In a very short time, Ruth Anne Lachendro has built a strong base of contra dancers in Grove City.
This month marks two years since she began contra dance nights at the YMCA, which always bring a lively band, caller and numerous people enthusiastically showing up to whirl and twirl.
“We are all having a good time dancing together,” Lachendro said, “and the energy builds up over the evening.”
Contra dancing is “inclusive” and “appeals to people,” she said. “We get a lot of home-school families, and friends come from other dance communities. There’s a wide range of ages and walks of life.”
She organized five contra dances her first year. Beginning in September, Lachendro has set up a contra dance each month this past year.
Lachendro’s been contra dancing for nearly 30 years.
She and her former husband lived in Pittsburgh and square danced before discovering contra dance, she said. Square dancing was enjoyable, but most of the dancers in their 60s. They were in their 20s at the time.
“When we discovered contra, everyone was like us,” Lachendro added.Contra is similar to square, with groups of people dancing prescribed floor patterns to live music – and a caller helping them along.
However, contra is much livelier, Lachendro said.
“We never turned back,” she said, laughing.
The roots of contra dancing evolved from 17th century English country dancing, which is more “poetic,” she said. English country is portrayed in the A&E; movie, “Pride and Prejudice.”
Prior to having the contra dances locally, Lachendro heard of home schoolers organizing an English country dance for their prom – and making their own costumes.It made her think Grove City would be a good place for contra dance.
And it has been. Last Saturday, contra dance drew about 40 people. “I
get between 40 and 90,” said Lachendro, who found a home in Grove City three years ago.
“I am divorced and I came here single, looking for activities,” she said. “Contra dance is a good way without having to date and go out to bars.”
Lachendro is a nurse at Grove City Medical Center, and walks to work, which incites teases from her young contra dancers: “They say it helps me save gas for contra dancing,” she said, giggling.
She admits that she is a contra-dancing fool.
Besides her monthly dances, she regularly attends contra and English country dances in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Meadville. Recently, she traveled to Charleston, W.Va. to contra dance over a weekend.
“My record is six days in a week, but usually I average a couple a week,” she said.
It gives Lachendro a lot of joy to put on her “swirly skirts,” she said. “It’s fun to have it swirl around when there’s swinging (movement).”
She also loves to waltz.
“At every contra dance there’s at least two waltzes, but at my contra dance there’s four because I like them,” she said.
This year, Lachendro attended the “Zen of Waltz” workshop in Georgia.
“If you have a good partner, if you’re moving together beautifully, you’re having a wonderful experience,” Lachendro said. “Waltz is a very ‘Zen-y’ experience for me.”
The “cross-step waltz” involves movement that is the “the smoothest, coolest move I’ve learned so far,” she added, whimsically. “And it’s simple. There are times when you get it right with a partner, and you feel like you’re floating.”
At the Third Annual Dance In the Middle seminar, she will teach the cross-step. The annual seminar is from noon to 11 p.m. July 28 at the Y. “Dance in the Middle” refers to Lachendro’s contra dances, because they’re in the middle of all the other places she goes to contra dance.
She and her friends will begin the seminar with a swing dance workshop, then an hour of contra/waltz. A larger waltz workshop to live music will follow. After a potluck dinner, the evening will end with a contra dance. Coming from Cleveland will be “Strings and Things” to play, with caller Carol Kopp.
Cost is $25 for families, $20 for adults and $15 for those under 25 and over 65. Fees are pro-rated to dance half the day.
Lachendro’s monthly contra dance will start up again at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Y. At noon Sept. 15, she is organizing a contra dance demo at Slippery Rock University’s Heritage Festival. She hopes to branch out in Slippery Rock, Oil City and Titusville.
“The dance will really be ‘in the middle’ then,” Lachendro said.
She’d like to see local bands form to help with her dances. Last Saturday’s band, “Magic Feet,” formed specifically for Lachendro’s dances. Each member comes from other bands from the Akron-Youngstown-Cleveland areas, however.
“It only takes two or more” to create a band, Lachendro said. “We could do that here if we had more local people.”
Expense for the contra dances is its “only drawback,” she added. Callers also tend to drive up to two hours for the dances. The caller in August will come from Ithaca, N.Y.
Besides a need for local musicians, “volunteers are always needed to help set up and monitor the sound system,” Lachendro noted.
She never took dance lessons growing up.
“My first dancing was probably in the ’70s at high school dances. It was not very satisfying,” she said.
But whenever Lachendro is waiting to contra, “when a band is tuning up ... the music is so compelling, my feet are tapping and I try to dance before I get my shoes on,” she said. “I’d rather dance to this lovely music.”
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A 'fool' for dancing
Local has brought community-style dancing to Grove City
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Deaths from May 23, 2012
Clements, Karl, 62, of 12 Shady Ave., Greenville.
Hughes, Dolores E. "Dolly," 83, Pine Township.
McIntire, Robert "Mac" "Rob" S., 47, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Owens, Mildred R. 71, Greenville.
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Deaths from May 23, 2012
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