meetings, PFS includes discounts for newcomers and provides a dance lesson at the beginning of each of its events to teach the style’s different steps. Each dance usually sees about five to 10 newcomers.
One key feature that every contra dance of this genre has is a “caller”: one who calls out and explains each dance step. For its monthly dances, the society sometimes invites well-known callers from out of town to shout out directions. As the night progresses and dancers become more comfortable with the steps, the caller slowly stops calling out orders.
In the summer, the society hosts dances at the Old Blaine Schoolhouse south of Moscow. In fact, dancing is not the only thing that the society has done at the schoolhouse. Former PFS president Roberta Radavich said the group has done volunteer work to repair the roof.
But traditional country dance is not the group’s only passion; it also organizes monthly musical jam sessions the first Saturday afternoon of each month. The sessions are usually held at The Attic, at 314 E. Second St., but sometimes take place at BookPeople in downtown Moscow.
Besides making its own music, the society organizes folk music concerts played by local and traveling musicians from all over the United States. It has hosted musical acts from as far away as Germany.
Far from being an isolated group, the society prides itself for involvement with other community groups such as the renaissance dance group, which was originally an offshoot of PFS. Additionally, the society is involved with the promotion of the annual Renaissance Fair that takes place in Moscow each May.
Groups like PFS seem to be an important part of the greater Pacific Northwest. Nearby cities like Spokane, Walla Walla, Wash., the Tri Cities, Wash., Seattle and Le Grande, Ore., all have similar organizations working to promote folk music and traditional country dance.
This winter has been a busy time for the society. This Saturday there will be a contra dance at 7:30 p.m. in the 1912 Building.
On March 6, Spokane-based “Crooked Kilt” will perform celtic music at The Attic. Donations will be accepted.
Schedule for Eastside Cinemas
“Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” PG-13 (1:20) and 5:20 p.m.“Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” PG (1), (3), 5, 7 and 9 p.m.
“Big Fish” PG-13 4:20 and 9:30 p.m.
“Mystic River” R 9:20 p.m.
“The Butterfly Effect” R (1:55) and 7 p.m.
“Eurotrip” R (1:30), (3:35), 5:40, 7:45 and 9:50 p.m.
“Welcome to Mooseport” PG-13 (noon), (2:25), 4:50, 7:15 and 9:40 p.m.
Schedule for U4 Cinemas
“Miracle” PG (1), (4), 7 and 9:50 p.m.“50 First Dates” PG-13 (1), (4), 7 and 9:30 p.m.
“Barbershop 2” PG-13 (1:30), 4:30, 7 and 9:30 p.m.
“Monster” R (1:30), 4:30, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
Showtimes in ( ) are for Saturday and Sunday only.
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