Square Dance July 23 in Pine Hill

PINE HILL — Catskills Folk Connection is happy to present its third in-person square dance of the season, after two and half years without dancing. The Tremperskill Boys will be playing for the admission free dance at the Pine Hill Community Center, 287 Main St., Pine Hill at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 23.
The dance will feature popular square dances, sure to please those who danced to Hilt Kelly and the Sidekicks, the legendary 20th century square dance band. In addition there will be round dances (couple dances) with a few waltzes, a polka or two and some songs for a two-step. Beginners will be helped with instruction before each square dance, so everyone can have a good time.
The Tremperskill Boys are well into their second decade as an old-time square dance band. The founder, John Jacobson, named the band for the stream that runs by his house in Andes, the Tremperskill. John fiddles and calls, Dane Scudder seconds on fiddle, Sheila Addison on guitar, Amy Lieberman on stand up bass, and Ginny Scheer on flute.
In addition to square dance tunes based on 20th century popular songs, the band plays Irish and Scottish tunes common in the Catskills. Many of these include tunes that used to be played by Hilt Kelly, including the ones he learned from his father, Carson Kelly, who was also a noted fiddler and caller. Those older tunes are available on Hilt & Stella Kelly’s CD, “Tunes I Learned from My Dad,” available at the dance.
Covid precautions will be in place at the dance, if necessary. Masks are optional. Dancers can lower their risk by social distancing and by arriving in groups of eight who then dance only with each other. Changes in the infection rate may necessitate other precautions, even turning the dance into a concert. For last minute information, consult Catskills Folk Connection’s blog www.catskillsfolkconnection.blogspot.com. Contact Ginny Scheer, 607-326-4206 or gscheer.mcs @gmail.com or swixon@pinehillcommunitycenter.org.
Admission to the dance is free and donations are appreciated.