Berea’s Christmas Country Dance School
keeps folk traditions alive
orally, Pamela said, “These aren’t done organically anymore. There just aren’t regular community dances.” Instead, the folk tradition relies on gatherings like the dance school for its place in living history. Other elements of school also encapsulate Kentucky traditions. The craft classes in woodcarving and basketry share skills that used to be an important piece of survival in rural areas. Folks like the singing Ritchie family and Lewis and Donna Lamb help keep alive the old mountain songs in singing classes and as accompaniment to the dancing. While many of the experiences are steeped in the cultural reference of eastern Kentucky and Appalachia, other folk traditions are included. Members of the school community from other places and cultures share their traditions. This year, that includes Morris Dancing from England and Bollywood from Indian films. Several classes on Danish-style dance are offered, thanks to a long-term Danish-American exchange in Berea. An event this venerable has many of its own traditions, special moments
that participants eagerly anticipate each year. On New Year’s Eve, the evening dance is interrupted for two of those. The Mummers Play is written anew each year in one of the classes and includes a fresh commentary and celebration on the school experience. Candlelight and a single haunting flute immediately evoke the reverence of the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, first performed in England in the 1600s. Intergenerational Community The school experience is talked about with reverence by the attendees, and most who come once, keep returning. “For those of us who participate year after year, CCDS is a home,” Jacobs said. “It gives people permission to be their authentic selves and practice being part of a healthy community.” Several elements of the week contribute to the formation of a multiage group that is affirming and tightknit, yet welcoming. Through the variety of workshops and experiences—including individual dancing, social dance, singing and crafts—the school is accessible to
everyone and appeals to a wide range of ages and tastes. “First, it was about me and what I could learn,” said Maureen Spencer. “Then, it was about the social aspect of the dancing, and now, I mostly participate in the crafts. But really, it has become all about the people. I just want to be there and help others have the experience.” “Over time, the week becomes richer and richer,” Bruce Spencer added reflectively. The youth program helps those on the younger age of the spectrum—ages 6-12—feel welcome and included. Katy German, the youth program director for many years, described the five days with the 40 participants as “happy chaos.” Along with age-specific classes, each day ends with a social dance with kids, parents and other adults. Having grown up going to the school, German knows the importance of this special place for the younger generation. “Kids need these kinds of communal creative experiences,” she said. “There are not many opportunities in our society where families play together.” Many of the almost 40 teen and
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