Shall We Dance???

Last night, we had our first home-school dance! It was SOOOO much fun! I was intrigued to find that some of the home-school groups (and even a Christian college) in ID, OR and MT were starting to host home-school dances. Aside from worship dance and the traditional arts like ballet we have avoided dance. So much of it has become very sensual and we are encouraging our children to "not awaken love before its time" (Song of Solomon) The path that we have chosen for the kids is not to "date" but rather to court when they are old enough. That's a subject for a different post but in short dancing didn't seem to align itself with that path. So I was VERY intrigued by these groups hosting dances. I called one of the families in OR whom I deeply respect and asked them to give me the details.

They are returning to the dances of yester-year --- English Country Dancing (similar to what you see on Pride and Prejudice), Civil War Dances (such as the Virginia Reel) and other style folk dances. No emphasis on "coupling" but rather family or group dancing. You change partners often and there is no contact that would be sensual in nature. I loved the idea but having never done it before was kind-of at a loss as how to get something like that moving here in Helena. How can one teach what you have never learned?? I was disheartened.

I started networking with some other home-schoolers, sharing my thoughts and getting their ideas. VERY long story short, some of the other ladies had also been looking the same direction - how marvelous is that?!?!?! One of my friends had even started researching how to host an Irish Kailey (I'm not sure I spelled that correctly). The Kaileys are the same idea, just a touch of the Irish instead of English :)

We ended up hiring a gentleman from ID to come and give us an instructional class which we had last night. It was a DELIGHT! So much fun!!!! 43 people participated in the dances last night and several other families have asked to be included as we proceed.

We have three more dances scheduled - one a month for through May. I am SO excited!!!

Tim and I had tried contra-dancing and that was a kick also, but this was SOOOO much fun. All families, all with children of varying ages --- we met new people, made new friends, enjoyed others company, we learned so many dances --- the Virginia Reel, the Grand March, the Spanish Waltz, the Muffin Man, and about six others. We whirled and twirled - what a blast! I can't wait until next month!!!!!