The next Albany Shindig! is Friday, April 21 from 7:00 to 9:30 PM at First Congregational Church, 405 Quail St., Albany, NY.
The Albany Shindig! was created to offer participants an opportunity to gather and socialize, listen to great music, and dance to those same musicians with a focus on simple traditional dances geared to all ages of participants; including singles, couples, families, teens, people with disabilities and the elderly.
“Community Dance” was a popular activity from the mid-18th century through the mid-20th century throughout the US. Types of community dance and music events you might recognize include square dances, hootenannies, and hoedowns. The idea of Community Dance is to get a group of people together with some musicians and a “caller” to teach and lead easy figures, and dance all evening with a group of friends and strangers who often become friends. It’s a grass roots activity in which the emphasis is on building community rather than becoming experts.
Event creator Paul Rosenberg designed the series to evoke a feeling of good old-fashioned fun, and believes it is the most important project he has embarked upon since creating the Dance Flurry Festival in 1988. “We are so connected digitally that we end up feeling somewhat isolated. There’s such a need for people to reconnect face to face, and in an environment that allows for all ages, all outlooks on life, and all levels of dance experience,” Rosenberg noted.
Learn more at the event page, here.