Hilltown Families 
Whoopin’ it Up with Wild Asparagus!
Greenfield Center School
Family Contra Dance 2007
Wild Asparagus whoops it up at the Greenfield Center School Family Contra Dance. (Photo Credit: Sienna Wildfield)
On Sunday afternoon, Wild Asparagus whooped it up at the Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield, MA. The Greenfield Center School held their annual Family Contra Benefit Dance and the dance hall was filled with families from all over Western Mass. This festive social dance was for families with kids of all ages.
Families learned easy contras, square dancing, and movements to Jump-Jim Joe, Ride Sally Ride and Sasha. Ann Percival of Wild Asparagus lead the crowd along with her five-person band. The band uses a unique blend of talents to pack a punch of a performance, presenting traditional dances and music of New England folk heritage.
The proceeds went to benefit the Greenfield Center School, an independent day school for students K-8th grade. GSC is known for integrating social and academic learning in every aspect of the school day, while emphasizing the building of community and celebration of the individual. This benefit dance let that spirit of the GSC really shine through by warmly welcoming the larger community to celebrate with them, and empowering the older students who ran the bake sale and silent auction during the dance.
Old students from the GCS ran a bake sale and silent auction downstairs while families jumps and swung around upstairs. (Photo Credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you’ve been to a contra dance you know how much fun they can be for the whole family. If you’ve been missing out, not to worry, there are a plethora of contra dances to fill your calendar, including:
- Feb. 10th – Valentine Family Contra Dance w/ Diane Sanabria and Friends in Ashfield, MA.
- March 4th – Family Contra Dance w/Wild Asparagus in Greenfield, MA.
- June 3rd – Family Contra Dance w/Wild Asparagus in Greenfield, MA.
A good way to keep up with contra dances happening in our area is the Pioneer Valley Contra Dance e-mail group.
Other interesting links to visit on Contra Dances:
