What’s New:

Important reminders: Due to the Chance Dance weekend in Cape Girardeau and the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, there will be no first Friday dance on March 1st. And the deadline for early-bird discount for our Spring Breakdown Dance Weekend is March 7th! Register now!

NEW! Watch video of dancing to STEAM! our band for our 2019 Spring Breakdown Dance Weekend!  Mark your calendar for March 29-31 for our 18th annual event, this year at Capital Ritz in the Capital City (Jefferson City, Missouri). Register by March 7 to receive the early-bird weekend pass discount. If you prefer to send your registration by mail, the form is available here. You can also register at the door. Read a summary of the weekend events here, where you will also find links to details about the schedule, band, venue, housing, workshops, and more. Come dance with us!!

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2018 Spring Breakdown Dance Weekend photos and videos. 

2017 Spring Breakdown Dance Weekend photos and videos are available on our Spring Breakdown Community page on Facebook!  You can also see the coverage KOMU did of the event there or click here.

NO Dance March 1, 2019

UPDATE: This dance has been cancelled due to the weather. Contra Dance – Feb. 15, 2019 SnorT Horse with Jim Thaxter Calling

Contra Dance – Friday, Feb. 15th.  Come join us Friday, Feb. 15th for a contra dance at  3906 Peachtree Drive. Our lively music will be provided by SnorT Horse, with Cathy Barton on hammered dulcimer and banjo, Dave Para on guitar, Tenley Hansen on keyboards, and Michael Fraser on fiddle.  These are two duets who share very similar musical interests, one of them being the joy of old-time dance music.  As a quartet they bring more instruments into the mix for variety and dynamics, swapping melodies and harmonies, while leaning on powerful rhythm.  Snor T Horse plays dynamic and energetic old traditional and new folk tunes.

Cathy Barton and Dave Para at the Big Muddy 2007

Our caller will be Jim Thaxter.  Jim developed an interest in traditional dancing about the same time he was discovering the banjo. One thing led to another and he was a regular on the dance floor at the old-time contra dances about 40 years ago. Calling started about 10 years later. Numerous calling workshops at dance camps and dance weekends helped hone his skills. Calling for beginners groups made him more aware of the needs of the dancers for clear instruction. Calling is a great way to bridge the gap between listeners’ tapping toes and the lively rhythms from live musicians.

Beginners are encouraged to come to an introductory lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Everything is explained.  You do NOT need to know how to dance before you come.  You also do NOT have to bring a partner.

Dancing starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Ballroom Academy of Columbia, 3906 Peachtree Drive.  Admission is $8 for the public, $5 for students and ages 16-25, with free admittance for children 15 and under.

No dance experience is needed and folks of all ages are welcome! No partner is necessary, as dancers switch partners for most dances. Every dance is taught and called throughout the evening to live music. Dancers should wear lightweight, comfortable clothing and soft-soled or leather-soled shoes to preserve the floor—no spike heels or cowboy boots. (Please carry-in appropriate dance shoes as needed.)

English Country Dance – Feb. 8th

English Country Dance – Friday, Feb. 8, 2019. Tonight is romantic with Valentines Day around the corner. Come enjoy the courtly music of the Renaisance period with our master caller, Jim Thaxter, who will be doing the calling and teaching using recorded music. The music has the same feel as the live band with some tunes stately or courtly, some lively, and some playful, with compositions ranging from the 1600s through the present. Think of Renaissance Fairs.

Beginners are encouraged to come to an introductory lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Everything is explained.  You do NOT need to know how to dance before you come.  You also do NOT have to bring a partner.

The dance starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1600 W. Rollins Road (at the intersection of Maplewood Dr. and Rollins), which is between West Blvd. and Stadium Blvd. a bit east of Russell School. Click herefor a map.  Price of admission is $5 for the public, $3 for students/youth ages 16-25, and free for children 15 and under.

MMTD dances are fun, community-oriented events. All are welcome, no dance experience is necessary.  Come alone (no partner is needed) or with a friend. Couples and groups are welcome, too.  Every dance is taught and called throughout the evening. Dancers should wear lightweight, comfortable clothing and soft-soled or leather-soled shoes to preserve the floor—no spike heels or cowboy boots.

Mid-Missouri Traditional Dancers sponsors regular contra and English Country Dances throughout the year. English dances are supported by the City of Columbia Office of Cultural Affairs.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit mmtdcolumbia.org or call 573-825-4698.

Contra Dance – Feb. 1, 2019 32 BarTenders with Claire Baffaut Calling

Contra Dance – Friday, Feb. 1.  Come join us Friday, Feb. 1st for a contra dance at  3906 Peachtree Drive. Our lively music will be provided by 32 BarTenders, with Tom Verdot (fiddle and banjo), Rebecca Logan (flute and penny whistle), Thom Howard (guitar and mandolin), and Marcie McGuire (piano).  32 Bar Tenders mixes up a cocktail of tunes from American, Irish, English, and French traditions with a twist of original reels, jigs, and waltzes plus splashes of swing, ragtime, and klezmer.

Our caller will be Claire Baffaut. “I call because I want to make people happy. That is what dancing does to me so I think it might do the same to others. I want dancers to feel connected to each other and to the musicians. After dancing for >20 years, I first gave a thought to calling in 2012. I tried at a party (a calling jam), in November 2012. I felt exhilarated and I still get that feeling whenever I call. I like to have a variety of dances during an evening, often a mix of modern contra dances, circle dances, and triplets. Perhaps a square or a triple minor. I also call community dances (longways, circle dances, and simple squares).”

Beginners are encouraged to come to an introductory lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Everything is explained.  You do NOT need to know how to dance before you come.  You also do NOT have to bring a partner.

Dancing starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Ballroom Academy of Columbia, 3906 Peachtree Drive.  Admission is $8 for the public, $5 for students and ages 16-25, with free admittance for children 15 and under.

No dance experience is needed and folks of all ages are welcome! No partner is necessary, as dancers switch partners for most dances. Every dance is taught and called throughout the evening to live music. Dancers should wear lightweight, comfortable clothing and soft-soled or leather-soled shoes to preserve the floor—no spike heels or cowboy boots. (Please carry-in appropriate dance shoes as needed.)

Update: Contra Dance – Friday, Jan 18, 2018 Dave and Amber with Paula McFarling Calling

Contra Dance – Friday, Jan 18th.  Come join us Friday, Jan 18th for a contra dance at our new location, 3906 Peachtree Drive (old location was 3910 Peachtree Drive). Our lively music will be provided by Dave and Amber,with Amber Gaddy on accordion, Dave Cavins on guitar, and Angie Lennie on fiddle.

Our caller will be Paula McFarling. Paula McFarling began calling contra dances in Missouri and Kansas after taking a calling class with Jim Thaxter in 1997. She considers calling and dancing to live music a wonderful way to spend an evening. She especially likes calling dances with moves that flow into each other and delights in helping new dancers find the joy in contra dancing.

Beginners are encouraged to come to an introductory lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Dancing starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Ballroom Academy of Columbia, 3906 Peachtree Drive.  Admission is $8 for the public, $5 for students and ages 16-25, with free admittance for children 15 and under.

No dance experience is needed and folks of all ages are welcome! No partner is necessary, as dancers switch partners for most dances. Every dance is taught and called throughout the evening to live music. Dancers should wear lightweight, comfortable clothing and soft-soled or leather-soled shoes to preserve the floor—no spike heels or cowboy boots. (Please carry-in appropriate dance shoes as needed.)

CANCELLED due to weather. English Country Dance – Jan. 11, 2019

Come enjoy the courtly music of the Renaissance period with our master caller, Jim Thaxter, who will be doing the calling and teaching using recorded music. The music has the same feel as the live band with some tunes stately or courtly, some lively, and some playful, with compositions ranging from the 1600s through the present. Think of Renaissance Fairs.

Beginners are encouraged to come to an introductory lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Everything is explained.  You do NOT need to know how to dance before you come.  You also do NOT have to bring a partner.

The dance starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1600 W. Rollins Road (at the intersection of Maplewood Dr. and Rollins), which is between West Blvd. and Stadium Blvd. a bit east of Russell School. Click here for a map.  Price of admission is $5 for the public, $3 for students/youth ages 16-25, and free for children 15 and under.

MMTD dances are fun, community-oriented events. All are welcome, no dance experience is necessary.  Come alone (no partner is needed) or with a friend. Couples and groups are welcome, too.  Every dance is taught and called throughout the evening. Dancers should wear lightweight, comfortable clothing and soft-soled or leather-soled shoes to preserve the floor—no spike heels or cowboy boots.

Mid-Missouri Traditional Dancers sponsors regular contra and English Country Dances throughout the year. English dances are supported by the City of Columbia Office of Cultural Affairs.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit mmtdcolumbia.org or call 573-825-4698.

Contra Dance – Fri. Jan. 4th with River Ghost Review

Contra Dance – Friday, Jan 4th.  Come join us Friday, Jan 4th for a contra dance at  3906 Peachtree Drive. Our lively music will be provided by the River Ghost Revue. River Ghost Review specializes in rural American folk music. Our unique sound comes from a blending of elements from bluegrass, country & western, and singer-songwriter Americana. We strive to create music that would work as well in Washington Square as it would on a front porch in the Ozarks. We like songs that ramble. Songs that shuffle. And songs that fight back. We’re not a throwback group, but rather a tip of the hat to the music that’s come before us. As always, we’ve got four new tires and a tank of gas, so grab your banjo and come along…with Robert Watson (on guitar, mandolin, and vocals), Joel Watson (on mandolin, bass, guitar, and vocals), and Andy Smith (on fiddle, dobro, and banjo).  Note: Photos below by Kevin Dingman.

Our caller will be Jim Thaxter.  Jim developed an interest in traditional dancing about the same time he was discovering the banjo. One thing led to another and he was a regular on the dance floor at the old-time contra dances about 40 years ago. Calling started about 10 years later. Numerous calling workshops at dance camps and dance weekends helped hone his skills. Calling for beginners groups made him more aware of the needs of the dancers for clear instruction. Calling is a great way to bridge the gap between listeners’ tapping toes and the lively rhythms from live musicians.

Beginners are encouraged to come to an introductory lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Everything is explained.  You do NOT need to know how to dance before you come.  You also do NOT have to bring a partner.

Dancing starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Ballroom Academy of Columbia, 3906 Peachtree Drive.  Admission is $8 for the public, $5 for students and ages 16-25, with free admittance for children 15 and under.

No dance experience is needed and folks of all ages are welcome! No partner is necessary, as dancers switch partners for most dances. Every dance is taught and called throughout the evening to live music. Dancers should wear lightweight, comfortable clothing and soft-soled or leather-soled shoes to preserve the floor—no spike heels or cowboy boots. (Please carry-in appropriate dance shoes as needed.)