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Cornwall celebrates Colonial-era contra dancing at Foote Field

Cornwall celebrates Colonial-era contra dancing at Foote Field

Residents perform to the commands of Rachel Gall, who helped organize a Colonial-era dance party in Cornwall July 25. A contra group met in Cornwall for about 15 years up until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allison Gollenberg

CORNWALL — Foote Field was transformed into a Colonial-era dance hall on July 25, as residents gathered for a picnic and an afternoon of dancing as part of the town’s America 250 celebration.

Rachel Gall, known as the Falls Village Fiddler, led the group through several dances set to period music. People of all ages joined in on the fun, with some members of the band even donning Revolutionary-era garb.

Gall said First Selectman Gordon Ridgway suggested the idea for the dance. She drew on her experience as a fiddler, caller and contra dancer to bring the event to life.

Contra dancing is a type of traditional American folk dance in which a caller, in this case Gall, leads participants through a series of moves known as figures. These sorts of dances have a long history, Gall said, but experienced a strong revival in the 1960s. That’s when her collaborator, Tom Scott, became involved with a dancing group in nearby Sheffield, Massachusetts, which he said has been dancing “right on through from colonial times.”

Rachel Gall, known as the Falls Village Fiddler, led Cornwall residents through contra dancing, a type of traditional American folk dance, at Foote Field July 25.Allison Gollenberg

Scott said there was a contra group that met in Cornwall for about 15 years up until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gall and Scott said they’d love to bring the activity back to the area.

“We’re having a problem getting new dancers,” Scott said. “The older ones are getting older, dropping out. And the new generation coming up doesn’t seem to be as excited about going out and dancing. Which is too bad. It’s a lot of fun.”

Scott added that he met his wife at a contra dancing event. Gall said connection is the whole point of the activity.

“It’s a very social dance,” she said. “I always say that all of you grandparents and ancestors did this and that’s why you’re here – because somebody went up to dance with somebody else.”

Allison Gollenberg
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