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Event/Site:
Old-time Square Dance at the Denton Civic Center in
Denton
Date: Third Saturday of each month
except December (the second Saturday in December),
7:00pm - 10:30pm.
Type: Monthly square dance with regional
bluegrass and old-time bands, clogging, flatfoot dancing,
Appalachian style square dancing, and a cake walk
at a civic center.
Location: The Denton Civic Center
is located on West Salisbury Street in downtown Denton
off of Hwy 109 (Adjacent to 477 W. Salisbury St.).
Click
here for a map.
Cost: $5; children 12 and under free.
Parking: Free. Parking adequate for
bus tours.
Special Needs Access: Venue is fully
accessible.
Signage: Signs at location, but not
en route.
Sponsor: Neal and Debbie Leonard
and Tim Maines, with support from Arts United for
Davidson County and local businesses.
Web Site:
www.dentondance.net
Contact: Tim Maines
(336) 472-2802
Description of Event: Denton is a
good 100-mile dance, meaning enthusiasts will drive
100 miles to be there. Many participants come from
surrounding counties. The dance is family friendly,
and it's common to see large extended families with
grandparent down to six-year-old dancing and laughing
together, with cheering for the youngster who tries
out her new clogging steps. The music is first and
foremost dance music, played impeccably by the talented
Oak Tree Boys, the bluegrass house band featuring
veteran musician Dean Maines on fiddle, as well as
their guest old-time bands. The Oak Tree Boys and
the guest bands play driving traditional bluegrass
and old-time tunes for Appalachian-style square dance
caller Tommy Beanblossom, as well as the freestyle
flatfooters and cloggers on the floor. The percussive
sounds created by the dancers' feet become part of
the high-energy music making. (In consideration of
the floor and appreciation of the music, taps are
not allowed at the Denton Dance.)
History of Site/Event: The Denton
dance continues a community dance tradition started
in Farmer in 1948. After World War II, there were
lots of dances in the area, in homes as well as in
more public music halls. The dance at Farmer was held
in the Grange Hall built from old barracks and lasted
until the building wore out. Neal and Debbie Leonard
picked up the Farmer Dance tradition when they started
another dance in nearby Denton. They also hoped to
make old-time music better known in the area and patterned
their new dance after one they had attended in the
Blue Ridge that features old time and bluegrass music,
the New River Mountain Music Jamboree.
Description of Site/Facility: Set on a downtown
street corner, the Denton Civic Center is a one-story
community building complete with kitchen, fireplace
and spacious pine-paneled, oak-floored main room that
is perfect for the Appalachian style square dancing,
clogging and flatfooting that takes place there once
a month. There are folding chairs set up around the
room for those who come just to enjoy the exceptional
bluegrass and old-time music.
Significance of Site/Event to the Community: The
Farmer Dance was sorely missed when it came to an
end, and is still fondly remembered by the old-timers.
When the Leonards started the Denton Dance, they recovered
more than a monthly dance. They created a direct connection
to a tradition that had long brought great spirit
and meaning to their community. They restored a predictable
meeting place for friends and neighbors and a point
of contact for newcomers. Committed to the music and
dance traditions of the region, the Leonards and Tim
Maines have brought high-quality bluegrass and old-time
musicians to a public venue in the heart of Denton.
The support of the Arts United for Davidson County
has helped ensure the success of the Denton Dance
and represents an important partnering of an arts
organization with a community initiative to help preserve
regional music traditions.
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