Students and professors at Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges are banding together to sponsor the Northfield Winter Stomp!, a community contra dance featuring the music of Contratopia on Friday, Feb. 23, from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the Northfield Armory.
Contra dance is a form of folk dance hailing from 19th-century New England that continues to flourish throughout the country. “If you can walk to music, you can contra dance,” says Carleton senior Sarina Yospin (Newton, Mass.), who has played an integral role in coordinating the event.
The Northfield Winter Stomp! will begin with a half-hour lesson, and the evening will continue with called-out instructions. Caller Robin Nelson, a member of the Minnesota State Arts Board with more than 20 years of experience calling folk dances, will join Contratopia for the event.
Contratopia is a quartet of musicians from Iowa and Minnesota with a love for improvisation and sharing their enthusiasm for jigs, reels and waltzes. Although they are popular at folk and dance festivals through the Midwest, this is their first public dance in Northfield “and we're expecting it to be really fun,” says mandolin and guitar player John Goodin.
The Carleton Student Association (CSA) is providing the funding for Carleton students to attend free. Additional support has come from the Healthy Communities Initiative of the City of Northfield.
The Northfield Armory is located at 519 Division Street in downtown Northfield. The event is open to the public. Admission is free with a Carleton student ID, $9 for adults, and $6 for non-Carleton students, with a family cap of $20.
For more information, contact Sarina Yospin at yospins@carleton.edu. For information about the Northfield Armory or disability accommodations, contact (507) 645-4746.
