Saturday night at Taghhannuck Grange saw the swirl of skirts, the stomping of feet and ear to ear grins on the faces of participants enjoying the music. Taghhannuck Grange sponsored a Contra Dance on Saturday, January 16th, at the Grange Hall in the Ellsworth section of Sharon, Connecticut.

Over 30 dancers of all ages filled the floor and kept time to the music of "Still, the Home Grown Band." The band is made up of local musicians including Taghhannuck Grange member Debra Tyler (piano), Jane Prentice (fiddle), Kathy Lyon (guitar), Rachael Gall (fiddle), Mike Prentice (bass), Shaila Chowdhury (drums), and Jim Prentice (concertina). The caller for the evening was David Kaynor, member of Guiding Star Grange in Massachusetts.

Contra Dance refers to several family-friendly partnered folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines led by a caller. They became popular at the end of the 17th century, derived from the "country dances" that were held in England and France. Contra Dance, similar to Square Dancing, is also described as New England Folk Dance. The Contra Dance tradition in North America is to change partners for every dance, while in the United Kingdom typically people dance with the same partner the entire evening.

Taghhannuck Grange sponsored the dance to raise interest in the organization and their numerous community service efforts. One of the Grange's newest members, Margaret, age 14, was instrumental in organizing the event. Grange officers said the evening was a success, as many participants asked for membership applications. They will also be sponsoring a second Contra Dance later in the year.

For more information on Taghhannuck Grange, their upcoming events and projects, please visit the Grange's page on the CT State Grange website at http://www.ctstategrange.org

For more information on Contra Dance in Connecticut, visit CONNtra CONNection -- The place for everything related to Contra Dance in Connecticut at http://www.conntras.org.

For information on "Still, The Home Grown Band" please visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com

For information on David Kaynor, please visit his website at http://www.davidkaynor.com.