Barn Dance

These last 2 weeks I have spent making a old fashion dress. I am very pleased by how it turned out, but I also am glad that I am not planning on doing that again. I loath sewing... I can sew, and I do an okay job, but I become very tense and irritated when sewing. :) Oh well! Anyway, the dress turned out nicely, it is cream and blue, with large sleeves and lace framing in the middle area and collar. It looks renaissance. I love it!

On Saturday (the day of the dance), 30 minutes before we were supposed to be at the dance, I finished the hem of the dress. LOL, I know, I should have had it done long before that, but I didn't. :) My mother and sister made one as well and they all turned out beautiful. My Mother's is burgundy and black, which look fabulous on her. My sister's is a dark green with a lighter green to accent it. She also looked perfectly darling. When we got to the house were the dance was being held, I did a few girls hair and we all headed out. It was a large group, and they were all milling about visiting one another and saying their hellos. We all ate and examined each others dresses. I was very impressed, all the girls did a gorgeous job. A few of the men had outfits as well and they were fun. There were confederate, and union soldiers, gentleman's and cowboy outfits.

The Barn Dance was held outside, most of the dances are done in groups of 6 - 8 couples, facing each other in long lines, or in a square shape. Once the caller (the man that tells you what to do next) calls the beginning of the dance, the young men pick a young lady to dance with (if they haven't already done that), and you get in you lines or squares. It is fun to get to talk to your partner before, after and during the dance, also those dancing in your group. In most barn dances you end up dancing with everyone in your group of the opposite gender, so it is nice if you know the people in your group, even if it is only their names. :) The rules for the young men and women in this group are great. The young men have to come ask for the dance. They take you out to the floor, either offering you their arm, or hand, dance with you. Then most offered to get you something to drink after you were done. They were all so gentlemanly, and they made the evening quite nice. The men could only ask a young lady to dance twice, so we all got to enjoy a lot of different dancers and personalities. The dancing was wonderful, pure bliss. The weather was a little bit cold and if we stood still too long, it got rather chilly. Once we started dancing though we warmed up. I was able to dance with a few people that I had never danced with before and that was enjoyable and educational. Some of the more experienced dancers could tell you how to do things a bit more smoothly, or just how to enjoy it more. :) It was terrific! My father and I danced one dance and it was special to get to dance with him. He ended up calling the dance, even though this was only the second dance he had been to, and I might add He did it very well... My little brother also danced with me and did an excellent job. He got into the dance after a few minutes and could to an extent keep up. He was darling. For those of you that do not realize how cute this was let me expound a little. My little brother is only 7 years old, and usually will not do anything like this. So I was very pleased that he asked me and then danced with a few others as well.

I was able to witness something I do not think many in my age group have the privilege to see. This night of barn dancing was a family evening, so there were children of all ages dancing with the adults. I saw "little men ask their mother's, sister's and other ladies to dance, then these little men become little men, taking your hand in theirs, escorting you here and there, offering you a drink and being the very essence of a gentlemen. I saw men slow down a dance for littler ones, or go ask the little girls to dance. Quite often we would be dancing in a group and there would be a little girl in the group with us. It was amazing to watch the young men instruct the little one as to where to go next and smile at the little mishaps that are bound to happen. It was precious to see one of the fathers take a little lady in pink frills, crinoline, and bows on to the floor, spin her around and watch her giggle in delight. Absolutely beautiful! I saw young men that did not have a partner take little ones to the side and show them the time of their lives. :) I saw Charity. One thing that my Mother and I just loved, was when one of the Fathers took the little one mentioned above in the pink frills out on the floor (to the side), and when the caller said swing your partner, he would lift her up and spin her around till she laughed her little girls laugh. It was so sweet.

It was an excellent evening. I have to admit that getting to be waited on, and feel beautiful, is marvelous. :) The dressed are so full and you feel as if you are floating when you are spinning in them. We finished a little after midnight and our family fell into our beds. :) Surprisingly I am not sore from the dancing. I am more sore from Sunday's activities, a group of us played Volley ball and I my cheekbone connected with the volley ball once, leaving me feeling a little bit dizzy every once in a while. Oh well, it was fun. I served a bunch of points the last game and even got the winning point.

It is hard to believe it is all over now and that we will not be getting to go to another dance for about 6 months. (Sigh) It will be fun to do it all again. :)

Here are a few links to explain barn dances.

http://www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/quicksilver/bardancefaq

http://www.dcdancenet.com/moredancing/contraecd.html

http://www.englishcountrydancing.org/

http://members.aol.com/ParadiseMO/english.html