Harvest Moon Folk Society keeps the beat across the region through contra-dancing
On to the left, allemande next. Circle right 3, 4. Smiles erupt under hanging twinkle lights as feet shuffle across the wood floor at River Falls Lodge in Marietta. Down the Hall is playing energetic music, with caller Charley Harvey guiding dancers. “It’s an ambiance unlike any I’ve ever encountered before,” reveals Shane Gamble. “The lights give the lodge a magical glow. It’s rural, and there’s not any cell service. So, it creates an ambiance you don’t see too often in the modern age. It’s incredibly open, warm, and rustic.”
Gamble tends to spend the first, third, and fifth Saturday of every month at the lodge, contra dancing with Harvest Moon Folk Society. “I wasn’t a dancer at all,” he admits, reflecting upon his first visit 18 months ago. “I came with my girlfriend, and it was very alien to me, but it’s one of the most engaging and supportive communities I’ve ever danced with. It’s been one of the best decisions of my life.”
Contra dancing is a form of folk dance that draws upon centuries-old English, Scottish, and French styles while injecting African and Appalachian influences. Like square dancing, a caller leads people in a sequence of steps around the floor. Unlike square dancing, contra dancers sway and spin in parallel lines rather than couple up in a small square. “You move up and down the line, so by the end of the dance, you’ve interacted with every person in the line, not just four or eight,” says Mirenda Boska, Harvest Moon’s current president.
Gamble’s heartfelt commitment to contra dancing is not out of the ordinary. Up to 200 people attend Harvest Moon’s dances, with over 2,000 interacting through the official Facebook group. “Contra dancers go out of their way to be as accommodating and accepting as possible,” Gamble shares. “We have people who travel from Atlanta and Southern Georgia to come to River Falls. It’s just a wonderful community.”
The community has grown steadily since 1989, when Chris Bueker and John and Anne Arrington walked into the the Black Mountain Music Festival dining hall. They found a bunch of “smiling people” moving through a mysterious dance in unison. They had so much fun that when they returned home to Greenville, they attended occasional contra events with Greenville Rec. The county soon sashayed off the dance card but shared its mailing list with the trio upon parting, and Harvest Moon Folk Society was born.
“We have farmers, engineers, college students, people from every age, race, religion, and creed,” claims Boska. “We all come together for a night of fun and dancing. It’s a fresh, wholesome environment.” Boska would know. She met and married her husband at River Falls Lodge in 2010. “You feel safe here,” she discloses. “People bring their kids . . . You can see a 70-year-old man teaching a young child how to dance.” And dance they do.
Gamble has become so committed to contra dancing that he now books the callers and entertainment for dances at River Falls Lodge. “We have live music the first two Saturdays, but the fifth Saturday is techno-contra with recorded modern music, so that’s really fun for the younger crowd,” he says. “There are occasional dances in Charleston, but we’re the only contra group in South Carolina. I just couldn’t imagine my life without it.” Bow to your partner, 3 and 4.
Host Site of Harvest Moon Folk Society
Music has bounced off the rafters at River Falls Lodge since it was built 25 miles north of Greenville in the 1950s. The building is nestled near Gap Creek Road on the Middle Saluda River. For years, it was used as a community hall by local groups, including Furman University students seeking a place for meetings, socials, and dancing.
By the mid-80s, the lodge changed hands and was utilized for storage. Harvest Moon board members later saw the potential to bring the beat and tapping feet back onto the hardwoods. After restoration efforts, they’ve been leasing the lodge ever since, as it’s now recognized as “one of the best contra dance halls around.”
Dance attendees can camp on-site in Marietta for $5 per person.
Harvest Moon Folk Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Visit HarvestMoonFolk.org for more.
